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You are here: Home / Naturally Frugal Living / DIY Ombre Dyed Canvas Shoes

DIY Ombre Dyed Canvas Shoes

May 8, 2015 by Emily 6 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.
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Do you have anything in your closet that has gone unworn for months or even years on end? Maybe something you picked up from a thrift store with high hopes of a cute update? Don’t unload them just yet! There are so many fun ways to breathe new life into old or outdated clothes. Shoes are no exception. Canvas flats are one of those trends that make their way back time and time again. They’re classic, and just don’t seem to ever go out of style. That’s fine with me, because not only are they cozy, but they’re versatile and easy to revamp.

If you don’t happen to have a pair lying around, white canvas shoes are easy to find in just about any store. Craft stores are even starting to carry them right along with their plain t-shirts and other fashion accessories for easy decorating. They’re also really inexpensive and in many cases can be purchased for under $5. Find them on super clearance like I did, and you may just land a pair for under $3. Come on, who can pass that up?

With a packet of fabric dye and a little patience I’m going to show you how to transform a pair of plain white canvas shoes using a simple dipping technique. The end result is an ombre pair of kicks no one will believe you created yourself!

DIY Ombre Dyed Canvas Shoes

Materials for DIY Ombre Dyed Canvas Shoes

Materials needed:

  • 1 packet of fabric dye, your choice of color (I used Tulip Permanent Fabric Dye in Teal)
  • 1 large bucket, bin, or stainless steel sink
  • 1 large measuring cup or other container suitable for measuring water
  • Rubber gloves
  • Plain white canvas shoes
  • Optional: Vaseline

Instructions:

1. Mix your entire packet of dye according to package instructions. Use gloves to prevent dyed fingers!

2. If you’d like to keep the rubber trim of your shoes bright white and free of dye, rub a thin layer of Vaseline around these areas. Be careful not to get any Vaseline on the fabric of your shoes. I didn’t mind if mine absorbed a little of the color, so I took my chances and opted to proceed without covering the trim.

3. Starting at the heel, carefully dip your shoes about 1/4 of the way into the dye. Hold them there or carefully lean them along the side of our bucket for 10 minutes.

How to Dye Ombre Canvas Shoes

4. Lift the shoes while slowly pouring out any extra dye. Keep the toe of the shoes upward. Set them aside.

5. Add 2 quarts of hot water to your bucket of dye and mix well.

6. Starting again with the heal, dip your shoes an additional 1/4 of the way into the dye. Hold for another 10 minutes.

7. Remove the shoes from the dye, and set aside.  At this point, you should start to see the beginning of your ombre technique.                                                                                                               Ombre Dyed Canvas Shoes Tutorial

8. Drain ½ of your dye, and add another 2 qts. of hot water. Mix well.

9. Dip your shoes another ¼ of the way into the dye. Hold for 10 minutes.

10. Remove the shoes from the dye, and set aside.

11. One last time, drain about ½ of your dye and add 2 qts of hot water. Mix well.

12. Dip your entire shoe into the dye, and let sit for 10 minutes.

13. Remove your shoes and let the dye saturate the canvas overnight.

14. Give your shoes a cold rinse and let them air dry before wearing.

DIY Ombre Dyed Canvas Shoes

 How about a little sparkle?

 Adding Sparkle to Ombre Dyed Canvas Shoes

It’s really easy to add a subtle touch of sparkle to these shoes. Just grab a bottle of glitter fabric paint and a small brush. Add a few vertical lines of paint at the heal of each shoe. Use your brush to spread the paint from the heal to the toe in a long front to back motion. By spreading the paint from the heal to the toe, the sparkles on your shoes will appear to decrease at the same rate of the color.

DIY Ombre Dyed Canvas Shoes with Glitter

These shoes are perfect for little ones as well. After my daughter set her eyes on these she insisted on having her own pair too. Hmm, what color next?

More DIY Projects

10 Awesome Ways to Deconstruct a T-Shirt

Upcycled Sweater Vase

10 Ways to Reuse Old Sweaters

DIY Sweater Ear Warmer

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Comments

  1. Brittanie @Simplistically Living says

    May 19, 2015 at 10:59 pm

    These are so cute and that color is my favorite! Thanks for sharing at the #HomeMattersParty. We hope to see you again this Friday!

    Reply
  2. Mila says

    May 18, 2015 at 6:17 pm

    I’m absolutely in love with everything ombre!
    Thanks for sharing 🙂

    Reply
  3. Lauren @ Mom Home Guide says

    May 18, 2015 at 12:50 pm

    I love these — your sneakers came out so well! The color is great!

    Reply
  4. Nicole Rose says

    May 15, 2015 at 1:52 pm

    This is the cutest idea – can’t wait to try it. 🙂

    Reply
  5. Paula says

    May 14, 2015 at 5:37 pm

    Super cute. So adding to my things to do this summer. I would love it if you would share this fabulous post at our WIW link party. I hope you can join us!

    Paula
    ivyandelephants.blogspot.com

    Reply
  6. Theresa @DearCreatives says

    May 12, 2015 at 4:42 pm

    Last year we did a bunch of tie dying. I think I need to add tennis shoes to my list. They came out great.

    Reply

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Prep-Ahead Breakfasts and Lunches by Alea Milham

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Welcome. I'm Alea!

On Premeditated Leftovers I share simple recipes made with whole foods, practical shopping tips, time saving techniques, and meal planning strategies. I also share tips for minimizing food waste, so more of the food that is purchased ends up on the table.

While volunteering as a budget counselor, I realized that food is the element of most people’s budgets where they have the greatest control. I set out to develop low-cost recipes from scratch to prove it’s possible to create delicious meals on a limited budget. Eating well while spending less is about more than just creating recipes using inexpensive ingredients; it’s about creatively combining ingredients so you don’t feel deprived and are inspired to stick to your budget.

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