Let your creativity shine by painting your own shoes! Use acrylic paint or fabric paint, in any color you’d like. These DIY painted shoes for kids are the perfect way for kids to show off their artwork while walking around town! This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Looking for more activities for kids? Try tie-dying shirts with sharpies, making jelly soap, or crayon lip gloss! If you really want to get creative, throw a painting party for kids!

Did you know that you can paint shoes? The canvas material is just asking to be customized, right? We use the same technique to paint t-shirts with great results! You can use fabric paint or acrylic paint. We’ll give you instructions for both!

My sister told me that my niece and her friend were going to paint shoes that afternoon. I knew my girls would love to do that so we went out and bought canvas sneakers the next day! This little gal has been wearing her painted shoes all over town. She even wore them to a summer day camp! Two weeks later and they still look great.

These DIY painted shoes for kids are a fun (and inexpensive) activity. Perfect for a rainy day.

How To Paint Shoes With Acrylic or Fabric Paint

I picked up canvas shoes for the girls at Walmart for about $5 (the perfect type of shoe for painting) and pulled down my stash of acrylic paint. We also have fabric paint, but didn’t have the colors that the girls wanted to use for this project so we didn’t use it this time.

I sprayed the shoes with a layer of water shield Scotchguard before lacing them up to wear. You can also use a paint brush to add a thin layer of mod podge sealant over the paint to help them not fade and make them a bit more durable (test a small area to make sure it doesn't smudge first). The truth is, kids will probably outgrow the shoes before they wear them out or wear out the paint, but it will protect them from water drops, and stains.

What is the difference between acrylic paint and fabric paint?

Acrylic paint is thicker and sits on top of the project. It is versatile and inexpensive. You can buy it at your local craft store. Acrylic paint pens would work as well. We used paint pens for this activity.

Fabric paint is a special blend of paint (made from acrylic paint). It is more flexible and allows the fabric to move and bend without cracking or flaking. You can buy fabric paint in tubes (puffy paint) at your local craft store.

Can you paint fabric with acrylic paint?

Absolutely. I think most of us have acrylic paint on hand because it's so versatile and perfect for many projects. Because kids grow out of shoes so quickly, and you probably don't expect these painted shoes to last more than a few months, you can paint them with good old-fashioned acrylic paint. Avoid painting with heavy coats.

If you'd like them to last a bit longer...keep reading!

How to Make Fabric Paint From Acrylic Paint

Did you know that you can make your own fabric paint out of acrylic paint? It's a great way to make those little bottles stretch even further. I use this method when painting shirts and have always had beautiful results. They wash well and wear well.

To make your own fabric paint, mix 2 parts of acrylic paint with 1 part fabric medium. You can find fabric/textile medium at your local craft store in the paint section. That's it.