How to Apply Flat Back Crystals

How to Apply Flat Back Crystals to performance costumes takes some patience but can save you TONS of money in the long run.  My sister has saved hundreds of dollars by embellishing her daughters ice skating costumes with flat back crystals after having the costumes custom made rather than having the seamstress apply the crystals since the application is time consuming so it costs big bucks.  Here’s how to Apply Flat Back Crystals so that you can save some serious cash, too!

How to Apply Flat Back Crystals

Materials Needed to Apply Flat Back Crystals

Materials

  • E-6000 glue
  • tweezers
  • paper plate (do not use styrofoam, the glue will eat through the plate)
  • wax paper
  • Swarovski crystals, flat back (I used Indian Pink SS20 & Crystal AB SS20)

How to Apply Flat Back Crystals

Step 1

Step 1:  Pour crystals onto paper plate and begin to lay the crystals on the garment in desired pattern.  (I always do this before I glue them down.)  Tip: Swarovski crystals tend to reflect more light on the ice which makes the dress sparkle more.  I used crystal ab on the silver heart/bow portion and indian pink around the neckline.

How to Crystal

Step 2:  Add a small amount of glue (about the size of a nickel) to the paper plate.  Tip: the glue dries fast so you don’t want to use huge globs of glue at a time.

How to Crystal

Step 3:  After you’ve laid out your pattern and are happy with it then you are ready to glue the crystals down.  Using tweezers, pick up one crystal at a time.  Lightly dab the bottom of the crystal in the glue.

How to Crystal

Step 4:  Wipe excess glue on the side of the plate.

How to Crystal

Step 5:  The bottom of the crystal should look like this.  Tip: if you accidentally get glue on the sides of the crystal you can always set it to the side and use a different crystal.  After the glue has dried you can pull it off and reuse the crystal.

How to Crystal

Step 6:  Adhere crystal to garment.  Tip: if you gently lay the crystal down you can still pick it up and move it.  Once it’s where you want it you can push it down for it to adhere better.

How to Crystal

Step 7:  Tip: for sheer areas of the garment you can separate the layers with a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper so that the glue does not bleed through to the other side.  After I lined the heart in indian pink crystals I sporadically added crystal ab to the sheer portion.

How to Crystal

Step 8:  To crystal the sleeves, roll up a sheet of wax paper and insert it into the sleeve.  I lined the hearts with Indian Pink.

How to Apply Flat Back Crystals

Other How to Tutorials:

About Angie

Angie is a CRAFT dabbling, recipe making, WORD loving, sunshine hording, book DEVOURING, Mama to a lot! She's kind of in love with Instagram right now, so if you want her attention, go find here there. {smiling}