In the book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the character of Dorothy wears silver slippers. In the famous film version, directors made the slippers red to show off new color-film technology. Though the ruby slippers were pretty, the heel on them couldn't have been comfortable for such a long walk. Spruce up some sneakers that have seen better days by turning them into a sparkly dress-up staple.
What You Need:
- 1 pair of plain white canvas sneakers or tennis shoes – classic Keds or slip-ons work best, no artificial leathers or “shiny” materials
- Newspaper
- Large craft paintbrush
- Liquid watercolor in red
- Clear-drying liquid glue
- Red glitter
- Sequins and rhinestones (optional)
What You Do:
- First, create a safe zone for a mess – cover your work surface with several layers of newspaper to absorb any paint that might stray.
- Stuff each shoe with newspaper to prevent paint and glitter from falling inside the shoes and to help the shoe keep its shape.
- Remove the shoelaces from each shoe.
- Pour the liquid watercolor into a cup or open container.
- Help your child use a large paintbrush to carefully apply the watercolor to each shoe. Let the shoes dry completely – several hours is usually enough time. If you wish, she can “dye” the laces to match by dunking them straight into the watercolor – while wearing rubber gloves, of course!
- Once the shoes are completely dry, remove the newspaper from the inside of the shoes.
- Next, make some “glitter glue”: have her mix the glue with a handful of the glitter, so that it makes a thick paste.
- Dip a large paintbrush into the glitter glue and paint all visible areas of the shoe with the glitter glue.
- Before the glue dries, she can also stick some rhinestones or sequins onto the shoe for extra sparkle. Encourage her to make repeating patterns or designs for a modern twist!
- Once the shoes are dry, shake off any excess glitter over the garbage can or outside.
- Now she's ready to take them out for a spin! To Oz? To Oz!
Fun Fact: Actress Judy Garland had more than one pair of ruby slippers made for her to wear during filming, and the remaining pairs are some of the most sought-after movie collectibles to this day. The most recent pair sold at auction was bought for $660,000!
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