Well, how many cowboy boots are lying rotting and dusty in your closet right now? Get them out, today we’re going to do some fun with them.
Many people still have a headache when it comes to making use of old cowboy boots. Well, in fact, there are many ways such as using them to make bird cages, plant pots, or simply paint on them.
Painting on cowboy boots can make them look more lively and turn them into an interesting and creative decoration. In addition, if you are dexterous, they can completely become beautiful and unique cowboy boots that only you have.
Today, we will tell you how to draw on cowboy boots. It’s very simple, but there will be some small notes!
Let’s go!
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A guide to painting cowboy boots
Most good cowboy boots are made from 100% leather, so the paint you use must be made specifically for leather.
In addition, cowboy boots have a wide and tall surface for easy painting but they have a lot of stitches. You need to cover these stitches carefully or know how to clean them.
Well, we’ll get into the details now, you’ll need to prepare some tools:
- A pair of clean (don’t be lazy) and thoroughly conditioned cowboy boots
- Masking tape
- Leather paint
- Paintbrush
- Acrylic Sealer
- Colored pencils (including the white ones)
Step 1: Understand what you need to do
First, you need to clean your cowboy boots and condition them thoroughly.
Use a leather cleaner and a horsehair brush to clean cowboy boots. This ensures that the paint will adhere well to their surface.
Condition cowboy boots to make them soft, allowing you to paint them smoothly. Conditioner also ensures boots retain moisture well, and relaxes the leather so leather paint will stick easily.
Leather Cleaner and Conditioner | Image copyright Tecovas Boot Company | #CommissionEarned | Click image for more info
Step 2: Cover the parts you don’t draw (or are about to draw)
If you don’t want your cowboy boots to look messy and dirty, use masking tape to cover the areas adjacent to the parts you want to paint.
Besides, cover the stitching lines if you want, the stitching should be drawn with colored pencils, not with leather paint.
You should also cover the Goodyear welt, I don’t think it’s good for them to be stained.
Step 3: Create base coats
A lot of people don’t know this step, in fact, when painting cowboy boots, you need to paint their entire surface for a good and even look. The original color of cowboy boots should not be used as the background color.
Create a base coat by painting the entire surface of cowboy boots, and let it dry, then continue with the next layer. Likewise, repeat the process until you have 3 to 4 base coats.
Step 4: Draw details
Well, coming to the most important part, make use of your creativity and aesthetic eyes for color matching and drawing. Personally, I like to be creative and playful, so I often choose eye-catching bright colors such as yellow, red, orange, or green. This depends on your taste.
Actually, drawing and painting cowboy boots to make them have even color is quite simple because the surface of cowboy boots is relatively wide and flat, not obstructed by eyelets, laces, or tongues like hiking boots. You have plenty of room for your creativity.
Make sure you paint evenly. Don’t let them leak.
You should prepare different types of paintbrushes, both small and large tips. The small paintbrush is used to paint details and the big one is for painting the whole.
Step 5: Take out the masking tape
Don’t rush, wait until the color is relatively dry, and remove the masking tape. Then draw that covered part if you want.
Once you’ve finished painting, wait for cowboy boots to dry, and then remove all the masking tape.
Step 6: Let them dry
There are many methods for drying cowboy boots with the paint still wet on the surface. But you should let them naturally dry for a while (several hours).
Then, to dry them completely, you can use the sunlight, a hair dryer or a boot dryer.
Step 7: Spray the protective layer
Paint colors need protection, so this is where you need an acrylic sealer.
Spraying a coat of acrylic sealer over freshly painted cowboy boots will create a clear and glossy look. Also, this ensures dust won’t stick to them.
Step 8: Paint the stitches
Most cowboy boots have stitches in only one color; white, brown or black. You can change that.
There are many ways to restore the color of stitches, and drawing on them is one such way.
You will probably need to clean the stitches first, the process is covered all here!
Then fill the stitches with just a white pencil to create the background, and then use colored pencils for drawing.
Paint every single stitch of cowboy boots, this can take time, but it’s worth it.
I learned this from a cobbler one time when he was polishing my cowboy boots. He restores the white stitches with a pencil. This took me an hour but it was such a fun experience!
That’s all the steps to renew your old cowboy boots!
Before you leave
In general, painting cowboy boots is not difficult though it can take a lot of your time.
Filling cowboy boots with eye-catching colors is always a great way to make cowboy boots more impressive to go with a dress or skirt.
Be careful, don’t rush, use your imagination, and you will have an amazing pair of custom boots!
Good luck!
Howdy y’all! I’m Grace, a Western style enthusiast with over 5 years of experience. From cowboy boots to western gear, I’m passionate about all things Western and dedicated to helping you find the perfect style to suit your taste. Join me and my fiancé Jay Gatz as we explore the rich history and timeless appeal of Western fashion together!