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Last week I showed you how to make wire & rhinestone appliques which I call the grape vine appliques. In the DIY, I glued rhinestones using E6000 glue.
Gluing on rhinestones is a quick way of decorating costumes, but glue like E6000 is thick, and it can get messy.
So in this video, you’ll see a tool that makes your life easier when you glue on rhinestones. Let’s get started!
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So the tool I use is a glue syringe (or glue applicator syringe). I got this package from Dreamtime Creations. You can find this product here or here’s a less expensive alternative (affiliate).
This package is great for beginners. It contains 5 glue syringes, and 15 applicator tips in 3 different sizes.
You can use these syringes for both E6000 and Gem-Tac, and they are both great for gluing rhinestones onto fabric 🙂
How to fill up the glue syringe
So first, take a syringe, pull out the plunger and screw on a tip. For thick glue like E6000, use the medium size or large size tip. If you use thinner glue like gem-tac, you can use the small tips.
Hold the syringe parallel to the floor, and insert the tip of the glue and squeeze out as much glue as you need for your project.
Close the cap for your glue quickly.
Take the plunger, and insert the tip.
Now hold the syringe vertically, so that the glue falls to the bottom and air goes up. This way you don’t have to deal with air bubbles while working on your project.
Once the glue has come down, slowly push the plunger up until the glue reaches the tip.
How to use the glue syringe
Hold the syringe nice and sturdy like this, so your thumb is free to push the plunger.
Slowly push the plunger, and you can make small dots of glue on your project.
E6000 is thick and tends to leave strings of glue behind, so it helps to push in the syringe to the fabric surface before you lift it off.
To pause, pull the plunger back a little, so it stops oozing out.
Then simply place your rhinestones (affiliate). This wax stick came with my Dreamtime Creations glue syringe package. It makes it easy to pick up rhinestones.
You can refill the syringe by taking the plunge out a couple of times without making too much of a mess, if you do it carefully.
How to store the glue syringe
If you have some glue left in the syringe, remove air from the syringe, insert a push pin like this into the tip, and put it in a ziploc. You should still be able to use the glue for another day or a couple more days.
But the glue does dry up after a while, and by that point the syringe is not usable anymore, so it’s better to just use as much glue as you need.
Where to buy glue syringes
I wasn’t able to find them at craft stores like Michael’s, but you can find them on Amazon (this one (affiliate) comes with caps for storage!), or I bought mine from Dreamtime Creations.
The Dreamtime Creations package also comes with 2 wax sticks to pick up rhinestones. 🙂
Hope you find this useful, and if you want to learn more about costume making tools and DIY ideas, join me in my free email course, Belly Dance Costume Making 101.
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Thanks for reading, and keep sparkling! 😀
P.S. Pin this picture to refer to it later 😉
Want to make more costuming bits yourself?
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