Watercolor-Inspired Floral Pumps for the DIY Bride

Wedding season is still in full swing and we're loving all manner of DIY bridal craftiness. From the clever, romantic wedding announcements to stunningly unique decor, the how-to bride is taking control by adding that personal touch to make it a truly unique experience. We've all seen the whimiscally dyed crinolines and other traditional accessories, but how about to adding a little pizazz to your pumps? Those satin white wedding shoes are made for dyeing and there's so many ways to do it. Today we've got a twist on the solid dyed shoe by giving it a soft watercolor look. No need to choose between wedding colors when your can mix them, right?

And to make them extra lovely, we've dyed silk ribbons to create these sweet floral embellishments. Guaranteed to be as much fun to make as it is to wear. The best part is that these shoes won't be tossed after the last balloons of the reception has popped. Pair them with a light summery frock and you can wear them for seasons to come. That's a crafty win-win!

Ready to release your inner Monet? OK, let's go...

SUPPLIES:

• Rit Liquid Dye - Cherry Red, Golden Yellow, Tangerine
• White Satin Wedding Shoes
• Various Widths Silk (or Cotton) Ribbons (2'+ lengths)
• Cellulose Sponge
• 2-3 Pint-sized Plastic Containers
• Measuring Cup/Spoons
• Small Mixing Spoons
• Spray Bottle
• Rubber Bands
• Hot Glue & Glue Gun
• Spray Water-repellant Sealer
• Rubber Gloves
• Plastic Table Cover

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cover your work surface with plastic. Lay out your white shoes and get ready to mix up some dye!

2. Spray the shoes with water to slightly dampen.

3. Grab your rubber gloves. Shake, measure, and mix 1/8 tsp Tangerine + 1 tsp Golden Yellow with 1 cup of very hot 140F water. Mix well. 

4. Dab the dye with a small cellulose sponge in a random pattern on the shoes, leaving room for the second color to be added. 

5. In a second 1 cup container, shake, measure, and mix 2 tsp Cherry Red dye with 1 cup of very hot water. Apply red spots to the shoes in between the yellow spots.

6. Spray the shoes with water to cause the dye to bleed and create a watercolor effect. Set aside to let shoes dry fully overnight. 

7. On to dyeing ribbons!  Here's where you can have some real fun. Experiment with different dyeing techniques to make an assortment of dye patterns and colors. Make sure you always have two of every variation, enough for each shoe. Again, the ribbons should be about 2"+ in length and you'll need two for each technique. Here's what we did:

8. Tie-dye: We did 4 tie-dyed ribbons because we were using them for two different applications. Moisten, then wrap all four ribbons randomly with rubber bands. Shake, measure, and mix 2 tsps Tangerine in 1 cup hot water. Immerse the wrapped ribbons in the dye bath for a few minutes until desired color is achieved. Remove from dye bath and remove rubber bands. Rinse in cool water until the water runs clear and wash in warm water with mild detergent and let dry.

9. For an Ombré ribbon: In one plastic container, shake, measure and mix 2 tsp Cherry Red dye with 1 cup very hot water. In a second container, shake, measure and mix 1 tsp Golden Yellow + 1/2 tsp Tangerine with 1 cup very hot water.  Moisten and wind 2 ribbons into a loose tube. Dip one end of the tube in one color. Turn over and dip the other side into the second color. The colors should meet and blend nicely in the center. Repeat with second ribbon. Again rinse and wash both ribbons as in step 8. 

10. Solid ribbons: Dye 2 solid yellow ribbons using a dye bath of 2 tsps Golden Yellow dye mixed in 1 cup of hot water. When dyeing solid colors, moisten ribbons and immerse in dye bath. Stir ribbons while in dye bath to ensure even dyeing. When desired color is achieved, rinse and wash ribbons as in step 8.

Note: You can experiment with different colors and patterns for your favorite look. Check out our fun ribbon mosaic video for more ideas and inspiration. Oh, and that sweet Cherry Red ribbon in the photo below didn't actually get used for this tutorial but wanted to show it off just the same. It's always helpful to have extra supplies on hand in case you need them, right? 

11. Once you have all your ribbons dry (and ironed if needed), it's time to start embellishing. We used a thin solid yellow ribbon to frame the opening of the shoe. We started near the outside front edge where the flower will later be place so the unfinished edges will be hidden. Slowly glue and shape the ribbon around the curved opening of the shoe. Using a thin ribbon for this application is recommended. A wider ribbon will gap too much. 

12. Using a tie-dyed ribbon, tack with hot glue near the center front opening of the shoe. Loop back and tack again. Make 3 loops and trim excess. Starting about 2 1/2" to the left of where you left off, begin 3 new loops that finish close to the finish of the first set.

13. Making a ribbon flower: Holding two ribbons of equal width together (we used ombré and tie-dye), twist to form the center of the flower. Glue from the back to hold shape. In a spiral motion, repeat the twist and glue method until you like the size and shape of your flower. Trim excess ribbon and glue to the back of the flower. Then just glue the flower to the shoe in between the looped ribbons. This conveniently covers any raw fabric edges. 

Take a peek at this detail photo. It illustrates well the placement of looped ribbons and flower. 

14. Now, go embellish the other shoe in the same way. Finish with a few light coats of a ScotchGuard-type water repellant sealer to help protect your fancy new shoes. That's it! You're done.