How to Make Iron-On Rhinestones

It is not hard to make your own iron-on rhinestones. Rhinestones are beautiful low-cost items that have been used for many years to adorn fabrics and clothing. Rhinestones were originally designed to imitate diamonds. They were used to design jewelry and hair pieces for many years because of this reason. Nowadays, rhinestones are made from rock crystal, Swarovski crystal, glass and acrylic. There are many types of rhinestones. There are some that are cheaper looking and are of questionable quality and then there are some that are more expensive. The more expensive rhinestones are usually much more sturdy and beautiful. Making your own iron on rhinestones is one of the quickest and easiest ways to add beauty to any heat resistant piece of fabric or garment.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Rhinestones (your choice of color, size and design)
• 1 piece of hot fix iron on transfer paper (large enough to cover iron-on rhinestone design)
• 1 sheet of Teflon (large enough to cover iron-on rhinestone design)
• Garment
• Tweezers
• Clear tape
• Iron
• Ironing board

1. Remove the white backing from the sheet of hot fix paper. Place the sheet of hot fix iron-on transfer paper over the design idea, sticky side up. Tape the corners down to the design surface keep your work from moving around.

2. Place the rhinestones you'd like to use carefully on your paper using tweezers. Make sure the rhinestones are placed with the shiny side down. Place them on the design following the pattern of how they will appear on your garment. After completing your rhinestone design; place the hot fix paper over the fabric in the place you'd like your design to appear. The hot fix paper will still be a little sticky around the rhinestones. This will help it adhere to the fabric; so it won't move around too much before ironing.

3. Lay the piece of Teflon over your design.

4. Turn the iron on high heat without steam (it needs to be dry heat). The Teflon will protect the rhinestones and fabric from heat damage. To make a small iron-on rhinestone design, you will have to heat your design for 7 to 10 minutes for the rhinestones to stick. To make a larger iron-on rhinestone design, you may have to heat your design for up to 15 minutes for the rhinestones to stick.

5. Remove the Teflon and check for any rhinestones are not sticking. If you find any, go back over them with the iron.

Tips & Warnings

• Practice making iron-on rhinestones with cheaper, lower quality rhinestones first. When you get the hang of it; you can move onto the more expensive rhinestones. Iron on rhinestones look nice on all types of clothing and hair bands. After you make your iron on rhinestones, try using them on T-shirts, tank tops, tennis shoes, cloth sandals, scarves and simple formal wear.
• Making iron-on rhinestones should always be a supervised activity when working with children under 18. This activity is also not a good one for children under 10. Adults should always manipulate the iron.

Resources

• Review materials and methods of attachment for rhinestones