Please help me gem dd dance costume

[DanceMumTaxi]

Hi everyone, dance costumes are becoming increasingly expensive so I’ve bought a second hand branded costume and I’m planning to add gems/rhinestones to it. Dd has had this costume before in a smaller size that was previously gemmed by a costume maker, but this isn’t possible at the moment. I’ve watched a few you tube tutorials and I think I can do it - the fabric is very forgiving. I just need some help with which glue to use (costume will need to be hand washed occasionally) and where to buy the gems. I need Ab crystals, Ab sapphire crystals and sapphire half beads. Any advice would be great please, thank you.

Eimass. Both for stones and glue although not the cheapest. Buy the smaller glue tubes because they clag up. You’ll never get through a big one - awkward to hold too.

and get one of those gem pens with the wax replaceable nibs.

its Dead easy - you’ll be fine.

Ps - put the costume inside out in a pillowcase on a hand wash with no fabric softener and only a bit of detergent and you can wash it.

Thanks very much, I’ll have a look now. Yes, I’ve seen those pens on Amazon so I’ll definitely get one of those.

If you are not selling or giving the smaller outfit away could you cut it and add the gems to the new outfit in panels and only gem the missing sections?

It’s pretty old now and some of the gems have lost their lustre. It was 3rd hand when we got it. So I think new gems will be better. I don’t mind giving it a go. I’m hoping that I can get good at it because I’ve got years of dance costumes ahead of me. It’s at least £250/300 for a custom made solo costume now, which I can’t afford all the time. My aim is to only buy the custom ones when I really need to and try and jazz up some cheaper ones myself when I can get away with it. Wish I was good at sewing, but I’m awful so won’t be able to make my own from scratch.