A very talented customer sent us images of a pair of gem embellished shoes that she had created especially for Ladies Day at Aintree. Â Since publishing them on our Facebook page we have been inundated with customers wanting to know how she did it. Â If you too would like your feet to stand out in the crowd, get creative and follow our step-by-step guide below. Â This technique can also be used to embellish bags, clothes and any other object to which you wish to add a bit of sparkle.
Equipment Required:
Shoes or product you would like to gem
Scissors, we recommend Fiskars General Purpose ScissorsÂ
Tweezers, we recommend  XCut Precision Tweezers
Good Quality glue such as GemTac Glue
Plastic bag or cardboard to protect your surface in case of spillages
Plastic bottle cap or similar to hold your glue
Gems of your choice.  Celsie used Swarovski Stones and assorted Acrylic Jewels to create her Ladies Day shoes.  Shop online here https://www.calicolaine.co.uk/Diamante-c7.html.
Step One: Preparation
As with any project, it is important to have your tools and products organised before you start. Â Fill your bottle cap with glue and place your gems next to it, remembering to lay down your plastic bag or cardboard to protect your work surface. Â You should ensure that your clothes are well covered or that you are wearing old clothes that you do not mind getting dirty.
Step Two:
No matter how good your glue, it is difficult for your gems to stick to a flat surface perfectly. Â Taking your scissors, slice the fabric or material of your shoe is a criss cross way where you wish to place your gems in order for the glue to bond better.
Step Three:
Using your tweezers, carefully pick up a single gem, dab the flat back directly into your glue and place onto your product. Â As you will want your project to be neat and tidy it is better to use a strong glue such as we suggested above, Â so you will not need to use a lot. Â Depending on what look you want to create you can use a lot of different size gems to create an individual look that is sure to stand out in a crowd. Â If you wish to create a uniform pattern you can gem in lines however, you will need to ensure that all of your gems are the same size and shape.
Step Four:
There are a number of different ways of adding your gems in a pattern. Â To achieve the individual sparkly look created for the Ladies Day shoes, the gems were added randomly. Â Try to stick your gems as closely together as possible to prevent the background colour coming through in order to make your shoes look as sparkly as possible!
If you want to create the neat, uniform look add your gems in lines starting with the outside line, following the product all the way around.  Keep adding new lines until the product is covered.  As the glue does not set straight away you will have  a moment to rectify any mistakes but try not to move your gems around too much as this will weaken the bond.
Once you have allowed your product to dry for a minimum of 24 hours your shoes will be ready to wear.
So there you have it, a simple and fun way of adding some of your own personality to your wardrobe and create a truly unique item to wear with pride.
All of the products listed above can be purchased online at www.calicolaine.co.uk