Introduction: DIY Waxed Canvas Shoes

Do you love your canvas shoes, but hate when they get wet?

I'll show you how to make your canvas shoes water resistant and all-around awesome with beeswax.

What You'll need:

canvas shoes
beeswax
paintbrush
double boiler (or a small pot and clean can).
hair dryer
towel / trivet
waxed paper [optional]

A note on wax:

Paraffin is a byproduct of fossil fuels and has been shown to be toxic in some uses. This is why I choose to use beeswax. It's easier to apply, and as a bonus I get to support my local honey store!

Step 1: Melting the Wax

If you don't have a double boiler, here's how to melt your beeswax:

Bring water to a boil in the small pot, then set the heat to low.
Place the beeswax into the can (I used a clean cat food can), and then place the can into the steaming water.
The wax will slowly melt.

Step 2: Wax Coat

I set up my shoe and towel on a sheet of waxed paper under sturdy surface in preparation... kind of like a little shoe waxing station. When the wax is melted, set the pot, water and all, on the towel or trivet next to your shoe.

Using quick movements, brush the wax onto the shoe . Cover the surface of the shoe evenly. Don't worry about all the white wax... we'll deal with that in the next step.

Step 3: Hot Air

Heat up the wax using a hair dryer and use the brush to work it into the fabric. Pay close attention to the seams, and do your best to get an even saturation.

You can stop here, and you'll be fine... but if you wanna go the extra mile:

Toss your shoes into an old pillowcase, tie it off, and give it a tumble in the dryer for 15-20 minutes on high.

Step 4: Testing

let's test these puppies out!

I poured a small glass of water on each shoe, and it all beaded off!
Bring it El Niño!

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I've received a few questions about where to buy the shoes and beeswax. If you're not having any luck locally, here's where you can buy the shoes, (crocs Santa Cruz 2 Luxe) as well as a bag of BEESWAX PELLETS.

.Cheers!

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Wax Challenge

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