I started off with a pair of black faux leather boots I found on eBay, which are more or less the same style of boots worn by the Red Queen in the movie.
The boots I bought had three top hooks to secure the laces, so I removed the hook part using a pair of pliers, and by bending the hook back and forth until it came off.
Next, I used plastic grocery bags to stuff the boots so they were firm enough to paint and stand up on their own.
I secured the boots to the bags using straight pins positioned strategically in the eyelets to make sure the sides of the boots wouldn’t flap or fall over when I was painting them.
I used a similar method to secure the tongue of the boots in order to paint them as well.
I removed the laces and began by “priming” the boots by wiping them down with 100% acetone on a circular cotton pad. I did this to remove any oils or protectants that had been applied so the paint would adhere better. I let the boots air dry for about 30 minutes to ensure that all the acetone had evaporated before I moved on.
I used clear gift wrapping tape to tape off the soles and heel since they’re to remain black.
The paint I chose was a metallic gold fabric paint that I got a local craft store, and I used a fluffy brush I turned into a stencil brush by securing an elastic around the bristles. Tribbled “helped”.
I applied the smallest amount of paint possible during each coat, and I used a circular buffing technique in order to ensure that the paint got into all the nooks and crannies, as well as avoid leaving visible brush stokes. I applied 8 coats in total, allowing at least 3 hours of drying time between applications. I purposely didn’t paint the heels of the boots gold at this time because I was holding on to the heel in order to paint the entirety of the boot gold in one go.
Next up – Red Queen Boots: detailing wins & fails!
It Takes A Village To Cosplay!
Earla Alara
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