Okay, so the other day I was browsing online, and I got this idea to customize my plain white Vans. I’d seen some cool checkerboard designs before, but I wanted something a little different. I decided to go with a red and black checkerboard pattern. Here’s how I did it:
Getting Started
First, I gathered my materials. I obviously needed my white Vans, some red and black fabric paint (I went with acrylic), some painter’s tape, a ruler, a pencil, and some small paint brushes. Make sure the shoes are clean before you begin.
Prepping the Shoes
- I used the painter’s tape to carefully mask off the areas of the shoe I didn’t want to paint, like the soles and the rubber trim. This took a little while, but I wanted to be precise.
- Then, with my ruler and pencil, I lightly drew a grid pattern on the canvas parts of the shoes. The squares were about 1 inch each, but you can adjust the size depending on the look you want.
Painting the Checkers
- I Painted it with red first.I used the grid I’d drawn as a guide.
- After the red squares were fully dry (I waited a few hours, just to be sure), I went in with the black paint and filled in the alternating squares. Again, I took my time and made sure to get clean lines.
Finishing Touches
- Once everything was completely dry (I waited overnight this time), I carefully peeled off the painter’s tape.
- There were a few tiny spots where the paint had bled a little, so I used a very fine brush and some white paint to touch those up.
And that’s it! My custom red and black checkerboard Vans were done. It was a pretty easy project, and I’m really happy with how they turned out. It’s a great way to give a pair of plain shoes a whole new look.
