Use this fun and simple tutorial to revive your old canvas kicks! These DIY floral canvas shoes are created using iron-on transfers – very easy to do.

Skills Required: Beginner. You’ll be trimming out iron on material and then affixing it to shoes. It helps to be an ironing whiz, since that’s your main tool for this project.

These DIY Canvas Shoes Are the Cutest Ever

Today I have the fun-est fashion craft to share with you! It’s so simple, the possibilities are endless, and the final product is so so good. You can make these floral canvas shoes, and it’s really easy.

They’re a perfect teen project for back to school . . . but adults will love this idea too! Buy yourself a cheap pair of canvas shoes and dress them up.

DIY Canvas Shoes

I found some white canvas shoes in the back of my closet the other day (when did I buy these?), and I decided to revive them to make them more wearable. You can get the same type of shoes from Amazon and other shoe retailers like Keds who always have the basics.

After searching and searching for an idea, I stumbled on this perfect tutorial by Always Rooney (who is a total genius) to use. I love how these DIY floral canvas shoes turned out!

White canvas sneakers and a pack of t-shirt transfers for light colors

Iron on Transfer Shoes

Supplies

Canvas sneakers
Iron transfer paper
Floral pattern to print (I purchased a pack from Etsy; you can find more here)
Leather or suede lace
Scissors
Iron

Floral pattern printed onto iron transfer paper

Step 1: Print your floral pattern on the iron transfer paper.

Iron on paper cut out to fit a canvas shoe

Step 2: Cut the paper in small pieces. You can trace pieces to fit the shoe, or what I found to be easiest was to cut around small sections of flowers and iron little pieces at a time.

Ironing a floral design onto a white canvas shoe

Step 3: Iron the floral all over the shoes (following the instructions for your paper). The iron transfer paper instructions will tell you to put a pillowcase or something thin over the paper while you iron, but that just made it hard to see where I was working.

So I didn’t use the pillowcase, but was careful to not leave the iron on any spot for too long. After peeling the backing off, I tapped the tip of the iron on any areas that looked peel-y, and washed my iron afterward.

Replacing sneaker laces with leather laces

Step 4: Replace the laces (if you want) with something more fun.

White canvas shoes decorated with a floral iron on transfer

Didn’t these floral canvas shoes turn out great? And you will never have to worry about seeing someone with your same shoes!

Happy crafting! And be sure to come visit us as we blog about style, food, and the things we love over at the Pretty Life Girls.

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5 from 3 votes

DIY Canvas Shoes

Learn how to apply a pretty floral pattern to canvas shoes using iron ons! It's way easier than you think.

Prep Time30

Active Time45

Total Time1 15

Type: DIY Fashion

Yield: pair of shoes

Cost: $15

Equipment

Scissors
Iron
Computer and printer

Materials

1 pair canvas sneakers
Iron-on transfer paper
Floral pattern to print
Leather or suede laces

Instructions

Print the floral pattern on the iron transfer paper.
Cut the paper in small pieces. Trace pieces to fit the shoe; it is easiest to cut and iron little pieces at a time.
Iron the pieces all over the shoes (following the instructions for your paper). Peel the backing off.
Replace the laces with something more fun, like leather.

Video

Notes

The iron transfer paper instructions will tell you to put a pillowcase or something thin over the paper while you iron, but that made it difficult to see where I was working. So I didn't really use it!

If you like fashion DIY projects, check out these other posts I’ll think you’ll love: