Color therapy

Have you ever thought about painting your jewelry and other accessories with your nail lacquers? Being a recessionista means trying to use something you already own in your closet and give it a new trendy twist.  Many of us probably own nail polishes from the current spring / summer 2012 collection so why not use these lacquers to paint our old shoes, sunglasses, belts or jewelry for a fresh trendy spin? You can use neons, brights, metallics, glitter or pastels. You can also go for patterns or color blocking. All you need is some imagination and you can have so much fun showing off your creative side while also trying new trends without being too hard on your wallet. Colors can brighten up any day but it can make your summer feel extra special. Here are some pictures and "how to" videos or tutorials for some inspiration.

                                                                            

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How to Videos and Tutorials:
Here is a link to Fabsugar's video on how to paint your sunglasses to look like the ones we saw on the Prada Spring 2012 runway. 


Here is a link to paint your shoes to imitate a pair of shoes from Topshop.


Below is a video tutorial from modcloth on how to paint a belt. 

Source: Modcloth

How well does this work?
I have to say that I wasn't so sure about the results before I tried the process. I thought the pieces would end up looking fake but it actually left a very impressive and appealing "enamel like" finish. I tried to paint on different surfaces that included some old metallic bangles to leather shoes, and they all turned out pretty well. I also tried to paint with different brands of nail polishes, from Zoya and Sheswai to No Miss (from whole foods) and they all pretty much gave the same results. Just make sure the nail polishes are from a lesser toxic brand like Sheswai, cover your nose and mouth with safety mask, and also choose a well ventilated area to paint. The results also depend on the level of contrast between the painting surface and the nail colors so find colors that stand out from the painting surface. I tried to paint a pair of old Spiegel shoes from the late 90s and they turned out pretty good. Here are the pictures. 

I love this DIY from lovemaegan blog and I want to make this my next project. Would you try painting your old (or new) sunglasses, shoes, bracelets or other accessories with nail polishes?  Let me know what you think. :)


Credits:
Fabsugar
Lovemegan
the-Northernlight
Pair and a spare
Harper's Bazaar
Alilmoreagain
Pinterest
LoveMaegan
Lulus
Madewell



In nature, light creates the color. In the picture, color creates the light
- Hans Hofmann


xx
Heel in Mint