The Vans Warped Tour comes to my state this Friday, July 6. Last year I purchased a pair of purple and pink Vans and wore them to the 2011 Warped Tour. As they are really comfortable and perfect to wear for extended periods of time, I wanted to wear them again this year — but decided they needed a little something more.

What you need:

• a pair of vans
• any assortment of rhinestones. I came across a perfect combination of purple and pink jewels from my local Michael’s.
• your favorite super glue. I prefer Loctite products as they come in a controllable gel and a fine tip.
• toothpicks
• a whole lot of patience. This is directly relative to the size of the rhinestones you choose. If you’re like me and purchased one of the smallest sizes the store offers, you’re going to need a whole lot of patience.

Step one:

I began by washing my Vans. I put them right in the washer, but left them out on the balcony to dry. With the 90 degree days we’ve been experiencing in Michigan, it didn’t take long for them to dry thoroughly. They weren’t entirely clean when I was finished, but they still have that worn-in look, which is preferable in this case.

Step two:

I set up my work space by organizing the gems by color. I also covered up the table I was utilizing with paper in an effort to not glue everything to it instead.

Since I used such small gems and I’m not a fan of super gluing my fingers together, I used a piece of scotch tape to pick up the jewels. I wrapped it around my left forefinger and it made for an awesome gem picker-upper.

Step three:

You might want to have a concept in mind before you begin gluing. Or, you might want to go in arbitrarily — the possibilites in this case are truly endless.

I threw around a few ideas, placed the unglued gemstones on the shoes to see how different styles would look, and ended up deciding on an ombre effect in a line along the seams of the shoes.

Step four: 

I squeezed a small amount of glue along the seam of the shoe. I then used my scotch-taped index finger to pick up each gem and place it.

TIP //  After you have placed your jewel on the glue, use a toothpick to better align the gem and push it down to set in the glue. It’s especially useful when working with smaller jewels, and helps to avoid a glue-y mess on your fingertips.

Step five:

Simply continue placing the gems until you’re happy with the end result!

I can’t wait to rock these this Friday, along with getting to see some of my favorite bands.

Do you have any helpful tips for a successful Warped Tour experience? Share your comments below!