How To Use Hot Fix Beads

One good way to earn extra money is to learn how to personalize shirts, jackets, caps, and bags using hot fix beads. The process is easy while the materials are affordable. It only requires some creativity and patience to come up with products of unique designs, says Justine Brillantes, beaded bags and shirts lecturer at the Businessmaker Academy.

Beaded shirts are good as gifts, sold at bazaars, or just added to your wardrobe. To get buyers, be your shirt’s walking advertisement. The shirts may be sold from P250 to P850 each depending on the shirts’ quality and design.

Apart from shirts, the same method can be used to accessorize jackets, jeans, bags, scarves, shoes, gowns, and other garments. Make original designs and sell them as do-it-yourself iron-on transfers.

Materials needed:
* hot fix beads, which are usually sold in small packs (these can either be the generic type that cost P.50 to P2 apiece depending on the size, or Swarovski crystals at P2 to P4 each)
* hot fix stickers at (P55 per yard)
* T-shirt (P50);
* scotch tape
* design patterns from books, magazines, or booklets.
* clear glass, acetate or plastic (about 4 by 5 inches)
* flat iron and ironing board
* Teflon sheet or bond paper
* tweezers or pliers

Procedure:
Step 1: Choose a design, which can be a drawing or a cutout on a piece of paper, and attach it using a scotch tape, under a clear glass, acetate or plastic sheet.

Step 2: Cut a piece of hot fix transfer sticker that’s big enough to cover the design. Remove its white backing and attach it to the glass with the sticky side up. Tape the glass onto the table to keep it in place.

Step 3: Trace the design by putting hot fix beads onto the sticker using tweezers or pliers. Beads must be placed face down, so the shiny part is the one attached to the adhesive of the hot fix sticker. It may take from a few minutes to an hour to finish one job depending on the design’s complexity.

Step 4: When done with the whole design, carefully remove the hot fix sticker from the glass.

Step 5: place it on the shirt where you want the design to appear. To place it on the center, fold the shirt in half and mark the upper middle portion.

Step 6: Cover it with a piece of Teflon sheet or bond paper. Place the shirt on the ironing board. Put the iron to maximum heat before applying it onto the bond paper that covers the hot fix transfer sticker. Iron continuously from two to three minutes, and then let the sticker and shirt cool. Check if the hot fix beads have been transferred to the shirt by lifting the edge of the sticker. If not, iron for two to three more minutes until all the beads have attached to the shirt.

Step 7: Once all the hot fix beads are transferred, let the sticker and shirt cool, then slowly remove the sticker, taking care not to pull out the beads. Your shirt is now ready to be displayed and sold.

TIPS:
1. Check if the fabric can withstand high temperature by doing a dry run on an inconspicuous part of the shirt. Hot fix beads contain an adhesive that melts when heat is applied to it.
2. Re-use hot fix stickers. If they still have adhesive even after ironing, reattach the white backing and preserve them for the next project.
3. Be creative, and always mix and match. Beads come in different sizes and quality.
4. Let the shirt cool after ironing. This will prevent the beads from being stuck on the hot fix sticker when checking to see if the design has been transferred properly.

WHERE TO TRAIN:
Seminars on beaded shirt designs are incorporated in the beaded bags and shirts, beaded jewelry making, and bead sculpture courses offered by the Businessmaker Academy. To inquire, call (02) 687-4445, (02) 687-4645, or (02) 687-3416 or log on to the academy’s website: www.businessmaker-academy.com.

Source: By Millet M. Enriquez- entrepreneur.com.ph

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