What I used:

White Keds-like sneakers from H&M

Images from Dover’s “Designs from India” Book and CD Rom.

Elmer’s Extreme Glue Stick

Sequined trim from Joann Fabrics

Beacon Adhesives Fabri-Tac

Here are the finished sneakers. Hooray for Bollywood!

Here’s an earlier video I made on how to apply the Shoe Attitude film. to shoes.

Disclosure: I am a designer/spokesperson for Craft Attitude and Shoe Attitude, and the Craft Attitude links on this page are affiliate links. However, I was loving and using this stuff way before I did any work for them because I believe in the product so much. So there you have it.

These are the finished shoes.

Disclosure: The links for Shoe Attitude and Craft Attitude on this page are affiliate links. While I am a designer/spokesperson for this product, I just love designing new shoes with the product, and I was doing so before I was ever a spokesperson. So there.

I bought some white spats on eBay. I knew they would be easy to decorate because they’re vinyl, and Shoe Attitude goes on vinyl like buttah. The spats had three sections divided by stitching, so I decided to create three different digital collages on Photoshop, sized to fit each section. I created the collages with a Victorian grunge background designed by freaky665.deviantart.com, and vintage images from the Graphics Fairy. I printed them out on my inkjet printer in reverse, since I would be flipping them over ink side down.

Then, like I do when I decorate shoes with Shoe Attitude, I rubbed a glue stick on the surface of the spats. I worked a section at a time, and used a finger to even out the glue and get into the nooks and crannies.

Peeling the film from its protecting backing, I placed the film ink side down onto the glued surface. I rubbed the film down with my fingers, and then removed the excess film with an X-acto knife. I used the stitching as my guide when cutting.

One of the sections had snaps, and the film would not lay flat, so I removed the film around the snaps, and all was well with the world.

Then I did the same with the other spat. (Is that singular for spats? Or Spatus?) These look awesome with my Cole Haan wingtip boots. And be sure to come see these in person (and me, too, of course) at the Craft Attitude booth if you’re planning on going to CHA. 

Here’s how I did it:

1) I bought stock images at bigstockphoto.com for most of the letters. But I needed a lot of some letters, e.g. the “i,” so I created some in Photoshop. Then I printed them two per sheet of Craft Attitude on my inkjet printer, in reverse, since I would be flipping the image over, ink side down.

2) Do a section at a time. Rub a glue stick all over the surface. Use your fingers to even it out, and get the glue under the button tufting.

3) I cut the Craft Attitude film to size before placing it on the chair. Peel the film from the protective backing, and place it ink side down on the glued surface. You can still reposition it when it goes on. Once it’s where you want, smooth it out with your fingers and make sure that every part of the film is adhered to the surface. You’ll notice from this picture that I applied two letters at a time, since this is how they were originally printed. I soon learned that it was much easier to cut the film into individual letters and work one section at a time.

4) Trim excess film with an X-acto knife. You can also use your fingers to tuck the excess film into the edge piping.

5) Lift the button tufting as much as you can and slide the film underneath the buttons, pushing it down with your finger. It helps to cut off the corner of the film so that the film fits under the button. Then keep going until you’ve done the whole chair.

How durable is the film on this chair? Well, I’ve sat on it, and the letters aren’t coming off. Yep, this project definitely makes me “Chair-man of the Not so Bored.”