Marbling is everywhere lately; this is one trend I can get behind. Today’s marbling techniques often use nail polish, but I remember the chalk shaving method that I learned in 4th grade. I was part of the after-school Art Club (surprise, surprise) and I vividly remmeber using chalk to create marbled paper. And I loved it. Fast forward to today, and I still do! Except this time, we’re using nail polish and a pair of my favorite style of Chucks, the All Black Mono’s (I own both the hi’s and low’s). I picked up a second pair of low tops just for this project — enjoy!
What I Used:
– Converse Chuck Taylor Classic Low Tops in Black Monochrome
– Masking/Painter’s Tape
– Opaque Nail Polish (White & mint green are both pictured, but I went with the latter!)
– Toothpicks
– Decoupage (Matte finish)
– Nail Polish Remover
– Paper Towels
– Paintbrush
– Large Plastic Bin & Water (Not shown)
1) Remove the shoelaces, and set aside.
2) Tape off the entire rubber sole.
3) Don’t forget the toe cap!
4) Fill the bin with water, and add a few drops of polish.
5) Use a toothpick to quickly swirl the polish around. About 3-4 swirls around the bin should do.
6) Dip the sneaker into the bin.
7) It will probably look like a hot mess, but don’t worry – we’ll clean it up later!
8) Add some more polish, swirl around, and dip the other side of the sneaker. Repeat with any spots that need more polish; don’t forget the heel as well.
9) Repeat with the second sneaker.
My biggest tip for this project is to not overdo it. You only need a few drops of polish. If you keep re-dipping with a decent amount of nail polish in the water, you’ll end up covering practically all of the black canvas…that’s what happened above! Luckily, it’s on the inside of the right sneaker. I’m pretty happy with how the other sides turned out.
10) Carefully peel away the tape. Do this slowly, as the strings of polish may be pulled away with it.
11) Dampen the paper towel with nail polish remover and remove any polish from the sole.
12) Add decoupage for extra security. I mostly focused on the super flaky, chunky bits.
13) Let dry and re-lace the sneakers.
Xo, Kirsten
