shoe upgrade

Here at Small Fry, we all have two boys each, isn’t that something? We’re not sure if girls are the same, but boys are so hard on their clothes. On top of that they grow like weeds, and we are replenishing their too small wardrobes monthly it seems. So when we find inexpensive staples, we like to stock up. But, of course three best friends with six boys between us, the boys are constantly matching. Embellishing these inexpensive finds is the perfect way to put a little individuality back into their wardrobes. Here’s how Emily did it:

Painted Shoes

Using painter’s tape, mark off your desired design. Make sure you press the tape into the creases and that it is adhering, duct tape might work well too! Using our favorite go-to, acrylic paint, and a sponge brush, dab the paint into the design. Depending on the saturation of the paint and the shoe’s material, you will probably need a few coats. But, it dries quickly, so once it’s set, remove the tape. In only minutes you’ll have one-of-a kind shoes.

Slip ons via K-Mart, and shorts are thrifted Wranglers cut off above the knee.

If you upgrade any shoes, link in the comments, we’d love to see!

And can we just say we hope you have the happiest weekend! It has been an incredible week for Small Fry, and we are on cloud nine. The morning we launched the site was taking minutes to load because so many of you were here. We were laughing because while you were reading our motto, we were either scolding or ignoring our kids while we frantically tried to troubleshoot. We are doing this for our boys, and to be better mothers, but we are definitely not perfect. While we work out the kinks in life and online, we hope you know how much we value and appreciate your support. We hope that we can show you even an ounce of what we’ve felt in return.

38 Comments

  • Michelle Botkin
    September 28, 2012 at 6:23 pm

    lovin this! totally simple.. why havent i done this yet?

    Reply
    • Small Fry
      September 29, 2012 at 9:41 am

      Do and show us when you’re done!

      Reply
  • Heather @ milkglassandhone
    September 28, 2012 at 9:09 pm

    Ladies – I don’t personally know you (we have tons of mutual friends) but the new blog is oh so lovely…I just had to comment. Very nice job. Looking forward to many more great ideas etc. And I love Ann’s video…she is my dear friend and you captured her life in such a magical way! Keep it up…

    Reply
    • Small Fry
      September 29, 2012 at 9:42 am

      Heather, how have we not met yet! Heard so much about you. Thanks for saying hi and we hope to meet you soon!

      Reply
  • Megan
    September 28, 2012 at 11:15 pm

    You amazing moms! Lovin’ this new site! Thanks for sharing all this great stuff with the rest of us moms.

    Reply
    • Small Fry
      September 29, 2012 at 9:42 am

      Thanks Megan, love you!

      Em

      Reply
  • Kribamil
    September 29, 2012 at 5:16 am

    pretty cool! will do this!

    Reply
    • Small Fry
      September 29, 2012 at 9:43 am

      We’d love to see it when you’re done!

      Reply
  • Megan
    September 29, 2012 at 7:50 am

    Duh why did I never think of this! Amazing!

    Reply
    • Small Fry
      September 29, 2012 at 9:43 am

      Literally took minutes.

      Reply
  • Victoria / Justice Pirate
    September 29, 2012 at 11:35 am

    These shoes are really cute and I like the little painted stripes on them. Little boys really do destroy their shoes. I have two sons myself. Yey!

    Reply
    • Small Fry
      September 30, 2012 at 8:00 pm

      Yay for boys! Thanks for stopping by.

      Reply
  • Emily
    September 29, 2012 at 1:22 pm

    what a lovely blog! i’ve been talking to everyone about it since you launched it. i’m a fan of fabulous emily at ruffling feathers and just followed her over her. i am definitely going to try this little shoe project. thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Small Fry
      October 1, 2012 at 10:42 pm

      Ah, thanks Emily! We appreciate your support so much!
      xo Emily

      Reply
  • mom
    September 30, 2012 at 8:07 pm

    love. obsessed already. your grams are my favorite, and now a blog. cant wait to try this…hope i don’t foul it up. please update lots, pretend you aren’t busy with cute little mister’s ha.

    Reply
    • Small Fry
      October 1, 2012 at 10:39 pm

      thank for being here! no way you can botch this up. if you post about it please let us know!

      Reply
    • Small Fry
      October 1, 2012 at 10:43 pm

      Haha! We’re sure you’ll nail it! Good luck!

      Reply
  • caitlin
    September 30, 2012 at 9:31 pm

    hey! cool… you should link up to my blog post 🙂

    Reply
    • Small Fry
      October 1, 2012 at 10:44 pm

      Haha! Send me the link, girl!

      Reply
  • Painted Shoes | Kid Crave
    October 1, 2012 at 10:12 am

    […] with more than a few items for the kids that need some extra styling. The ladies over at the new Small Fry Blog share a lovely way to embellish these finds. Using painter’s tape and some acrylic paint, […]

    Reply
  • Janaan
    October 1, 2012 at 3:55 pm

    As a mother to a one year old boy myself, I’d love to see more of your inexpensive staples for boys. They have the best style!

    Reply
  • nicole @ I am a Honey Bee
    October 2, 2012 at 3:38 am

    I don’t have kids, but I want to do this to my own shoes!

    Reply
    • Small Fry
      October 2, 2012 at 6:49 am

      when you do post it & let us know!

      Reply
  • Erika
    October 2, 2012 at 7:49 pm

    Cute! Will have to try this (if they let me!)
    I’ve got two boys as well. 🙂

    Reply
    • Small Fry
      October 2, 2012 at 11:50 pm

      Welcome to the two boy club! Best place to be. We’d love to see your end result if you end up doing it!

      Reply
  • Mindy
    October 4, 2012 at 10:40 am

    What a fabulous idea! And Kmart for those darling shoes?! I’m stopping on my way home:) I have one boy and another on the way…reading your blog makes me feel like I’ve got sisters in the Boys Club!

    Reply
    • Small Fry
      October 4, 2012 at 9:00 pm

      Would you believe if we told you that most of our friends have only boys! It’s crazy. There’s at least 7 of us. Welcome to our club!

      Reply
  • Hilary
    October 4, 2012 at 1:58 pm

    I LOVE this idea, super cute!

    Reply
  • tara
    October 11, 2012 at 2:22 pm

    so excited about this site (i found it blog hopping/stalking)! especially since you all have boys! i just had my second and i feel like so many of the blogs i read are centered around baby girls, i can’t wait to see more ‘threads’ posts!

    Reply
  • from head to toe: Kmart | Small Fry
    November 24, 2012 at 1:42 pm

    […] and the pants are a breathable chino material from the girl’s section. If you remember our shoe upgrade post from a few months ago, you know we love the Joe Boxer sneaker line. Kmart usually has the Joe Boxer […]

    Reply
  • recyled t-shirt beanie | Small Fry
    April 10, 2013 at 5:03 am

    […] Painted shoes // Stamped Pants // Patched leggings // Leggings made out of body-con skirts. […]

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  • wardrobe hacks | Small Fry
    July 30, 2013 at 2:21 pm

    […] Make simple cuts to transform too-short long sleeves and hems into cute cut-offs [HERE], tie-dye leggings, tees, and more (we even found a way to create the heart shape seen above) [HERE]. The Pin seen round the world – our five minute five step leggings made out of body-con skirts [HERE]. Dip-dyeing techniques to add a little extra interest to shirts [HERE]. Make beanies for the colder months, or a bad hair day from an old t-shirt [HERE], and you can even add paint to a favorite pair of canvas sneakers [HERE]. […]

    Reply
  • […] Sometimes a shoe needs a little extra touch of color and pattern to look perfect. For example, take a pair of shoes in a plain color and use painter’s tape to make a few decorative lines. Apply two coats of paint, let it dry and remove the tape. You can also create all sorts of other designs.{found on smallfryblog}. […]

    Reply
  • ballet flats 3 ways | Small Fry
    October 3, 2013 at 5:01 am

    […] Canvas Sneakers // Patriotic Flag sneakers […]

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  • Better Ways to Save: Fall Wardrobe Transition
    February 7, 2014 at 11:01 am

    […] Then used painter’s tape on an old pair of shoes to mark off and paint a new design. Source: smallfryblog.com […]

    Reply
  • […] Found it here >> Small Fry Blog […]

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  • […] Found it here >> Small Fry Blog […]

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