We Who Are About To Dye Salute You
We Who Are About To Dye Salute You
As many a bride has noticed, finding shoes that exactly match your dress is right up there with achieving light speed, getting struck twice by lightning, and frolicking with unicorns on the probability scale. That’s why dyeable shoes can seem heaven-sent. Here are a few tips on taking your footwear for a dip.
Have a professional do it.
If you don’t have room for mistakes, go to a master dyer. You can usually find one through your shoe retailer or at a shoe repair shop. Be sure to bring a fabric swatch – one from your actual dress, if possible – with you for as close a match as possible. (Don’t expect an exact match, even from a master dyer. Different materials just won’t turn out precisely the same. Instead, your dyer will get a close match that complements the hue of your dress.) Let the dyer know whether the ceremony will be indoors or outdoors, and what the lighting will be like. Be sure to give your dyer at least two or three weeks to get the job done, including time to come in for color approval.
If you still want to try dyeing your shoes yourself, we admire your grit and determination. Read on.
Find your light.
Any fabric will look different under different kinds of light, so dye your shoes in conditions that are close to that of your ceremony. For an outdoor wedding, think about whether you’ll be in sunlight, shade, or torchlight. For an indoor ceremony, remember that incandescent, fluorescent, and eco-friendly bulbs will all bring out different tones in your shoes. Check your dye in conditions as close as you can to the real thing.
Don’t let anyone rain on your parade.
The colors in dyed shoes are water-soluble by definition, which means they will run if you get them wet. (Remember that this also means there’s no real way to clean dyed shoes.) Get a good water repellent when you buy your dye, and follow the instructions exactly. Even with your repellent, you should avoid water as much as possible. You should also keep in mind that once you apply water repellent to your shoes, you won’t be able to re-dye them. To be absolutely safe, just have your attendants carry you over puddles. Or, better yet, only put your bridal shoes on once you’re indoors.
Get down to business.
First, make sure you know what kind of fabric your shoes are and make sure you have a compatible dye – ma
1000
ny if not most are fabric-specific.
Put down a layer of newspapers to protect your furniture or floor, and put on gloves to keep from dyeing yourself. (Though if you do dye yourself and you play your cards right, maybe you can match your dress all over.)
If you can find a pair of cheap shoes in the same fabric, you may want to try a practice run with those first.
Make sure your shoes are clean and dry, and wad up some tissue or old fabric inside your shoes to help them keep their shape.
Read the instructions on the dye. Then read them again. Be sure you know if the dye should be applied directly to the shoe or if it needs to be diluted first, and whether your shoes should be dipped in hot water first.
Work in light coats, starting from the back seam and working towards the front. Remember that you can always dye darker if you need to, but you can’t go lighter, so use an easy touch.
Once you have the color you want, let your shoes dry away from heat sources and out of direct sunlight.
Congratulations, you’re done!
If the dyeing process – oh, and your wedding – have made you fond of your shoes, there’s no reason you can’t re-wear them. If you haven’t put water repellent on them, in most cases you can re-dye them to a darker color. Why not dye them to match your little black dress? Then you can tell everyone who admires them that they used to go with your big white dress.
By: Unia Griffin
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
Unia Griffin is a contributing writer for OneWed.com. She writes about choosing wedding dresses, wedding shoes and bridal shoes, keeping the wedding party sane, and other wedding planning issues on OneWed.
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