How to Mix and Apply Powdered Bronze to Baby Shoes
Mix your own bronzing solution and you'll save money over those shoe-bronzing kits.
Many people save things their babies once had, like a hair bow, a favorite toy, some clothing or a blanket. Baby shoes are one of the most popular things a parent saves. Many people just keep the shoes; other people bronze them. When you bronze the shoes they'll last forever!
You can purchase kits which include everything you need to bronze the baby shoes. However, these are often overpriced. Instead, mix your own bronzing powder and you'll save over those kits. And, the kits only allow enough bronzing material for one pair of shoes. When you buy the powder and mix it yourself you can do more than one set - or bronze something else!
Some of the places where you'll find bronzing powder include a large home improvement store, a paint store or even a retailer who sells printing supplies. If you don't care for the look of bronze these places also carry copper or gold powder for coating the shoes.
Mix the chosen powder with fast-drying spar varnish. Stir the powder in slowly to keep it from settling at the bottom. When it becomes the consistency of thick paint you're ready to bronze the shoes.
Make sure you start with very clean and dry baby shoes. Not only should you clean them well but you should also wipe them down well with denatured alcohol. Remember that, whatever the shoes look like before you bronze them, that's what they'll look like forever. For this reason, it's important to tie the shoes, arrange the tongue, and so forth. Using a little glue to hold the tongue to the inside area of the shoe is helpful.
If the shoe has a tab on the back, slide a piece of twine through it, then tie the ends in a knot. This will provide you a way of hanging the finished shoes to dry. If they don't have this tab you can drill a hole through the bottom of the shoe and hang them with a wire or string. Or, pin a piece of twine to the inside of the tongue, way in the back, and hang the shoe that way.
Use a paintbrush to coat the shoes, inside and out, and on the bottom, with the bronze mixture. Heavily coat all areas several times.Allow each coat to dry completely. Keep the bronze mixture covered as each application dries. As the shoes dry you'll be able to tell if more mixture needs to be applied. With some shoes, the mixture soaks in, and it's necessary to coat them yet again. When completely coated well, hang to dry.
There are other things you can bronze including a baseball, golf ball, a hair bow, and many other items. When you purchase the bronzing powder yourself and mix it you can bronze all sorts of things for other members of the family while you're bronzing the baby shoes. You'll love the look of the finished shoes - or other objects - and you'll love how easy it was to do!