DIY Jewelled Sweatshirt

A while ago I became obsessed with rhinestones. Not the cheap plasticy ones they're always using on clothing at department stores but the real, sparkly, jewellery quality rhinestones. I looked at a few craft stores in KL and PJ but in the end I purchased mine from China via Ali Express. The price was not so much different than purchasing the acrylic ones here (sometimes cheaper compared to stores selling them in packets of 5 or 6) but the quality was so much better. 

Here is an easy DIY to bejewel (be-rhinestone?) your sweatshirt with rhinestones that look 100x more expensive than those you'll find in a mid-range store.

You'll need:

A sweatshirt (I bought mine from H&M for RM49.90)

Rhinestones of different shapes/sizes preferably 

Needle and Thread

Scissors 

Fabric Chalk (optional - you can just wing it)

First lemme show you the stones up close. This photo doesn't really do it justice, but can you see how the light catches it at different angles? At night if you move them around slowly they refract light almost like a disco ball. I'm not an expert on rhinestones but looking at these, I feel certain that they are not acrylic. The acrylic ones in the store are much less shiny and they usually have scratches on them that can add to the dull look. Blegh!

When searching for these on Ali Express, I specifically looked for crystal rhinestones (not acrylic or glass) and I wanted them set in this way with the claws so I looked for sew on and claw setting. In the end I paid something like RM65* for 200 rhinestones including shipping. 

The first step is to spend some time marvelling at your beautiful stones and arrange (and rearrange and rerearrange) them onto your sweatshirt. When you're satisfied with the design then mark some guides with the chalk. Another way to do this is to stick them down with some fabric glue before sewing but I didn't.

The next step is just to hand sew them on one by one. This can be a tedious process. I sew them on individually instead of stringing them all on one thread to avoid puckering and minimise the risk of losing rhinestones.

In the photo above, I'm just showing you how the needle goes through the little holes in the claw setting. You would of course normally sew from the wrong side of the garment up.

Done! You can barely see the white thread.

If you want to order these same rhinestones, follow the links below. The store name is Yiwu XinZun Crystal Accessories on Ali Express.

Mixed Colours Rectangle Crystal: 
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/100pcs-lot-6x8mm-Mix-Color-Crystal-Rhinestones-Rectangular-Octagon-Glass-With-Metal-Claw-Settings-Sewing-On/1591561772.html

Clear Coloured Oval Crystal: 
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Wholesale-5x10mm100pcs-lot-Flatback-Clear-Marquise-Crystal-Diamond-With-Metal-Claws-Settings-4-Holes-Sew-On/1811471669.html