How to use a hotfix applicator

Set up

• Pick the tip for your stones. Most kits label tips by SS size; too big a tip lets the stone slide, too small won’t seat it.
• Screw the tip on while the wand is cold, using the supplied tool. Never change a hot tip by hand.
• Put the wand in its stand and switch on. Give it a few minutes.
• Lay the garment flat on a firm, heat-safe surface. Slide card inside a T-shirt so glue can’t bond front to back.
• Pour stones face-down (glue side up) into a tray.

Applying stones

1. Press the tip straight down onto a stone; it seats in the cup.
2. Hold it a few seconds until the glue melts. You will see it turn glossy and bubble slightly at the edge.
3. Place the stone and press gently for a couple of seconds, then lift straight up.
4. If a stone lifts with the tip, it needed more heat. If glue spreads in a wide ring, it had too much.
5. Wipe glue off the tip occasionally with a damp cloth folded several times.

Small SS6 stones are fiddly. SS10 to SS20 is the comfortable range for a first project.

Big designs: transfers and a heat press

Placing hundreds of stones with a wand takes hours. For lettering and logos, crafters use a rhinestone transfer: a template with holes, stones brushed into the holes, then lifted as a group on sticky transfer tape and pressed in one go with a heat press or iron.

Transfer suppliers commonly print settings around 150–170 °C (300–340 °F) for 10–20 seconds with medium to firm pressure. The sheet that came with your transfer overrules any general figure. Let it cool before peeling the tape, then press again from the inside for a few seconds.

Washing hotfix work

• Wait about 24 hours after application.
• Turn inside out, wash cool on a gentle cycle, and skip harsh detergents and bleach.
• Air dry. High dryer heat can soften the glue again.
• Don’t iron directly over stones.

Safety

The tip is hot enough to burn skin instantly and to scorch fabric. Keep it in the stand, keep children and pets away, unplug it when you stop, and let it cool before putting it away. Some wands have an on-off switch and a shorter cool-down; see Hotfix kits: choosing a hotfix bedazzler.