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How to Prepare and Treat Shoes with Bronzing

eileen | Mar 25, 2010 |

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Have you ever thought of capturing your first child's baby shoes in a memory of bronze? Or even your daughter's first pair of ballet shoes. This will not send you broke in the process either. What better way to keep the memory alive and a show piece in the process.

Once you have bronzed the ballet shoes you could mount them on a piece of polished wood in a position as though in a dancing pose.

If you would like to make them solid for a doorstop or to mount them on wood then you would need to fill with plaster.

Things You Will Need

Plaster of paris powder or pre mixed (if you are mounting them)

Polished Wood (for mounting)

Denatured alcohol

Nail or needle to punch small hole

Wire or fishing line to hang to dry

Hammer

Camel hair paint brush (or good paint brush)

Spar varnish

Bronze Powder

Step by Step Instructions

Cleaning

a. First you must clean the shoes with a damp cloth to remove all dirt, grime and dust. If they still have any polish left on them you will need to saturate a rag in denatured alcohol. It is very important to remove all the polish or it will not cover properly. Leave overnight to dry.

Mounting

b. If you wish to mount the shoes, then you have to half fill with plaster of paris to make them firm and heavy. Leave for a couple of days to make sure they are dry. Take care and make it look neat do not splash the plaster everywhere.

c. Either hit a nail through the back heal of the shoe (to make a hole) or using a needle threaded with fishing line push it through and leave enough to tie up so you can hang from clothes line or similar to dry once bronzed. Do not leave out in wind or dust or flies may stick to shoe.

Mixing

d. In a well ventilated room mix the spar varnish and metallic powder thoroughly together. Now you are ready for the transformation.

Painting

e. Using the clean paint brush, apply the bronzing mixture to the shoes. Apply one coat and cover the complete shoe inside and out. Once they are painted hang by the string and leave until completely dry. Stir in between coats as it could settle to bottom. Repeat with more coats until they have a good flawless covering of bronze. Make sure all the cracks and crevices are well covered.

Mounting

f. When it is completely dry and satisfied with the finished product, you could glue the tips of shoe onto the polished wood so that they look like true dancing feet.

Do not be surprised if your friends are envious of your achievement.