Be ready for takeoff with Galaxy Shoes

STORY AND PHOTOS BY MARY RASCH

Time for some intergalactic fun! If you’ve been searching the cosmos for a project to share with your kiddos, put down your telescope and look no further! With just a couple of steps (steps … see what I did there?) you’ll be moonwalking your way across the galaxy … or at least down the street.

First, in order to minimize the well-known craft related frustration known affectionately in our house as “be-frazzlement,” a quick story. Our first attempt, call it mission one, involved a fabric paint that was available at the same store we got the black canvas shoes. My daughter and I happily painted the canvas to our liking, and came back after an hour to find virtually zero color showing after the paint dried! Needless to say, we ended up with a failure to launch! We laughed because it looked like we hadn’t painted them at all! All paint is clearly not created equal, but that’s no reason to scrub the mission.

What I should have done to avoid my astronomical mistake was follow the instructions by artsyfartsymama.com because she listed the paints she used on her blog. Once we bought the right paint, the results were universally awesome. Prepare for some stellar reactions as you eclipse the rest of the neighborhood with your new custom kicks. I apologize but I just have one more … these shoes are out of this world!

Materials:

• Black Canvas Shoes

• Newspaper or Drop Cloth

• Foam Applicators

• Fabric Creations — Plush Fabric Paint

• Navy

• Blue Raspberry

• African Violet

• Hot Pink

• White

• Wet Rag

• Old Toothbrush

Tips and Tricks (Learn from Us)

• As mentioned, buy the right paint.

• Use foam paint applicators. We used cotton balls at first and fuzz was transferred to the canvas.

• Round applicators are very helpful as it aids to blend the colors together.

A dabbing motion works best to blend.

• Don’t play basketball near your workspace — basketballs tip paint.

• Be ready with a wet rag, as even the most skilled painter needs help sometimes.

• Make sure that whoever is sacrificing their toothbrush is okay with doing so prior to applying the paint.

• You’re going to want to make a pair for everyone with how great they turn out. Buy a pair for everyone in your crew!

Instructions:

Remove any tags or other packaging that is on the shoes and then remove the shoelaces.

Spread out something to protect your workspace from paint that might drip, spill or splatter. You may want any kiddos “helping” to wear play clothes in case an accident happens.

Begin by painting the darkest colors first using a different foam applicator for each color. As you add lighter colors, you’ll begin blending them as you go. Use your own preference as to how much or little you paint each section of color.

Let the paint dry according to the instructions on the bottle. You’ll want to wipe away any paint that gets onto the rubber part of the shoes using a wet rag.

Using a paintbrush, place a dollop of white paint on the bristles. Run your finger along them in order to get the white paint to spray onto the shoes. This creates the stars on the shoes. Using your other hand or the helping hand of another individual, spin the shoe to get good star coverage.

Let the shoes dry completely before donning these awesome kicks.