How to apply PureCrystal Hotfix Rhinestones?

This season, sequins and rhinestones are back in the spotlight. It has to shine, it has to illuminate, it has to sparkle in the face of the greyness of autumn-winter. And we are no longer content to wear them only in the evening! On the contrary, we put crystal rhinestones everywhere, as much on daily outfits day and night.
And there is plenty to do! There are several types of crystal rhinestones with different sizes, various shapes (round, heart, square, star, fan, triangle ...), various colors and effects: rhinestones to stick using a suitable glue, rhinestones to sew to fix with a needle and thread, and the hotfix rhinestones with a pre-glued back which is fixed under the action of heat.
Have you ever wondered how to put on iron-on rhinestones ? This technical sheet will answer your questions by giving you all the essential information to use hotfix glue-on rhinestones .
Indeed, the crystal iron-on stickers are ideal for customizing clothes, accessories such as bags or shoes, decorative objects such as cushions. To you the ultra personalized little tops and evening clutch bags that are unlike any other!

The Hotfix application principle

Hotfix crystal rhinestones do not need glue to attach to fabric. Indeed, their flat bottom is coated with a heat-fusible adhesive, which allows a quick and simple application. This adhesive is activated by heat (applied directly, indirectly or by means of ultrasound), to adhere to the textile support. Once cooled, the adhesive firmly and permanently fixes the crystal components to the base support.
Hotfix rhinestones allow easy application of crystal rhinestones on fabric, but also on wood, metal or cardboard.
The adhesive of the crystal glue-on rhinestones is characterized by its resistance to washing and by the simplicity of its maintenance. The temperature, duration and pressure of application must be adjusted according to the nature of the base textile support.

How to stick rhinestones on a garment?

How to glue hot fix rhinestones on fabric? This is perhaps a question you asked yourself when you wanted to make a carnival costume for the youngest or a costume for the ballet gala of your daughter, your niece or your granddaughter.
It is thanks to a heat source that the rhinestones attach themselves securely to the clothes. There are several methods for this: the rhinestone applicator or the iron .

Glue rhinestones with a Hotfix applicator

Heated applicator styli provide a cost effective solution for heat sealing elements. These hotfix rhinestone applicators are supplied with suitable tips between 2 and 9 mm, to the shape of your crystals to be glued.
If you are wondering where to buy a rhinestone applicator , look no further! Find all of our heated applicators and their tips to quickly and easily apply iron-on rhinestones to your DIY accessories and decorative items.

To learn more about the use of this rhinestone positioning pencil , do not hesitate to consult our technical sheet to learn how to customize your clothes using the hotfix applicator . Watch out for your fingers! When applying rhinestones, the end of the applicator and the tips become very hot. Wait for them to cool before changing tips.

Stick rhinestones with an iron

As a general rule, all glass Hotfix iron-on rhinestones can be glued with an iron. However, since this device offers only limited pressure and temperature control, it can sometimes be useful to use a hot press.
The soleplate of the iron must not be pierced to allow the steam to escape. Uneven pressure and the presence of water and vapor droplets will adversely affect the quality of the application.
Finally, always remember to iron on a firm, flat and regular work surface.

As a general rule, the application time should be sufficient to allow the heat to activate the fusible adhesive and allow it to penetrate into the fibers of the base textile backing. It usually takes a few minutes for the rhinestone to be attached to the support.

However, the duration of application required with an iron depends on several criteria:

• Hotfix elements used,
• the temperature selected on the iron,
• the equipment used,
• the nature of the basic textile support,
• of the heat application face.

To adapt them to your application, we recommend that you carry out preliminary tests on the selected base material. Start at a low temperature so that you can increase it as you go through the test phases.

Finishing

It usually takes 24 hours for the iron-on adhesive to set completely. Wash or perform quality tests after this period to see if your rhinestones do not come off.

Unsuitable textiles

However, not all textiles are recommended. Some fabrics and special finishes are not suitable for the Hotfix application, due to their low absorption capacity.
Here is a list of unsuitable textile supports and finishes:

• Extra thick weave textiles
• Very fine textiles, such as tulle
• Smooth leather and smooth faux leather
• Water repellent or waterproofing treatments (silicone, synthetic resin used as waterproofing agent)
• Teflon? coatings
• Anti-stain treatments
• Treatments facilitating maintenance
• Fluorocarbon finishes
• Softening agents
• Certain dyes (dyes containing metallic pigments)
• Enzymatic treatments

It may sometimes be useful to wash the textile backing before application to remove any unwanted finish (and more particularly softening agents) and thus to improve the absorption capacity.

The most frequent problems encountered when installing hotfix rhinestones

Here are the problems you may encounter and their solutions:

Now that you know all about using hotfix rhinestones, let's practice. Discover our wide range of hotfix stick-on rhinestones and get started! Follow our tutorial to learn how to make a pattern with rhinestones or transform a military jacket into a totally rock jacket. Simple and quick to use, give your old t-shirts a second life!