Have your cake, and wear it too!

If I had to pick my absolute favorite Monster High shoes, it would have to be Draculaura's Sweet 1600 delicious drippy cake shoes. They are pink, they are girly, but most importantly they are topped with frosting! ~Simply delish~ Combine that with her fluffy dress and crazy hair, and you've got the recipe for my perfect costume.  Like a normie with a bag full of Halloween candy, I just couldn't resist myself.

 Since making the costume a few years ago, I've gotten a ton of questions, most relating to my shoes.  Unfortunately I'm horrible at taking pictures when I make things, so I had to start a whole new pair!
Here it is ghouls: The Sweet 1600 shoe tutorial

What I used:
Wedges (Draculaura would prefer vegan leather aka pleather, but leather would also work)
Nu-life shoe paint (raspberry and/or white depending on your base)
Damp cloth
White Silicone (2 small tubes)
Piping tip (open star #32)
Black puffy paint (one big bottle, I like the slick finish)
Clay (I used Sculpey bake and bend, and Super Sculpey)
Clay tools ( I just used the one that comes with the bake and bend)
Sandpaper (fine grit)
Black & pink acrylic
Acrylic varnish (gloss or matte)
Paintbrushes
E-6000
Blue Tape
Newspaper
Black satin ribbon (1")
Skin tone petersham (3/4")
Velcro (3/4")
Sewing machine/ needle and thread

Phew what a list.  Being freaky fab takes a lot of supplies!
This is what my shoes started out life as.  A total snore, but so much potential.

Let's get started.  Since the shoe is used as a base for the heart bat's curved shape, and I don't want clay residue on my paint,  I like to start with the clay parts. For the bats on the shoes  I like to use Sculpey bake and bend since it is flexible even after it's cooked, and super Sculpey for the ankle bats, as it's a bit more sturdy. Since the shoe is constantly flexing as I walk, I find that it helps the decorations from cracking if they can bend with the shoe. The only downside is that bake and bend doesn't sand all that well, so it has to be smooth before it is cooked.  Super Sculpey sands great and will stand up to me accidentally banging my ankle into things especially at a crowded convention. These are just my personal preferences~

Sketch out the design for the heart bats, and sculpt.  I started with the pair for my ankle first. To make sure the bats fit properly after they are baked wrap some foil around your ankle and use this as a cooking tray.  I repeated this process for my shoe bats, except I stuffed some foil into the toe of the shoe to make what the bats would sit on while they baked.

Bake following the instructions on the clay. If you use two different types like I did they will have to be baked separately. Allow to cool, if the shapes need some extra smoothing sand them down a bit. Now you are ready to paint.  Paint and finish the bats with acrylic paints, and varnish (gloss or matte it's up to you). I used a pearlescent pink on the shoe hearts for an extra bit of shine.  Let dry, and set aside for later.

The ankle bats need a bit more prep work, so now is the perfect time.  You can use any ribbon you would like for the ankle straps, but I prefer petersham because it will conform to a shape when heated without the wrinkles of other ribbons like gross grain or satin. It also doesn't stretch out like other ribbon, you don't want floppy ankle straps. Cut 4 pieces of petersham long enough to wrap around your ankle and overlap. Sew two pieces of petersham together and add the velcro to the ends.  Place the rough side so that it is facing away from your skin.

Next cut two strips of black polyester satin ribbon,  carefully cut and burn the tips with a match so they don't fray.  If you are using a ribbon that is not a synthetic fiber do not burn it, the fiber will catch fire. Fray check or clear nail polish works well for finishing the edges. Fold the ribbon so the shiny side is facing out and using E-6000 glue it to the back of the ankle bats. Set aside and let dry.

Now that's all finished lets get back to the actual shoes.  Start by adding some colour.   Nu life shoe paint works best on leather or pleather shoes. Suede or fabric covered shoes won't take the paint as well. You'll have to adjust your supplies if you are using a shoe with a different covering.  Do not use regular spray paint, it will crack and flake as you walk.  Prepare the shoes for paint by wiping any dirt, waxes or finishes from your shoes with a damp cloth. Allow to dry and then start taping off your painting space. My shoes started out all black, so I needed to paint both colours. Start with the white paint since it is less important the edge be perfect (its getting covered in black icing, yum).  Tear the blue tape in small pieces. Using the sharp factory edges block off the wedge from the rest of the shoe. Cover the remaining exposed areas with newspaper (this saves on tape). Also cover the soles of the shoes so they don't get any paint on them. This may seem silly, but it will help the shoes have a more professional look in the end.

In a well ventilated area paint the heels of the shoes white. It took me about 4 coats to fully cover the black. Follow the instructions on the paint can for drying times and spray distance.
Once the paint is dry remove the tape.  Don't worry if you have some over spray on the black, that will get covered in the next step.

Now retape the shoes so the pink portion is ready to go. Try not to use too much tape on the white part because the paint can get pulled off when the tape is removed.  The tape should only touche the shoe where it will be covered by the black icing.  Cover the entire bottom of the shoe as well and the inside. If the line around the top of the shoe isn't perfect it's ok, that's where the frosting goes!
Paint the shoes pink, let dry, and carefully remove the tape.

Yay! you have some pink and white shoes, now for the yummy part the details!
I start with the black drips, its' easier to fix the paint if the rest of the shoe isn't finished. Either pencil in or freehand the drippy icing all around the shoe, be careful not to touch the wet drips as you work your way around the shoe.  If the drips do get messy carefully wipe them with a damp cloth. You'll have to touch up the white paint once the black is dry, but you don't want to leave a raised surface.  Don't worry about being too exact with this part, remember it's dripping icing, be a bit random. At this point I carefully glued the shoe bat onto the top of the shoe. Once that's all done set the shoe aside to dry for at least 24 hours!  Seriously let everything dry completely. Take a nap, get a strawscary shake, drive to a toy store (or 8) and go monster hunting, just don't fool with your shoes until they are fully dry. Once you've obtained the elusive Jane Boolittle and the shoes have had time to set, you can start on the best part: the frosting!

The frosting is a bit tricky, and can take some practice so don't rush to the shoes. It's a good idea to experiment on some wax paper until you get a feel for it. Trust me its nothing like piping a cake.  Make sure that your shoes are ready for this step before cutting open a tube. The silicone dries out pretty quickly and it's best to work with a fresh tube.  I prefer to use the smaller tubes because I have an easier time squeezing them. They are a bit more expensive, but worth it for the extra control.

Read the warning label and use proper protection before use. Cut the tip of the silicone tube a bit farther down then the recommended cut line.  I use the piping tip as a guide, you don't want the silicone tube's tip extending past it.  I find that I have to hold the tip onto the silicone or it will just fly right off no matter how well I think its wedged on. For the shoes I like to start from one edge of the bat and go all the way around stopping at the center back to rotate the shoe and get a fresh grip on the silicone tube. The ankle straps can be done flat since the silicone has elasticity, it will bend around your ankle.  Make sure to leave enough of the strap without icing so you have a space to glue the bats.   Place the silicone so that the scratchy velcro is facing up, the soft velcro will be on the side of the ribbon that is facing down.

Once this is all done you will again (sigh) have to let the shoes and straps dry completely. Keep them out of reach of small children or roommates who might think your shoes look good enough to eat. I mean lets face it they really do!
The last step is to attach the ankle bats to the petersham. I do this last because the bats will bend the ribbon making it harder to pipe.

Once that dries, it's time to put on your scary cute party shoes and have a ghoulishly good time~

Side note: For younger ghouls who might not be ready to wear 4" wedges, I made some freaky chic flats.  I wear them with the ankle straps from my wedges when my feet need a break, or without when my day could just use a bit of a sweet pick me up. They are a bit different than the originals, but still totally delish~