This weekend, I sort of went on a stud binge. Downtown LA has THE best deals when it comes to studs, so of course I couldn’t help but get myself a hundred…or a thousand. [If you don’t live in LA, try these] Thus I embarked on giving my classic black slip-ons a little bit of a makeover. This DIY project is rather easy, and it’s something you can certainly do at home. Studs have been trending hard these past 2 years, so whether you’re a total rebel or just a girly girl dabbling with the edgier side of fashion, you can be sure you’ll gain several compliments on your new studded out Vans.

Here’s what you’ll need: A pair of your favorite Vans, scissors, a pencil, your choice of studs, and your music packed phone or MP3 player… because this project is one that may take awhile.

• Once you have all the necessities together for your studding session, time to get started by using your pencil to mark where you’re looking to place each stud.

• After you’ve decided on each studs placement, go ahead and stick those suckers into your shoes. Depending on your Vans, you may have some difficulty piercing the shoe with the studs…that’s where your scissors come into play. Gently pierce tiny holes into the shoe. Be careful you don’t stab yourself, though. I had to learn the hard way. If you have an exacto knife that can work as well. 

• Now you’ll notice that at the end of your stud, there’s about 4 spikes that bend easily, which secure the stud into the fabric. You’re going to want to take the end of your pencil, and press down firmly on each one so that it bends inward.  

• 4 hours and 50 songs later, you’ve got yourself a sick pair of shoes that no one else has! 

If you are digging this DIY project, post up your shoes on Tumblr, and hash-tag it #VANSDIY. Let’s see what you’ve got! -brittany