Your Complete DIY Guide to Creating Shoes with Rhinestones

Footwear is the foundation of any outfit. Your choice can define your look and presents a particular image to the world. Yet, owning a pair of Jimmy Choo or Christian Louboutin shoes is way out of many women’s budgets. One way to accessorize your wardrobe ensemble is to create shoes with rhinestones.

When you want to keep your shoe collection fresh and exciting, you can add rhinestones for a new look. Adding bling to any type of footwear adds elegance and beauty. Plus, it’s simple to do and you can save money doing it yourself. 
 

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The Best Adhesives for Gluing Rhinestones to Shoes

Generally, you can attach rhinestones to any type of footwear including boots and athletic shoes. To keep rhinestones from falling off, be sure to use a good adhesive with a strong bond.

Typically, many people use E6000 for gluing rhinestones to shoes. Another popular glue is Gem-Tac. Both work on a variety of surfaces and dry clear. However, always check the manufacturer’s specifications on the material it bonds and recommended type of rhinestone. Some adhesives can ruin acrylic embellishments.
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Additionally, you’ll want to avoid areas of your shoe that will be constantly stressed. For example, footwear flexes where your toes bend. This constant folding of your footwear may also cause rhinestones to fall off. 

Types of Rhinestones

If you’ve never purchased rhinestones, you may be confused by all the different kinds available. Google the word “rhinestone” and results will show acrylic, glass, crystal, Czech, Austrian, or Asian options. Furthermore, you’ll notice a vast difference in price structure.

Usually, manufacturers base their pricing on the cost of the raw material and the process to create their product. For example, manufacturers produce resin and acrylic rhinestones by pouring raw material into a mold.  While manufacturers of more expensive crystal rhinestones cut facets into the surface of the crystal.

Another consideration is the number of facets and their arrangement. These two factors, along with the material, determine the stone’s sparkle, scintillation, and dispersion.

Moreover, you’ll find many different rhinestone sizes from tiny to large. Some beginners struggle with deciding on the perfect size for their project. Often, the design will dictate which size will work best. Other times, it’s just a matter of preference. 

Creating Shoes with Rhinestones

Once you decide on your kind of rhinestones and glue, the next most important aspect is the gluing process. Many beginners will use too little glue.  Over time, these rhinestones may peel and fall off.

When gluing rhinestones, it’s very important that a little bit of glue seeps slightly out from the edges. This produces a seal to keep the rhinestone in place. Generally, rhinestones adhesives dry clear, so once the glue dries, only the sparkle shines through.

FAQs about Rhinestones

Are you ready to begin blinging out shoes, but have more questions? Below, we’ve answered a few commonly asked questions.

Which Rhinestone Brand Should I Buy? 
With so many rhinestone brands available, it can be hard to choose the perfect one for your project. Sometimes only the best will do.

Generally, Austrian and Czech manufacturers have a reputation for quality. However, you’ll also find some Asian manufacturers producing excellent embellishments at a fraction of the price. We carry Preciosa Maxima and another high-quality Asian brand, PriceLess.

How Many Rhinestones Should I Buy?

Generally, many retailers package rhinestones in 1 gross batches. This means each package will contain 144 rhinestones.

First, you’ll need to measure the area you want to cover. Then, compare this to the size of the rhinestones you want to purchase. Larger rhinestones cover a larger area, so you’ll need less than if you buy a smaller stone.

What’s The Best Color?

Usually, this choice is a matter of preference. You can choose to match the color of your shoes to simply create sparkle. Whereas choosing a contrasting hue will give your footwear a nice pop of color while adding shimmer. Many people choose crystal or crystal AB because both colors work great with any background color.

Ready to begin your project of making shoes with rhinestones?  Rhinestones Etc. offers competitive pricing, fast shipping, and great customer service.