One of our favorite summer crafts for kids (and adults!) is DIY custom canvas shoes. This sneaker makeover is a great way to express your creativity and individuality, while taking your basic pair of canvas sneakers up a notch. 

To start, you’ll need:

A pair of canvas shoes: like these or these

Markers: These can be whatever kind you want, as long as they’re waterproof. We recommend staying away from the large-tip markers, as they bleed easier and are harder to control.

Paper, pencil and eraser

Waterproof spray

Step 1: Sketch it out!

Start by sketching out your ideas using the paper and pencil. This way, if you make a mistake it’s not the end of the world! This is the time to start thinking about the design of your shoe: will you use the shoe as one big canvas or divide it into sections? Try to draw your designs to scale, and then cut them out carefully using scissors.

Step 2: Trace ’em on!

Graf the paper designs you just cut out, and trace the outlines onto your shoes. Lay them on to make sure that the size and placement is right for your shoe. Once your satisfied with the designs and their placement, hold them down and trace the paper outline onto the shoe. You can do this with pencil so if you make a mistake just erase it!

Step 3: Mark ’em up!

Outline everything you just drew on in pencil in black marker. This helps establish a boundary that will segment the colors and make them “pop” in the next step. It can also help keep the color from bleeding into places you don’t want it.

Step 4: Color!

Here’s where the fun really gets going. Start with the foreground first and fill in the background last. We also recommend putting on the light colors first; that way, if you make an error, you can use a dark color to hide it.

Step 5: Wait

This is always the hardest part; waiting for the shoe to dry! Make sure that they sit for at least a day before you spray them with your waterproof spray (just follow the directions on the can).

Step 6: Rock ’em!

Time to take your new, custom canvas shoes out and about!

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