Thread: Blinging for beginners

I'm going to order myself a velvet dance bra from L. Rose and bling it up! I'd like to add some crystals. What do you all think would be the easiest method to fasten them on, for someone who's never done this before? Hot fix? Flat backs with glue? Sew-on? I don't want to mess it up and ruin the bra! Chances are I'll be keeping it fairly simple in terms of design: the centerpiece of the whole thing is going to be a sort of button or brooch thing that my grandmother gave me, a red glass cabochon surrounded by crystals. I'll be putting that right in the center near the bottom, and I don't want the rest of the decoration to overwhelm it.

If you have the time, you will definitely want to sew on crystals. It is just a better method of decorating. BECAUSE-at a later time, you may want to completely re-do your design idea and if it is a decent enough costume base, if you have sewn things on, you can re-arrange, add too, or change completely. However, if you have glued, then you are pretty much stuck with what you have done. (sorry, bad pun!)

Another option is if you find or make a bunch of brooches, you can pin things on which gives you even more flexibility.

Happy Blinging!

Good point, Jamielynn! Thanks.

I've done that with an LRose bra and I sewed beads to it. You have to start and stop frequently to keep stretch in the fabric. Meaning you have to cut the thread a lot.

I'm not going to be doing any heavy beading. I was thinking of just a sprinkling of crystals here and there.

what a great idea. make sure to post pics of your progress.

Sorry, dumb question... when sewing the beads on do you push the needle all the way through to the inside of the cup? I'm just thinking it might get really uncomfortable having hundreds of thread loops against my skin.

Originally Posted by ihavelonghair

Sorry, dumb question... when sewing the beads on do you push the needle all the way through to the inside of the cup? I'm just thinking it might get really uncomfortable having hundreds of thread loops against my skin.

Yes, push it all the way through. When you are done decorating, sew in a liner... it can be any color or fabric, but cotton and muslin type fabrics work best and are comfortable.

You can get a bunch of smaller broaches and pieces at a craft store like michaels or hobby lobby. Those are usually easy to sew or pin on and add a lot of interest.