Friday, July 11, 2008

Being an inventist!

when I saw these shoes, my heart said "Love!", and my head said, "No way! Even on eBay, they're $200!"Being the positive entrepreneurial DIYer that I am, I am determined to find a way! I've considered getting regular brown strappy sandals, spray painting them and pounding rivets and studs into the straps to get the look I want.
Pretty ingenious, right?
Well, what if I try to be even more self sustaining? I know how to make moccasins. If the Romans really made sandals like this, then they're no reason why someone as modern as me can't figure out how to make them too. Besides, I've had enough store bought clothes rip to know that what I make and sew myself usually lasts 10 times longer!
The first thing I thought of was paint. I found a couple of recipes. I'll be testing them out in the next couple of days to find out which one works best on leather...which I will also have to find.
If it all works out, I might even start this as a business! People are always going to need sandals, and the Roman design was good enough to last this long!

Paint Recipe
1 Dry Milk
1 Water

Die, food coloring, berry juice

Step1

Mix Milk and Water until it is the consistency of paint.

Step2

Blend in color to make the desired hue.

Step3

Brush on as you would any other paint. Let the first coat dry for at least twenty-four hours before adding a second coat. Let the second dry for three days.

Step4

This paint is extremely durable. To strip milk paint, apply ammonia, allow it to dry for about four days, then apply bleach. Make sure you are stripping the paint in a well-ventilated area.

Oil Paint

1 Tbs oil

30 g pigment

Paint
8 tbsp. powdered paint
1 tsp. white glue
2 tbsp. liquid starch
3 drops oil of cloves (obtainable from any drug store)

George Wythe College mentors me.
Comanity funds me.