Thread: Color peeling from Pharaonics plastic beads - what's the fix?

I notice the paint peeling from plastic beads on one of my Pharaonics of Egypt costumes. Is it best to leave it alone or does the repainting with nailpolish work? If you did repaint with nailpolish, wouldn't you need to do all the beads so that everything would match perfectly? Thanks for any ideas!

I don't think the polish would need to match perfectly. I think if you did a few in a different shade than the original bead, it would give some nice depth and dimension to the texture of the costume.

Thanks Summer - you are absolutely right! I usually can think further than that - must be this damn walking pneumonia that's had me down for a good month now.

Have you ever tried it? If so, does it work and stay on well?

I haven't tried it, sorry :-( I bet it would look great, though, and it's a really quick, cheap fix for those beads (as opposed to restringing the whole strand after replacing a bead)!

Okay, I've got three costumes with those peeling beads. Maybe four. Nail polish doesn't work as a fix - it continues to flake off. I even tried sanding the beads before painting them to help the polish stick, but no dice.

The best fix I've found so far is to peel all the color off of all the beads, and then color them back in with permanent marker in a color close to the original color. That seems to hold up best. It's not a great fix, but I haven't found anything better!

ok..this is gonna sound white trash weird..but here is what I did. The flaking beads were the plastic bottom gold beads on both the bra and belt. I took them outside and put the belt on newspaper on a concrete slab. I arranged it so that the beads were all poking out from under another piece of newspaper and then used masking tape to secure things firmly into position. Using a bright (brass) spray paint specifically designed to bond with plastic on a molecular level, I went at it. Once one side of the beads were completley dry, I turned the belt over and did the other side. No flaking - at all! The rubbed portion on a bead that does not fly about, I have used fingernail polish..and a topcoat to keep it shinny and seal it.

Wow, Thanks. Interesting solutions. The beads on my costume are interspersed on the bra and belt just here and there so the spray idea wouldn't work for this job but I'll remember it for the future. I do remember way back when I made my first costume I hung the fringe outside prior to attaching it to the costume and sprayed it with clear spray to protect it - similar idea. I suppose as another solution I could always remove the beads and replace with something new also.

My teal Great Loop has this problem with the plastic beads on the bra and belt (and was already like that when I bought it!!!) Has anyone tried a paint pen? Wonder if I could find one in a metallic teal . . .

I've also been wondering if model paint might work - like the kind you buy at Games Workshop to paint the little metal Warhammer pieces.

Maybe what needs to happen is a critical mass of complaining to Pharaonics to stop using these painted plastic beads and find something else. Their costumes are otherwise very well made. The bedlah especially could probably last 20 yrs, outside of the plastic beads. I also have several Pharaonics costume pieces with this problem, including my great loop.

Sedonia

You can spray the spray paint into a cup till it starts to pool and then apply to the fixed beads with a small paint brush.

If you want to use model paint make sure you get the paint for plastic and not for the lead figurines. I bet this would work, though I have never tried it.

Lots of ideas - thanks all!

Didnt read all the posts so forgive me if I have said this already, but what about the small bottles of enamle used for modle cars, I know you can get it in a variety of colors at michales and you can get a REALLY nice fine art tiny paint brush from there and use that too.....

Hey, I just spent several hours last weekend painting beads with gold enamel paint!
I scored a beautiful Madame Abla from a dancer on Tribe - it was dirt cheap cos loads of the beads (and it is completely covered) had peeled off their paint. Other than that it was a gorgeous and sturdy costume...well it's gorgeous again! The paint went on a treat with a small brush, dried really quickly and was really cheap. It looks great, very shiny. Only time will tell if it stays on, but so far so good! I have used nail varnish in the past too and that's great for a quick fix for just a few beads, but I found the enamel better to use...

C x

Ukcassi - is the enamel paint you used for crafting or models as Annwyn mentioned? I may try it.

Oooh! This will be great to know I have a very flaked off gold costume. Can't wait to hear what kind of enamel paint you used.

This is great advice, I will look for the model paint next month.
I have 1 pharaonics with that problem and another Halah also.
I was so dissapointed that those plastic beads were used for a costumes for which i paid mucho $$ , they started peeling just from the beader working on the costume so it is the first thing i noticed when i opened the box.

Swarovski makes pearls i guess those wouldnt peel off. Next time i order a really expensive costume I will be sure to specify not to use those plastic beads. I didnt mind that when it happened to a hip scarf , but to a high end costume If Pharaonics gets enough complaints they might change the beads.

so i will add this to my to do list for 2008 , find the right model paint for my 2 costumes.

Hi guys,

It was this...

Decorative spray paints from Plasti-kote, the market leading spray paint

Available in lots of colours apparently...I bought it in a local hardware shop for £3 (about $6). I think it's available in the US too...check out Welcome to Plasti-Kote...
I think it's this in the US:
OddBrush*Product Features

I'll report back later and let you all know how it works out...

C x

Originally Posted by ssipes

Maybe what needs to happen is a critical mass of complaining to Pharaonics to stop using these painted plastic beads and find something else.
Sedonia

seriously! especially in light of the recent retail price increase.
i would like to have a mass petition to all high end designers to stop using plastic beads that peel and specialty treated lycra that turns black from sweat.
imo: both are unacceptable especially considering these high end costume prices.