Succulent Shoe Planter + Little Library

Every year I decorate a stiletto for an art auction called “Chingona Soles.” A bunch of Phoenix artists work their magic on a single shoe to transform it into something bid-worthy! It’s a challenge because I try to top the last year’s piece. I’m super happy with how this turned out!

This year I didn’t only make a shoe, I also decorated a little library for another fundraiser in town. I have pictures of that at the bottom.

MY ADVICE TO YOU: Put your talents to work and find a local silent auction where you can make and donate a piece of art. Research to see where the money goes, and choose the auction of your liking. The money raised from the shoes goes to a college scholarship fund for Latino students. It feels good to contribute, and I love the sense of community!

Here’s how the succulent shoe planter started – classic black suede. Two coats of gesso later and I now have a background to work with.

I kinda sorta planned what I was going to paint, but I pretty much balanced the design on both sides. For this look, I used a round brush and thin liner brush. I wanted to stuff it with faux succulents, so I thought the Talavera tile theme fit perfectly. I used all my favorite colors. Then I used floral foam to insert the succulent pics (bought at the craft store). I hot glued them in place so they wouldn’t move.

TIP: Drill a hole at the bottom if desired and fill with soil and shallow-rooted plants.

OH! Before I added the foam inside, I sprayed the shoe with clear varnish to make it shiny and sealed.

And here is the little library I painted! Here is the link to see all the beautiful libraries Phoenix artists painted!

You can click through to see the library from all sides.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bg1b39hAp05/?taken-by=craftychica