The Krewe that's Klose to our Hearts

Carnival season is upon us! With Krewe de Vieux kicking things off last weekend, I now officially can't be any more excited to spend the next few weeks wearing crazy costumes, catching fabulous throws, eating King Cake, and generally making a big ol' fool of myself. I know you're excited too.

And, I also know that for some of us picking a favorite Krewe is similar to trying to pick a favorite child, we should love them all equally. However, as a shoe store there is one Krewe that is especially near and dear to our hearts...the Krewe of Muses. Muses is the first all female Krewe, and they are famous for throwing shoes that have been lovingly glitter-fied and bedazzled by Krewe members. We've got quite an enviable collection here at the store. Here are our beautiful examples of the work these ladies do:

Muses Shoes Collection: Feet First

...Now do you see why we love them? The shoes are just drool-worthy!  It kind of makes you wish all of your shoes were covered in glitter too...but, hey, what's stopping you? Last week, I set to work on making my standard red Keds into a Mardi-Gras-ready-glitter-explosion! (By the way, Keds are my number one choice for parade route and festival footwear. They are inexpensive yet comfortable because of their good cushioning and arch support. They keep your feet completely protected from nastiness, and you can throw them in the washing machine at the end of Carnival season to get them nice and clean for next year! Plus, they don't look ridiculous with jeans, skirts, tights, tutus, costumes, etc.)

We have a variety of Keds in stock...click to find your pair for parading.

Things you need to glitter-ize your Keds:

• One pair of Keds :)
• Glitter (I bought each color here, here, and here. They were BIG. I will have to find more things to glitter-ize...)
• Mod Podge GLOSSY craft glue (Buy it here)
• Masking or painter's tape
• A paintbrush
• A few Q-tips and/or paper towels.

You can start with Keds of any color. I used my red ones from last year. I obviously skipped the "wash them after carnival season" step, so it's a good thing I'm covering them in glitter.

First things first, remove the laces and cover the eye holes with masking tape or painter's tape. You may also want to cover the interior edge so you don't have to worry about glitter getting inside the shoes, and the white part around the sole if you don't want that part glitter-ized. You may also want to have paper towels and Q-tips handy for correcting any mistakes.

Now, to the fun part. I chose to mix equal parts of purple, green, and gold glitter, I used a heaping tablespoon full of each color. If you're feeling extra creative, you can keep the colors separate and make a pattern on your shoes.







Next, add some Mod Podge to the bowl of glitter. You want the consistency to be almost the same as what the Mod Podge was initially. Otherwise, your glitter will not apply smoothly.




You're ready to paint! Now, just paint the glitter/glue mixture onto your shoes. It will look awful at first, but don't fret. The glue dries clear and since we used the glossy kind, your glitter will still look shiny! I had to apply two coats, it is best to wait until the first coat is completely dry so you can really see where you need more glitter.

DRUM ROLL PLEASE...

I am ridiculously excited to wear these. I love how cute they look with white laces, but you can change to a colored lace for even more Mardi Gras flair. Please note that the shoes are more stiff than they were initially, but I've walked around in them and they don't feel stiff once I put them on. I will definitely be wearing socks, though, because I didn't tape around the inner edge, so there are some hard glitter chunks against my feet. I know you'll be really eager to get to the glitter-paint part, but I highly recommend taking your time with the masking tape at the beginning of the project for the best results.

(Please note I used a technique I found on this blog: http://anniespandex.com/diy/glitter-brogues-how-to-cover-your-shoes-in-glitter-without-making-a-mess/, with a few modifications.)