UPCYCLED SNEAKERS WITH HAND-PRINTED BUTTON DESIGN
Here's a great project to refashion sneakers: all you need is a button and some ink. Printing with buttons gives a quirky alternative to a polka dot print. One color makes them more sophisticated, but more colors = more fun!
Excerpted with permission from Fresh Prints: 25 Easy and Enticing Printing Projects to Make at Home (Simple Makes).
Supplies: Thin cardboard Pair of canvas shoes Masking tape Various buttons Sandpaper (optional) Gray and orange printing inks Palette knife Glass plate Brayer (ink roller) Double-sided tape
Step 1
Make two rough semicircles from the cardboard to place inside the toes of your shoes. This gives a firmer base to print onto. Also stick some tape around the rubber edge and remove any shoe laces.
Step 2
Choose a variety of buttons in different shapes and sizes. The buttons that work best are ones that have a very flat side and no indentations or ridges. If they are shiny, give them a light rub with sandpaper on the flat side to help the ink adhere better. Mix up a gray ink on the glass plate and roll it out to a fine consistency. The best way to get firm and even pressure on the button is to stick it directly to your index finger using double-sided tape.
Step 3
Roll out some orange ink and print a few buttons to add color. Leave to dry overnight.
Step 4
Excerpted with permission from Fresh Prints: 25 Easy and Enticing Printing Projects to Make at Home (Simple Makes).
