Comic Book Shoes

Sometimes when your scrolling through Pintrest you see and idea and 'think i'm going to do that one day'. Well this is one of those ideas and the night before National Comic Book day was the day.

I kept seeing all these tutorial or blog post about using newspaper, comic books, and magazine to cover a pair of flats or heels. A while back my husband and I got some random cheap comic books (half of them weren't of any value). Then I went on to Gabe's during there 50% off clearance sale and got a few pairs of shoes, each pair was $5.00 or less. Then I threw everything is a box when we moved. Forgot about it for a while. Then comic book day popped up on my phone I figured if not now then when. I already had mod podge, scissors, and an x-acto knife in my art room so I was good to go.

The shoes before.

First I wiped down the shoes and let them dry.
Then I went through the comic books I was planning to use and cut out all the parts I liked and a few extra pieces to use as filler. I eye balled most of the pieces when cutting them down to size.

Then I started painting the mod podge onto the flats and placing the comic book cut outs in random spots until I worked out my design.
Once everything was in place and secure. I put a topcoat of mod podge over the entire shoe. After a couple coats of mod podge I let them dry. Before wearing them out and about I tried them on at home to make sure everything was in place and to see if any parts would come loose.

Last I wore them on National Super Hero Day!

Slacking...

The other day my husband told me I should make videos of the DIY stuff I do or when i'm creating my paintings. I then had to explain that half the time I do all this stuff by myself over time. Not like a week but sometimes i'll work on something for like a month.Yet there are some things I knock in a couple hours. I also do not own a tripod nor is my "art room" set up for me to film anything. Basically I'm just making stuff as I have time or materials and then I come back afterwards and write about it on here. 

Lately i've been slacking though. I have painting i've been working on for months. I started calling it "Black Girl Magic" and I have no idea when i'll be done with it. I just keep adding layers and staring at it for a few days. Yet this year I have given myself the goal of completing 10 paintings. 

This will be interesting. . .

The Mad Hatter

   This year for Halloween I didn't plan on doing anything aside from going trick or treating with my husband, bff, and my godchildren the Friday before actual Halloween.(We were a combinations of Avengers & Faries lol)  The week of Halloween my cousin text me to say she was having a Halloween party at her house and Casey & I should attend. I'm not gonna lie I got excited. This was a chance to make a costume that could be as creative as I wanted it to be. Then it hit me, I needed to not only come up with something for myself but one for my husband as well. I knew I wanted them to match or be related in some way and I knew I only had a couple days to pull it all off. My budget was basically $00.00 and anything I made for my husband i'd have to pray it fit him because he was away at outdoor school with our niece the whole week before Halloween. 

WHOOOOO would we be for Halloween ?

I started by looking through a million of my own boards on pintrest for all those AMAZING ideas i'd saved for myself and realized majority of them couldn't be done in such a short time. After digging through my costume trunk I got the perfect idea. My husband could be the rabbit from Alice in Wonderland and I could be Alice. The morning of the party I planned to run to the mall grab a light blue dress and use a t-shirt as an apron. I had it all planned out, or so I thought. While waiting for my husband to finish playing Playstation so we could run to the mall I got an idea. I CAN MAKE THE HAT, THE MAD HATTER HAT! It was a go BIG or go HOME kind of brain blast. I went back on pintrest and of course I had already pinned a how-to picture of the hat. After running though the apartment looking for spare cardboard I got to work.

First I cut out the necessary cardboard pieces to contruct my hat. The brim I had to cut out in 2 half circles I attached together to fit perfectly around my head.

The brim, a center piece, and a top

Next I cut out strips of cardboard to construct the sides of the hat. I attached them to the top of the hat. Then added the smaller cardboard circle halfway down the hat. Lastly I attached the bottoms of the cardboard to the brim of the hat. 

The cardboard skeleton of the hat. 

 After completing the cardboard skeleton and securing it with tape and hot glue I moved on to covering it.

I went through my bin of scrap fabrics and found a t-shirt I used for a costume in high school and a old pair of leggins. I started by covering the sides first with the t-shirt. 

Sides covered, getting ready for the brim

Next I took the leggins and and cut them into pieces to fit around the brim as well as the top. 

The first layer all glued into place.

I knew from the start (or after I saw it sitting on the floor) that I wanted to cover the hat with lace. I found a scarf I almost forgot about and used that and the band around my hat. For the 10/6 card I used a book page left over from a cut out book I made last Christmas. 

The Finished Product

For the rest of my costume I work things I already owned. A tweed blazer, long sleeve shirt, tulle skirt, tights, flats, and a scarf tied into a bow. I did my own make-up (the glitter I was still washing off a couple days after) 

Pouring some TEA

My Full Costume

For my husbands costume he wore his own clothes as well, bow tie, sweater, dress shirt, and slacks. Add bunny ears and a over sized clock and BOOM. COUPLE COSTUME! lol.

 

True Love

Captain America: WWII Style

For trick or treating this year I decided the warmest options would be Captain America and more specifically the outfit he wears when he fights in WWII. 

The shield I made out of the cardboard box our futon came in and attached it to book bag I found at Walgreens for about $3

Next I ordered a navy blue shirt and a leather jacket (which I needed for the Fall anyway) and got a pair of mens khaki's. I painted the shirt to resemble Captain Americas top.

Last was the helmet. I had to hunt for that but after weeks of looking I found the perfect helmet in a costume store spray painted it blue and added a white "A" and my costume was complete.

My Godson Boogie & I

I got to be Captain America and I stayed warm while trick or treating with my godbabies. 

Captain America, Captain America, "Lazy" Thor, & Black Widow

My bff, me, my Godson and one of my Goddaughters

Thor & Captain America

My Godbabies

FRAME IT

Me, my youngest Goddaughter and my Mommy

Gamora

Last year for my nieces birthday her parents threw her a super hero costume party. My niece immediately gave me a list of a million different people she wanted to be and after much dicussion and debate she decided on Gamora from Guardians of the Galaxy. 

First I had to figure out how to paint the leotard but have it stretched at the same time so I stuffed it with plastic bags to be stretched a little more then the actual size of my niece. I found some old demin fabric and painted it to look like the neck of Gamora's outfit. 

Next I took a pair of her jeans  and painted them added straps and a holster for whatever weapon she choose or to hold her juice box. After a couple fittings and adjustments it was finally the day of the party.

Got her into her leotard and started by painting her face green and using some purple and glitter facepaint to add details. Then we got her pants on and wet her hair to add the temporary red hair stuff top the ends of her hair. After that she was feeling herself just a little bit.

Last I touched up her green facepaint, put the green body paint and wrapped her hands in some black t-shirt fabric (as her gloves) and BOOM we have a mini Gamora. 

At her party

With her Mommy

Princess Leia

 Last year for Halloween I knew I'd be with the kids (godkids & nieces) for the whole week of festivites and I wanted to make a kick-ass costume that I coluld match at least one of the kids and I could stay warm in while roaming the neighborhoods or the local trunk or treats. My godson was probably the last kid to pick a costume and he choose Darth Vadar. I'd been wanting to make a Princess Leia costume (the white dress and buns one) for a looooooong time so I took this as my chance, 

I attempted to take pictures of the whole process of making this costume but I did make this whole thing last minute and I aint have time for that, but I can tell you how I did it all. First I started with a pack of white full bedsheets from Family Dollar. I laid them out on my floor and drew out the basic dress parttern. A front for the top, a back for the top, the skirt, 2 sleeves, a collar, and the hood. I didn't make a liner because I planned to wear layers of clothing underneath. I sewed together the top pieces first and added the sleeves. I initally made my sleeves too tight so that took quite a bit of adjusting. After I got the top to fit just right I added the skirt pieces. Last I stitched on the collar and added the hood. I left an opening in the back of the hood so my head would fit when I pulled the dress over my head. The belt was the easy part. I used sheets of foam, cut into strips, silver duct tape and puffy paint. After soome tweaking and adjusting and fighting my braids into buns I was ready to go.

My godson was happy and I was happy. While trick or treating in my parents neighborhood and people really liked my costume. A few people even asked if they could take my picture. I have no idea what i'm going to be this year but I think i'll get started now. lol