DIY: Rhinestone Dress for Your Holiday Party

It’s been a difficult year financially, yet the Holiday party is just around the corner and you want to sparkle. You’ve looked at many rhinestone dresses but can’t afford any of them. Dresses found at any type retail store with serious bling will cost you in the hundreds of dollars. However,  you can save yourself a bundle by buying a plain dress and embellishing it yourself. Embellishing a dress with rhinestones can be done, even with someone with no experience.
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Take this dress picked up on clearance.

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​Although it’s a pretty dress with the floral print on the bottom, there nothing to really catch the eye. We’ll transform this dress into a “get another look at that dress” just by adding rhinestones.

Dress bought on clearance $35
Retail cost of rhinestones: $11-14 depending on the brand of rhinestones and retailer
Glue: $ 8.99 - $9.99 for 4 oz
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Total cost: $60.00

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Instructions for Gluing a Rhinestone Dress
 
For this project I used:
dress
Gem tac
Black Diamond 12ss rhinestones about 1 gross
Jet Hematite 12ss rhinestones about 1 gross
Wax tipped tool or tweezers
Measuring tape
 
Always prewash your garment before starting to glue. Once it is washed and dried, lay it flay on your work surface. If the material is thin, place a piece of wax paper between fabric to prevent gluing the layers together.
 
Here, I used black diamond rhinestones along the strap edges spaced ½ inch apart. You can use a tape measure to keep the rhinestones evenly spaced it you want. Jet hematite rhinestones completed the design scattered on the straps and bodice. These were glued closer together along the straps and bodice. I space them further apart lower on the bodice.
 
 When gluing fabrics, my favorite glue to use is Gem-Tac. It is easy to apply, dries clear and is washable.
 
 Begin gluing by placing a drop of adhesive slightly smaller than the rhinestones on the dress.
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​Using a wax tipped tool or tweezers, pick up a rhinestone and gently press it into the glue drop. The glue should seep out slightly from the edges. This creates a seal and helps prevent the rhinestone from peeling off.

​Gem-Tac dries clear and using the little bit of extra glue to keep your rhinestones from falling off is important. 

Continue to glue rhinestones on until your design is complete. Then, allow to dry flat for 24 hours.


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A picture does not capture the stunning sparkle of this dress. With every movement, light is reflected, creating a dazzling aura. Now you are sure to catch some eyes with this rhinestone dress while saving yourself a pile of money.

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Want to sparkle at your Holiday party? Need rhinestones to bling out your dress? Get the rhinestones you want at Rhinestones Etc.