Rhinestone costumes are popular in theatre, dance, drag, and burlesque shows for their sparkle and eye-catching effect; they make performances more visually exciting and help performers stand out. Costumes embellished with rhinestones add an extra layer of excitement and glamour, making them essential for shows or dance competitions that aim to captivate the audience.
Proper costume care is crucial for maintaining the sparkle and longevity of the rhinestones, and regular maintenance ensures they remain visually striking and durable over time. This involves gentle cleaning to remove dirt and sweat without damaging the stones, proper storage to prevent scratches or loss of stones, and timely repairs of any loose or missing rhinestones.
Choosing the Right Rhinestones for Easy Maintenance
Hotfix rhinestones are great for decorating performance costumes, particularly if you're looking for easy maintenance too. Embellishing with hotfix rhinestones is easy, mess free and a good method for ensuring durability. Using non hotfix rhinestones, or glue on rhinestones, is also an effective way to decorate a costume but you may find some rhinestones start to come loose after a lot of wear. There are many differences between hotfix and non hotfix rhinestones, so be sure to do your research before choosing the right application method for you.
For ultimate easy maintenance and durability, embellishing with sew on stones is highly recommended. This involves fixing the stone with a needle and thread, and some people like to glue it into place first for extra strength. Sew on rhinestones are less like to come off in the wash, come loose or need replacing.
Spotlight on Cleaning Techniques
If your costume needs to be washed, we always recommend hand washing, inside out if possible. Use only warm water with a small amount of detergent, and avoid fabric conditioner because this can loosen the rhinestones. Also avoid using a washing machine, dry cleaners or tumble dryer. This preserves the shine of the rhinestones and the longevity of the fabric.
Effective Storing Practices
- When storing rhinestone costumes, lay the items flat if possible, or hang them on padded hangers to prevent stress on the embellishments.
- Wrap each piece in a soft cloth or breathable bag to protect the stones from rubbing against other items, which could cause damage or tangling.
- Hang and transport rhinestone embellished clothing in a suit bag if possible.
- Store away from sunlight to avoid colour fading.
Regular Inspection and Repair
Every so often, you should inspect your costume, prop, stage accessory, dance dress or other performance outfit to check for loose or missing rhinestones. Loss of rhinestones is most likely to be caused by general wear and tear, overuse, mis-handling of garment or over washing.
- Identify Damaged Area – Take note of any areas that are particularly damaged or have crystals missing. You may find a residue of glue left behind or some loose thread if it's a missing sew on stone.
- Removing Loose Rhinestones – Firstly, check for loose stones, you may as well replace these now so it saves you a job next time. Gently run your hands over the crystallised fabric and you will feel straight away if any are loose. You may be able to pull them off yourself, but if not, use a sharp tool like a craft knife to ease the stone off. Take care not to pierce the fabric.
- Replacing Non Hotfix Rhinestones – If you are using embellishing with non hotfix rhinestones, we advise using Gem Tac or E6000 glue. Squeeze a small amount of glue (smaller than the size of your rhinestone) onto the fabric, allow a few seconds to get tacky, then pick up and place the rhinestone on top of the glue using a pick up tool. Push the rhinestone down with enough pressure to ensure the glue bonds, but not too much that the glue seeps out from the edges. Don't worry if it does seep, it will dry crystal clear.
Handling Costumes with Hotfix Rhinestones
Although the heat fixing method is considered stronger and more durable than glue on, costumes that have been embellished with hotfix rhinestones should still be handled with the same care and attention, as discussed above, to ensure a long lifespan.
If you are embellishing with hotfix rhinestones, you will need a household iron or hotfix applicator wand to apply them. To iron on rhinestones, place the stones shiny side up onto the fabric in your desired position, then cover with a sheet of baking paper to protect the fabric. Next, iron over the top (without any steam) for 10-20 seconds. The heat from the iron will melt the glue on the rhinestone and bond it to the fabric. To apply rhinestones with a hotfix wand, make sure you have the correct size tip screwed in, allow the tool to heat up, then use it to pick up and place the rhinestones.
Conclusion
Keeping your rhinestone costume, dance dress or performance outfit in good condition is important for making sure it always looks great on stage and lasts longer.