Five shoes as a star, toes pointing outwardGold, white. All five gold; a white dot over every nail hole. Dotting tool.
Denim-blue shoe with stitch dashes along both edgesDenim blue, orange. Two lines of short dashes, one near the outer edge, one near the inner. Paint pen.
One branch left as bare rust, the other paintedAny bright. Color from the middle of the toe to one heel; the other half untouched. Tape.
Blend along the curve, darkest at the left heel, palest at the rightNavy, sky blue, white. Three mixes sponged in turn, meeting at the toe with no hard line. Sponge.
Candy-stick stripes slanting across the shoe, heel to heelRed, white. Even slanted bands all the way around the curve. Tape.
Copper shoe with the nail groove darkenedCopper, black. Copper all over; black run into the groove and wiped off the flat. Rag.
Cow-print patches wandering around the whole shoeWhite, black. Uneven black patches on white, some wrapping over the inner edge. Round brush.
Denim-blue shoe with stitch dashes along both edgesDenim blue, orange. Two lines of short dashes, one near the outer edge, one near the inner. Paint pen.
One branch left as bare rust, the other paintedAny bright. Color from the middle of the toe to one heel; the other half untouched. Tape.
One flat color with every nail hole dotted in a secondAny color, white. The whole shoe one color; a dot of the second over each nail hole. Dotting tool.
One row of dots sized to the width of the shoeBlack, white. One row of white dots along the middle of a black shoe, touching neither edge. Dotting tool.
Shoe split at the toe, a different color on each branchTeal, coral. The two colors meet in a crisp line at the middle of the toe. Tape.
Shoe turned heels-down as an arch, a color band per ringRed, orange, yellow, green, blue. Bands follow the curve, red on the outer edge. Liner brush.
Turquoise shoe with dark cracks like veined stoneTurquoise, black, gold. Fine branching lines over turquoise; a few gold flecks beside them. Liner brush.
Zigzag running the length of the shoe to both heelsMustard, brown. One continuous zigzag on a mustard shoe, points touching both edges. Paint pen.
Flowers, stars and flags 12
A small star painted over every nail holeNavy, white. Navy shoe; one white star centered on each hole. Stencil.
Blanket-stripe bands in five colors across the toeCream, red, yellow, green, navy. Five narrow bands at the top of the curve; branches cream. Tape.
Colors of your state flag: one on the toe, one down each branchAny three colors. Three bands in the flag's order, with crisp joins between them. Tape.
Daisy on the toe, a vine trailing down each branchWhite, yellow, green. One flower at the top of the curve; leaves in pairs to both heels. Round brush.
Feather curved to follow the shoe from heel to toeTan, brown, white. The quill starts at one heel; barbs slant back along the curve. Liner brush.
Lone star on the toe, painted rope around the outer edgeTan, brown, white. Twisted rope strokes all along the outside; one white star at the top. Liner brush.
Painted lasso looping along the shoe, knotted at the toeDark brown, tan. A tan rope line wanders heel to heel with one loop and a knot on top. Liner brush.
Prickly pear pads up one branch, a pink bloom on the toeSand, green, pink, white. Three pads stacked from the heel; white spine dots on each. Dotting tool.
Roses on the toe, thorny stems running to the heelsRed, green, dark green. Three blooms at the top; a stem with small thorns down each side. Liner brush.
Starred blue toe above red and white banded branchesBlue, white, red. Stars across the curve of the toe; bands run across each branch below. Tape.
Sunflower at each heel, the two facing one anotherYellow, brown, green. A small bloom on both ends; stems meet at the toe. Round brush.
Wildflower sprig, a different one beside each nail holeCream, purple, yellow, red, green. Tiny sprigs point outward around the curve. Liner brush.
Names and dates of your own 12
A date of your own, one numeral beside each nail holeAny color, white. The numerals run around the curve in order, one to a hole. Paint pen.
A horse's name along one branch, a year along the otherBlack, white. Small capitals read from heel to toe on each side. Paint pen.
Birth date in numerals on the toe, a dot border belowPale blue or pink, white. Numerals at the top of the curve; a dot border on both branches. Dotting tool.
Event and year of your own lettered along the nail grooveAny color, black. Tiny capitals between the nail holes of one branch, heel to toe. Paint pen.
Family name curved around the toe in capitalsAny color, white. Letters follow the top of the curve, between the nail holes and the outer edge. Paint pen.
House numeral stacked down one branchBlack, white. Numerals one above the next from the toe to the heel, on the right side. Stencil.
One shoe for each family member, a name on every toeA color per person, white. Same layout on each shoe; hung in a row, heels the same way. Paint pen.
Ranch-brand style mark made from your own initialsRust or black, white. Two joined capitals inside a ring, centered on the toe. Stencil.
Rosette colors in bands, a placing of your own on the toeBlue, red, yellow, white. Three bands like a ribbon; a word or numeral at the top. Tape.
Stable name of your own lettered heel to heelDark green, gold. One line of capitals all the way around, read with the heels up. Paint pen.
Town on one branch, state on the other, a dot on the toeAny color, cream. Your own home town and state in small capitals, read heel to toe. Paint pen.
Two initials, one on each heel, a star on the toeAny color, white, gold. A capital at each end of the shoe; a gold star at the top. Stencil.
Horseshoes joined into a shape 12
Butterfly from four shoes, the join painted as its bodyBlue, violet, black. Upper wings blue, lower violet; a black body down the middle. Flat brush.
Caterpillar: a row of shoes as humps, a face on the firstThree greens, yellow, black. Shoes heels-down in a line, greens in turn; two eyes and a smile. Round brush.
Fir tree of ten shoes in widening rows, a trunk shoe belowGreen, brown, red. Rows of one, two, three and four in green; a red dot in some nail holes. Flat brush.
Fish from two shoes, the crossed heels as its tailAqua, orange, white. One color per shoe; an eye dot near the toe of the front one. Dotting tool.
Five shoes as a star, toes pointing outwardGold, white. All five gold; a white dot over every nail hole. Dotting tool.
Four-leaf shape from four shoes, toes outward, two greensGreen, dark green. Opposite leaves match; a darker vein line down each shoe. Liner brush.
Heart from two shoes, heels touching, in one redRed, white. Both shoes the same red; a white glint line on each outer curve. Flat brush.
Pumpkin from nested shoes, a short stem piece on topOrange, burnt orange, green. Each shoe a slightly different orange; the stem green. Flat brush.
Ring of overlapping shoes as a wreath, berries in the holesGreen, red. Every shoe green; a red dot dropped into each nail hole. Dotting tool.
Saguaro from three shoes, white spine dashes on greenGreen, white, pink. A tall middle shoe and two arms; a pink bloom dot on top. Liner brush.
Six shoes around a washer as a flower, two petal colorsPink, coral, yellow, green. Petal colors alternate; the middle yellow; a green rod stem. Flat brush.
Snow figure from three shoes, heels down, a scarf bandWhite, red, black. Shoes stacked as body, middle and head; a red band between the top two. Flat brush.
How it works
A horseshoe is a curved band of steel or aluminum with a row of nail holes. These 48 designs use the toe at the top of the curve, the two branches, the heels and the holes.
Read the full guide
Cowboy horseshoe art ideas
The western ones borrow from tack and cloth: Lone star on the toe, painted rope around the outer edge, Painted lasso looping along the shoe, knotted at the toe and Cow-print patches wandering around the whole shoe. The nail holes are a ready-made row of marks, as in A small star painted over every nail hole.
Names, dates and shapes
Twelve designs carry lettering of your own, such as A horse's name along one branch, a year along the other. Twelve more are for shoes already joined into a shape: Five shoes as a star, toes pointing outward. Joining them is metalwork for an adult; the list covers only the paint.
Questions and answers
What paint do you use on a horseshoe?
We do not test paints. Most horseshoes are steel or aluminum, and whether a paint needs a primer, grips metal or lasts outdoors is on its label.
Which painted horseshoe ideas are easiest?
The single-shoe patterns. One flat color with every nail hole dotted in a second is one coat and a row of dots, and Shoe split at the toe, a different color on each branch is two colors and one line of tape.
Are there horseshoe art ideas for kids?
Yes. Caterpillar: a row of shoes as humps, a face on the first and Fish from two shoes, the crossed heels as its tail are painted flat with no fine lines, once an adult has cleaned and joined the shoes.
Can I put a name on a horseshoe?
Yes: the shoe is wide enough for small capitals. Family name curved around the toe in capitals follows the top of the curve, and Stable name of your own lettered heel to heel runs all the way around.