Use Ikonart to create a pair of eye-catching Neon Leopard Print Painted Sneakers!
To say I was obsessed with Lisa Frank in the 90s is an understatement. I was absolutely in LOVE with that bright-colored aesthetic, and still am today. In fact, I decided that fun shoes can be for adults, too, and made myself a pair of Lisa-inspired neon leopard print painted sneakers! While this can all be done by hand, I took a shortcut and used my Ikonart kit to save time and sanity! I couldn't be happier with how these shoes turned out, and my little heart is just so excited to wear them everywhere I go!!
To make your own Neon Leopard Print Painted Sneakers, you will need these supplies:
- White Canvas Sneakers
- Leopard Print Pattern (for personal use only)
- Ikonart Custom Stencil Kit
- Painter's Tape
- Neon Fabric Paint
- Paint Brush
*Save 15% on Ikonart supplies when you shop with code AFM15
Printables, designs, and cut files from Artsy-Fartsy Mama are for personal use only. You may use these files for personal projects, but you may not sell them. If you'd like to share this project digitally, share a link to this post/website only. Do not share a direct link to the file.
To make a stencil, start with a printed design. Download the "Leopard Print Pattern" design (for personal use only) and print the designs as dark as possible on either inkjet or laser Ikonart Printer Film.
The next step in the process is to expose the stencil film. For this project, you need to use the purple Ikonart Textile Film instead of the blue Ikonart Stencil Film. The purple film works just like the blue film, but it's stickier and a little more stiff, which makes it perfect for using on fabric and other textured or difficult surfaces.
Set up the exposure stand with UV LED Light by following the directions included in the kit. The Textile Film is light sensitive, so be careful to keep it out of sunlight and bright lights before exposure. Cut a piece of the film the same size as the design print.
Lay the piece of film down on the base of the stand with the textured side facing UP. Place the printed design on top of the stencil film, making sure it's right-side up. This means that if there are words in your design, you should be able to read them.
Lastly, place the clear exposure sheet (found in the stencil film pack) on top and press it down well to seal the design tight against the stencil film. Turn the exposure light on and expose the film for 30-35 seconds.
The final step in the stencil-making process is to washout, or rinse, the stencil. Clip the exposed stencil film to the Ikonart clipboard with the shiny side (carrier sheet) touching the clipboard. Use the kitchen sink sprayer to rinse the stencil film with warm water until the design shows through and becomes completely clear. The washout process shouldn't take more than 3 minutes.
Gently blot excess water off the the stencil, and hang or lay flat to dry for about 45 minutes. When the stencil is dry, you shouldn't see any water spots or discoloration. Once completely dried, place the it back on the exposure stand and expose it again for at least 2 minutes without the clear cover sheet on top. This extra exposure time will increase the durability of the stencil so you can get as much use out of it as possible.
After you use the stencils, it's incredibly important to put the carrier sheet back onto the washed stencil in the right direction. Otherwise they will stick together permanently, making the stencils unusable.
To help make the carrier sheet and stencil easier to match back up, here are a couple of ideas: use a permanent marker and write "back" on the carrier sheet (shiny side) on the back of the stencil or clip one corner of the stencil and carrier sheet.
Place painter's tape on the shoes where you don't want to get the paint. I put it on the back panel, and along the area with the shoelace holes.
Before stenciling anything on the shoes, I decided to paint the tongue of the shoe first. I first split it into 5 equal sections (since that's how many colors I'm using). I added a thin coat of neon fabric paint, one color at a time, to each section. Then smoothed the paint out with a paint brush. You can have solid edges where the colors meet, or you can blend them together like I did.
Once all of the colors have added, give the paint a bit of time to dry. I let these shoes sit for about an hour. The thicker the paint, the longer it will need to dry.
Now it's time to paint the sides of the shoes! Shoes are not flat, therefore are a little more tricky to use with stencils. I recommend having some kind of a harder backing behind the fabric to help keep the fabric stabilized. I balled up some paper and stuffed them into the shoes, which worked pretty well! If you have an extra hand that can hold it for you, that's even better.
The stencil is sticky, but has kind of met it's match with the canvas of a shoe. Luckily, this pattern is VERY forgiving, so no one is going to notice if you accidentally shift or move the stencil.
Instead of using a squeegee, I got messy and just used my finger to apply paint to the stencil. First I added a drop of paint on the tip of my finger, then I scraped it over random circles on the stencil. Wipe your finger off and re-apply as necessary, then repeat the process with different colors.
I ended up working in small sections, holding the stencil in place as I went. I found it easier to start by pressing the stencil on at the back of the shoe and covered the first 3-4 inches, horizontally. Once that was covered, I moved on and covered the next 3-4 inches.
Peel the stencil up to reveal some colorful dots on your shoe! If you see there are any missing dots or sections while peeling the stencil up, lay it back down and go over the area again. Don't panic if you see that there are any bleeds or mistakes. Like I said, this pattern is VERY forgiving and no one is going to notice.
Repeat the process for the other side of the shoe. Once covered, remove the stencil and wash it well following the instructions below.
Washing Stencils:
For best results, wash stencils while the paint is still wet. To wash your stencil so that it can be used again and again, first get the clipboard wet so your stencil doesn't stick to it. Place the stencil on the clipboard with the textured side up, and lightly rub the stencil under cold running water to remove all the paint.
Do not rub or scrub the adhesive side of the stencil, and NEVER use anything other than water to wash the stencils. To prevent the stencil from breaking down, don't ever leave the stencils to soak.
Remove the stencil from the clipboard and lay it down with the adhesive side up. While the stencil is still wet, place the carrier sheet onto the stencil so that the word “BACK” is readable. Hang or lay the stencil flat to dry completely.
Make sure that the dotted stencil is completely dry, then cover the other shoe. The stencil can stick to the shoe permanently if it hasn't had plenty of time to dry completely. Once covered, wash the stencil again and allow the shoe to dry while you apply the other stencil to the first shoe.
Place the leopard pattern stencil onto the shoe, lining the dots up underneath the pattern. Press the stencil down well and apply black paint over the top. You can use your finger again (I did), or you can try to use a squeegee. Repeat the process until the entire side of the shoe is covered.
Peel the stencil away from the shoe to reveal the leopard pattern underneath. Up close, the pattern can look like a mess, but it honestly looks better from far away in general! If you have any missed spots (ha), you can lay the stencil back down to go over it again, or use a small detail brush to fill them in.
Repeat the process for the other side of the shoe, then wash the stencil well. Once the stencil has dried completely, add the leopard design to the other shoe.
Carefully remove the painter's tape from the shoes, especially if the paint is still wet. Look at those clean edges!! If you got any paint on the sole of the shoe, you should be able to scrub it away fairly easily.
Once the shoes are dry, add the laces back to the shoes and take them for a test spin.. or walk.
Here's the finished shoe! What's your favorite part? I can't get enough of the Lisa Frank-esque look of the shoes, and I just love that extra pop of color that peeks through the laces. It's so fun!! The fabric paint is totally flexible, and hopefully the colors will stay bright and vibrant for years to come.
Don't forget to Pin, Like, and Share!
