Season's Change | DIY PAINTED SUNGLASSES

Fall is fast approaching - my favorite season, minus the freezing temperatures and mud-stained carpets. I’m also not a big fan of rain boots despite living in the UK that one time. I never could make them look cool on me, them Wellies.

I will however forever enjoy sipping mulled wine amidst rainbow-colored leaves dancing in the golden sunlight. And knitted everything.

Speaking of that blinding light bathing late afternoons in a sea of red and orange, I am pleased to confirm that sunglasses will still be needed until winter truly is upon us and the darkness has swallowed us whole.

Because I might or might not have acquired a noticeable, yet slightly unnecessary amount of sunglasses over the past summer months. And frankly, I hate to see them go to waste so soon.

But to introduce them to the new season, why not give your sunglasses a little makeover? Get them fall-ready so to speak!

And what speaks “change of season” more than autumn leaves? Nothing, correct.

Now I know we’ve seen sunglasses that have been bedazzled, stamped, labelled and adorned with a ridiculous amount of sequins. Paint definitely isn’t an unusual option either. But why limit ourselves to the frame of our eyewear as we have done so often in the past?

Ah, yes, “so our vision will not be impaired” I hear you say. And that is an excellent point you make. But I can reassure you that our brain is actually quite a clever thing and can correct minor visual impairments quite easily. Also, it really is up to you how extensive you would like your personal design to be. Keep it simple and you’re good to go. Tint the entire shade and you might want to acquire a walking aid. A stick perhaps. Or a dog.

Ok, I will admit that although I did announce an extensive collection of new eyewear I did actually use an old pair of sunglasses for this project. It’s probably preferable. While it is possible to remove permanent marker from most sunglasses, there is no guarantee. Plus, the longer you keep the paint on, the more it will probably bake into the glass due to the heat of the sun.

So to make sure you won’t need to throw out your shades after completion of this project, you’ll want to use old or cheaper sunglasses to start with, and make a template so you won’t be disappointed with your design in the long run.

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

- a pair of sunglasses
- a sheet of paper
- a pen
- masking tape (optional)
- a white permanent marker

Step 1: Draw your design onto a small sheet of paper. If you’d like to be precise, start by placing the sheet onto your sunglasses and tracing around the glass. This way you’ll know how much space your design can take up.

Step 2: Hold your finished design against the back of the glass and trace onto the glass with a white permanent marker. Optionally, you can tape the paper to the back using masking tape.

While adding the marker, try to be precise and be sure to make quick, even strokes as you won’t be able to make corrections easily.

However, if you do need to start over, remove the paint with an eraser. The blue end meant for ink on some erasers works particularly well. Depending on the brand of your permanent marker you might need to experiment with other means of cleaning.

Which design will you be rocking this fall?