Make this dazzling bracelet in minutes!

I want to show you how to make either of these fabulous bracelets in just minutes! 

The foundation or base for these is Ultra Suede. If the Ultra Suede you buy at the local fabric store seems sort of thin and flimsy - you can try laminating two pieces together using some fusible interfacing.

Or you can just get it from us. ;-)

Accessories - Narrow Ultra Suede Cuff Strip - Jet Black (1)










Let's do the Black bracelet first. Once you see how the snap closure is done, you'll know how to do the Pink one too.  
The shiny crystals are hot fix - but here's the dirty little secret. They aren't applied one at a time - but all at once, by using the Crystal Tex Applique. I used 7 inches - which is about 18 cm.
Swarovski - Applique - Crystal Tex (62030) - Crystal (1 cm)

Watch this video to see how it is done. You can use a regular iron instead of the hot fix press. Remember - no steam, and lots of pressure - but no "ironing" - that is, no sliding the iron around. If your iron won't cover the entire piece to be hot-fixed

Here's the temperature chart again.

Now - to add the closure - which is a Swarovski Snap.

This is the top half of the snap - which is also called a "Decorative Button." (All the snaps, decorative buttons, and the applicator are on this page - Rhinestone Snaps.) The prongs on the back of the Top Front piece go through the fabric and into the groove on the back piece, and are bent into the groove - thus securing it securely - so that you are secure that it is secure.

The back of the snap is your everyday pop-snap doo-hickey. It is secured in much the same way. To close the snap - it snaps into the hole in the Top Back piece above.

Watch this video to see how to make it all come together and to assemble the dies that go into the applicator.

The pink bracelets - as shown above, is just a series of "Decorative Buttons" - plus one back - so that the end one functions as the closure. I just didn't think you wanted to watch me applying them!

It might take you a few tries to get the technique down pat - I ruined the first three by not having them lined up or in the machine straight - but once you get the hang of it - you'll be away to the races!

Attaching Hot Fix Rhinestones on Fabric

Itching to be a Rhinestone Cowgirl? Or maybe you want to add some sparkle to your scrapbooking?

We suggest the Bejeweller(R) if you are setting individual rhinestones. We tried some of the cheaper stone setting devices and they just don't work as well. The Bejeweller comes with a variety of sizes of tips - for the different sizes of stones. The basic idea is that you pick the stone up with the cup in the tip - pause until you see the glue liquify, and put it in place. Essentially - these hot-fix stones have hot-melt glue, pre-applied, making the whole process of applying them waaaay easier.

First lay a sheet of paper or teflon behind the fabric that is going to be covered. That will keep the glue from seeping through and getting on something else. (Like the table, the other side of the t-shirt, etc.

You plug in the BeJeweller, like a curling iron and after it has warmed up a bit, use the tip to pick up a stone, right side facing upwards (into the cup of the tip). You will see the glue start to melt in a few seconds. Once the glue is melted, just touch the tip down where you want the stone and lift off. The stone should remain in place. If it sticks to the tip (which it will if you let the glue melt too much), just pry the stone loose by inserting a needle in the slot behind the stone. In that case, do not try to reuse the stone. (You might want to practice with a few first on a sheet of paper or scrap fabric, to make sure you have the hang of it.)

After the pattern is finished, carefully turn the fabric over and lay it on a sheet of waxed paper or teflon. Put another sheet of paper or cloth on top of the fabric. Take an iron at the hottest setting, no steam, and place it over the pattern for about 10 seconds. Do not rub or move the iron on the fabric or you might dislodge the stones. This will ensure that the glue has completely set in place.

Once the stones are set and the glue has completely cooled, the garment can be washed on the delicate cycle in your machine with no problems. We have even washed them (accidentally) in the regular cycle with no ill effects. Just make sure you turn the garment inside out before washing. These stones are used in garments such as skating costumes which take a lot of hard use without coming off.

Maybe start with a small project or two first, before you try to out bling Elvis. ;-)

The stones themselves are labeled with the utterly confusing "ss" (stone size) labeling, and, to make it even more confusing - the sizes are more of a range than an exact measurement. Don't get me wrong - the rhinestones are all the same size, it's just that when you talk about ss 9 - it is defined as being 2.5 - 2.7 mm.

	Size in MM			Number of Stones
SS	from	to		per Inch
6	1.9	2.1		13 - 12
7	2.1	2.3		12 - 11
8	2.3	2.5		11 - 10
9	2.5	2.7		10
10	2.7	2.85		9
11	2.85	3.0		8 - 9
12	3.0	3.2		8
13	3.2	3.4		8 - 7
14	3.4	3.6		7
15	3.6	3.8		7 - 6
16	3.8	4.0		6.5
17	4.0	4.2		6
18	4.2	4.4		6
19	4.4	4.6		6
20	4.6	4.8		5
30	6.3	6.5		4

We have both the Swarovski Crystalized Hot Fix and the Preciosa.