How to Affix Heat Set Rhinestones

Rhinestones on costume

Rhinestones are often attached to costumes to help the performer catch and maintain the attention of the audience and possibly judges. They are also popular additions to jeans, t-shirts or other fashion accessories. Fabric stores have a wide variety of specialty rhinestones in all kinds of shapes and sizes. Many of these stones are affixed to the garment through heat.

Things You'll Need

• Heat transfer rhinestones
• Kandi Kane Pro tool
• Block of wood

Instructions

1. Place your fabric face-up on your work table. Position your hot fix tool (such as the Kandi Kane Pro or a Bedazzler) on the side where you will pick it up.

2. Determine the size of the rhinestones you will be mounting. Insert the correct tip in your hot fix tool. These tools come with 6SS, 10SS, 16SS, 20SS, 30SS and 34SS rhinestone tips and some tools have larger stone size tips.

3. Plug in your hot fix tool and place it on its stand. Do not touch the tip once the tool is plugged in as it will get hot.

4. Position your rhinestones face-up on a wood block. Because you will be picking up your rhinestones with your hot tip, this block will prevent you from damaging your table surface.

5. Pick up your hot fix tool. Slip the tip over the rhinestone. It will immediately begin to heat up. Position the tool tip and rhinestone on the fabric and as the glue on the rhinestone back melts, the stone will attach to the fabric. Lift the tool away at once.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not use hot fix type rhinestones on fabrics that will burn easily. As soon as the stone attaches to the fabric, move the tool away. This prevents glue from spreading away from the stone. Hand-wash costumes with heat-attached rhinestones.

References

• Rhinestone Guy: Glue Techniques
• Rhinestone Guy: Tools
• JS Beads: Hot Fix