Crystal Beads - How to Get Started On Your First Design

Very beads are a great way to add luster and individuality to just about anything you own.

And what's more, it cheap and easy to get started.

From this guide you'll discover about the sort of beads you can buy, the tools you will require,

and the technique you can use to apply them.

What sort of crystal beads will you need?

Should you would to apply beads to your belongings, then the type you will need are called

'flat back'. These types of deposits have glue on the flat back side which bonds the crystal

drops to the product.

There are two types of toned back crystals.

Hot fix flat back beads feature the glue already applied and are designed to be attached to

items which may have a high burning point, such as silk cotton or jeans.

Silver foil flat back beads require you to add the glue yourself. These work better when you

wish to attach these to items with a lower shedding point, such as plastic materials or

synthetic fibers.

What else could you apply crystal beads to?

The most popular items for attaching crystals to are clothing such as t-shirts, jeans, jackets;

accessories such as shoes, devices, hats, bags, mobile phones, and finally your own nails!

In this guide we will use hot fix beads on a cotton t-shirt.

How many other tools will you need?

Warm fix stickers (you apply your beads to this, before securing it to the item you're

decorating)

Scotch tape (to maintain your design template in place)

Iron and ironing board (the heat will make the glue bond)

Teflon belts or relationship paper (to cover your design when you flat iron it

A clear goblet or plastic sheet (to protect your design while you create it)

Tweezers or pliers (to put your crystal beads in place)

Tips on how to create your first crystal bead design

1. Create your design and template

You will need to manage to bring out your design in writing, so depending on your confidence

or skill level, it's probably best to start out with something simple.

Once you've chosen your design and sketched it out on paper, use the scotch tape to secure it

to your piece of glass or plastic, making sure your design is showing before the other side.

After that, cut a piece of your hot fixer tag to cover your design template, remove the white

backing up and secure it in place on the reverse side of your glass or plastic with some scotch

tape.

2. Apply your crystals to the template

Once your template is ready you can begin applying your beads employing your tweezers. You

apply the flat back side to the hot fix tag side of your design.

3. Apply your completed design to your shirt

Once you have received your entire beads in position, take your t-shirt and put it on the

ironing board. Then peel away the whole hot fix sticker side with the crystals attached and

position it on your shirt.

Then finally, take your sheet of Teflon or bonded paper, place it over the design and iron

over it for approximately 2-3 minutes. This kind of should be sufficient time to securely

attached your design to your t-shirt (if not, just iron for another minute or two until secure).