Acrylic Paint

Can I dye shoelaces with acrylic paint?

Acrylic paint can color fabric shoelaces, but textile paint or acrylic mixed with fabric medium usually keeps the laces more flexible and wearable after drying.

Published · Acrylic Paint

Generally, shoelaces' main material is fabric. And acrylic paint is a water-based paint. So there is a question, can acrylic paint work on shoelaces?

Yes, for fabric shoelaces, there have different types of acrylic paint which work excellently. If you use this paint properly, it will make your shoe more attractive.

Rit DyeMore Liquid is very good paint for this type of project. And I personally highly recommend this paint.

Check image for more information

In this article, I will describe the different types of paint methods and explain how to use those methods on shoelaces. 

How to dye shoelaces with acrylic paint

Shoelaces can be colored by brushing or soaking with a flexible textile-compatible paint system, followed by full drying or heat setting according to the product instructions.

  1. Tie dye method
  2. Deep dye method

How to dye shoelaces with the Tie dye method?

It is a creative and artistic method. For this method, you need some material.

  1. Fabric acrylic paint.
  2. White shoelace.
  3. Plastic pot.
  4. Heat gun (recommended)/ Iron
  5. paintbrush

Choose acrylic paint in various colors. It gives you an opportunity to make your lace colorful.

White shoelace is always best for craft projects. It will help you make the cooler brighter.

Choose any small plastic pot. 

Heat gun recommended for this type of project. But you can use iron.

Select a good quality paintbrush. Otherwise, the brush hair will peel off. And it will damage your painting. 

Step 1. Prepare your shoelaces: Before starting the project, make sure to clean your laces. If it is dirty, clean it with detergent and then dry properly.

Step 2. Lock two sides: Lock lace 2 sides with clips or different material. Make sure lace will be tight and straight. This image shows how you can lock lace with 4 paint cans.

Step 3. Paint your lace: Take the paint in the plastic pot. Don't mix water with the paint. Because it will make the paint watery. Take a good paintbrush. Divide different sections and paint each section with different colors.

Step 4. Careful about the color pattern: Color patterns provide your lace unique look. So choose the best one. Before painting, the color looks deep. But after drying it looks very lighter. So apply a second coat for good results.

Step 5. Heat the lace:  This is the final process. After completely drying your lace it is time for heat. This process makes your paint long-lasting and protects the paint from washing off. use a heat gun to heat your lace. If you do not have a heat gun, you can iron to heat your lace.

I found a very relevant video on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwSh8khvlpE

How to dye shoelaces with the dip dye method?

This method is very simple and the easiest method. For this method, you need the same material as the tie method except paintbrush.

Step 1. Preparing for the project: you can use any color of shoelaces, but white shoelaces are recommended. Make sure the laces are clean properly.

Step 2. Start dying: Take paint in a plastic pot. Do not mix water or other things. Then the laces were dipped in the plastic pot properly.

Step 3. Finish the work: give it time to dry. After dry, heat laces with a heat gun. If there is no heat gun, use iron. That's it.

Can I dye polyester shoelaces with acrylic paint?

Polyester shoelaces are less absorbent than cotton, so paint tends to sit more on the surface and needs a flexible coating that can tolerate bending and abrasion.

Yes, You can use acrylic paint on polyester. And It works very well. But you need good heat when you apply paint on the laces. 

How to dye polyester shoelaces with acrylic paint?

For polyester laces, clean them first, apply thin flexible color evenly, avoid heavy buildup, and cure or heat set only according to the paint or textile-medium directions.

  1. Acrylic paint.
  2. A metal pot
  3. clean Shoelace

Check The Video for understanding. This video is about polyester cloth. But you can color your polyester Shoelaces.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrgqdWvYags&t=64s

Final Thought

Acrylic can decorate shoelaces successfully when the coating remains flexible, the fibers are compatible, and the finished laces are cured and washed gently.