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I use hot fix crystals on everything from paper to machine embroidered designs and love it. It takes a little practice getting the crystals to stay in the wand but practice makes perfect. you can change the heads by unscrewing them with a pair of needle nose pliers this way you don't have to wait for the cool down period.
Oooh, fantastic tip on the pliers! Thanks so much! How do I keep the glue from leaking out from under the crystal? It's happened almost every time on my practice rhinestones and it looks awful. Any advice?
I never had that problem, where did you get the cyrstals. It's possible that you aren't placing the crystals soon enough.. When you have the crystals on the wand watch the glue as soon as it gets glossy attach. It should eliminate the problem, you may be waiting too long and the glue is too hot.
The glue is getting too hot! Don't apply much pressure when you're affixing the rhinestones, the heat pretty much does all the work. If you press on the stone, it causes the glue to leak out the sides and your stone won't be as firmly attached as it would be otherwise. I just made a little rhinestone applique to a favoritejacket that reads "Mrs. Dayton in traning" and it required about 150 rhinestones to do it. Take your time, be patient, and don't overdo it. When it comes to the heat wand, less is often more! You can always go back through and give another little tap of your wand if you think the rhinestones aren't attached firmly enough, but once the glue leaks out the sides there's no going back!
I didn't know it would be less firmly attached if I did that, yikes! I was waiting until the glue was bubbling, so I definitely think I waited too long! Thanks for the tips. I've been using rhinestones up until this point, but my swarovskis arrived today so I'm glad I know what went wrong before I started using the expensive stuff! Thanks so much :)
I have no advice, just wish you good luck! What a fun project. The crystal on the invitation is especially fun. Upload a picture when you get good, please!
davids-bridal-galina-signature-style-S.jpg (36 KB, 122 downloads) 1 year old SRL9503_full.jpg (12.1 KB, 97 downloads) 1 year old non-model_2.jpg (19.5 KB, 81 downloads) 1 year old
I'm sure you'll do fine now that you've got a little experience! I definitely want to see photos of those invites!!
a few ideas!
if you can't get the gun to work, try something like a hotplate, electric griddle, or crepe fryer. they are great!
if the glue bubbles or turns brown, you are overheating them. as another user posted, don't use too much pressure.
if hot fix stones are driving you crazy, a GREAT substitute is plain old rhinestones, with E6000 to affix. If you use a teeny dowel with a bit of soft beeswax on the end (or sometimes a soft crayon works!!!) you can lay them all out and use the beeswax dowel or crayon to transfer the stones to your dots of glue. (i.e. dot of glue on page, keep the rhinestone pretty side up on your work surface. smoosh beeswax or crayon onto pretty side of stone, transfer it to your glue dot and press down lightly. ) if the wax leaves a dinge behind, you can just wipe the wax away with a soft cloth once glue has cured.
hope this helped!!!
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I absolutely love the sparkle of swarovski crystal wedding items, so I bought a Bejeweler Pro hotfix wand since I'm a DIY fanatic. I bought it on eBay for $30 with free shipping, and I bought $30 worth of hotfix swarovskis in different shades of pink (my wedding color). Today the hotfix wand arrived and I've had fun playing with the rhinestone samples that came with it. I'm still waiting on the swarovski crystals to arrive. I've learned a few things-
1. After an hour, my back is killing me and my eyes are sore. Yikes! Note to self: grab some pillows for the chair next time, and use a brighter light source.
2. It's a pain in the butt to switch tips every time you want to use a different crystal size, especially since you have to unplug it and wait for it to cool.
3. Tweezers are a necessity. So is patience.
4. I can't get the darn crystals to stick in the wand like I've seen in the online tutorials.
5. You'll be surprised what burns easily, eep.
6. Cats must be removed from the room before you begin, ack.
7. Making things sparkly is totally worth it.
I'm planning on adding a single crystal to my invites, using it to decorate some accessories, and also for the favors. Has anyone else used hotfix crystals to embellish their wedding? What advice can you offer a hotfix newbie