DIY Ice Dyed Sneakers Craft

So you might not be a tie-dye swirl tee kind of a guy or gal and that’s totally cool BUT I’ve got to tell you that even if you’re not into the hippy 70’s kind of tie-dye I’ve got a method that you might totally love. Ice dyeing. It’s so easy and it’s so random and that makes it so, so much fun to me.

In fact, I can pretty much guarantee that you won’t get the same results twice with ice dyeing unless you really, really try hard too! Like all tie-dye there is some patience required as you have to wait for the dye to set and take hold in your fabric but I promise the DIY shoes you can make are so worth it!

For this project you will need:

• White canvas sneakers
• Vaseline
• Tie-dye
• Ice
• Rack
• Plastic tub

So this is my set up and it’s super professional 🙂 Set a rack in the middle of a plastic tub. Boom, you’re done. Well, mostly. I’m using a Wilton cookie rack and some Duck tape to hold it steady one of those short beneath the bed plastic storage tubs.

Grab yourself some sneakers that are white canvas and remove tags and laces. It’s a good idea to give them a good rinsing under the sink to remove any sizing so your dye can take hold really well but I rarely remember to do that.

Apply Vaseline to the rubber soles to protect them from discoloration from the dye. Take care not to get into the fabric as it could impede it from taking the dye which would be a problem.

Place your shoes on the rack and pile on a whole bunch of ice. Try to get it to cover as much as you possibly can. It’s a pain and it’s not easy but just do your best.

You can bust open a tie-dye kit or you get these Tulip One-Step Tie-Dye Refills. Since you don’t technically need the squeeze bottles for this project this is a pretty awesome way to go. Tulip sells individual dye packets that would work well if you don’t think you could use the extra tie-dye. RIT also sells powdered dyes but you’ll find them in the laundry section instead of the craft area of big box stores.

Sprinkle your dye on however you please and then wait 24 hours. It’s a good idea to put your tub someplace where it can’t be disturbed (this is why my rack is taped to the bottom) because nobody wants to run their cat to the vet to have to explain why their tongue is bright orange. Right? Right.

After that 24 hours pull your shoes back out and get ready for the fun part (not really) rinsing them out. You’ll need to rinse these guys out with warm to hot water until the water runs clear. It can take a while…

Place your shoes somewhere warm and allow them to dry. Mine tend to do really well in the garage during summer but in less hot times I just put them on the front porch. You can dry them in a dryer but they can shrink and that always stinks. Plus it can also dull the color though I don’t really understand why.

Since I hate tying my shoes I laced up each of my sneakers on my feet…

…and once I got to the top I knotted the laces up nice and tight against the eyelet. Using fabric glue I glued the knot into place so I don’t have to worry about it coming undone.

Now my sneakers are slip-ons so I don’t have to worry about laces stretching out and having to tighten them as time goes on so I snipped mine short and used glue to keep the edges from fraying.

If you shoes are traditional with an enclosed heel you might want to run the lace back into the shoe and leave it whole so you can knot retie for a good, comfortable fit after the laces inevitable stretch from wear.

I have a big thing for unique shoes and I LOVE how hot these guys are in regards to that awesome warm color combo but you can use ANY colors you please. I’m thinking I might desperately need a pair in the traditional red, blue and yellow tie-dye color pallete. Doesn’t that sound awesome?

But until then, I’m going to rock these guys all over the neighborhood. They are brightly colored so I can easily find them and they are slip-on so they’re perfect to head right on out that front door when I’ve got a pup to chase!

Allison

A crafter since her earliest years, Allison spends a little time every day making something. She crafts, sews, paints, glues things onto other things, and is a firm believer that a life spent creating is a life worth living. Visit Allison’s blog, Dream {a Little} BIGGER.