1. Open gems and pour into trays. Place all gem trays into a small shallow box to prevent knock-overs.
2. Open GEMIFLY Bedazzle Shoe Glue, securely twist precision tip onto the top.
3. GEMIFLY Bedazzle Shoe Glue works on most shoe materials including leather, canvas, nylon, neoprene, and textile, rubber and more – fusing gems to shoes at approx. 1,5000 lbs. of bonding strength. However, some shoes have an invisible protective layer covering the entire shoe. This is usually seen with kids Nikes but is also found on adult sizes as well. This pesky thin barrier will prevent gems from properly fusing to the leather. To remove protective layer, use acetone & cotton ball to wipe down the shoe extra well. This will expose the raw leather and is best for proper application.
4. Please note, acetone will easily remove paint from shoes. It is a powerful solvent and should always be used in a well-ventilated area. If you see paint coming off your shoe, stop and move to Step 5.
5. GEMIFLY Bedazzle Shoe Glue contains the purest distilled ethyl-cyanoacrylate on the market and is activated by water molecules. For this reason, it’s important to wipe down your project with a damp water cloth before beginning. You do not need to do this every time. You do not need to see the water or drench the shoe. Just one quick wipe with a damp cloth will suffice. As soon as the shoe air dries, you’re ready to start.
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6. With GEMIFLY Bedazzle Shoe Glue, the perfect glue drop is one that it covers the entire bottom of the rhinestone but does not leak on the outside of the gem. Generally, the drop of glue should be exactly half the size of the gem. Remember, with our glue, less is more.
7. Once you’ve set your gem onto the glue drop, you have approx. 15-30 seconds before it permanently fuses to the shoe. Use that time to adjust your pattern, pressing down ever so slightly.
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8. For accuracy, place your gems exactly where you want them to go before adding any glue. Then one by one, pick up each gem and administer glue drops.
9. When setting your first row of gems, always start at the bottom corner of each section.
10. Add a piece of masking tape as your guide to maintain straight lines.
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11. With your first row, it's crucial to make sure each gem is spaced-out evenly going left and right.
12. When setting the next row above, place gems directly into the center of each crevasse. The pattern is intended to be perfectly staggered, just like a honeycomb.
13. Your next row of gems will be set depending on how "open" or "spread-out" you want your pattern to look. Once you've chosen your spacing, you must stick with it or your gems will look bunched-up in some areas and a little more open in others. With GEMIFLY’s open honeycomb method, we're trying to set every gem as consistent as possible, both horizontally and vertically.
14. The trick to knowing if your lines are straight, set a few rows and twist the entire shoe 45 degrees in both directions. Be sure to inspect your pattern as you go. Having multiple points of view on the shoe will show you how straight your lines are and how well your overall pattern is looking. Adjust accordingly.
15. Each shoe will have a natural stride crease that appears when walking. You do not want to add any gems there because they will inevitably pop off. To prevent this, you want to pre-crease the shoe a little bit to show you where to work around.
16. When GEMIFLYING a gradient pattern, find the exact point where the two colors intersect. Use your smallest gems to add contrasting colors on both sides of that center point going in both directions. Place the small gems in between your straight lines. This will help blend the colors in both directions.
17. Once you've completed your project, you’re ready to clean your crystals. If your rhinestones have lost some of their brilliance, this is due to the fusing process in which a thin plume of vapor will engulf the crystals. To re-expose the shine, dip a Q-tip into some acetone and wipe down your gems. Within seconds you will see the super crystal glimmer again.
18. Last step is to use a microfiber cloth to wipe off any imperfections, leaving you with a blinding effect.
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(Bonus)
a. The tighter the pattern, the less you can see the base color of the shoe. With GEMIFLY Open honeycomb, the goal is to let the background breathe. So remember, tight pattern = more gems = less background.
b. The most important row of any gem pattern is the row you are currently working on. Even if you’ve totally messed up a row, the next row can save the pattern. Just follow Steps 10-14 each time.
c. Only you can see the end result, and only you know when it's completely finished. Remember, rushing leads to mistakes. Open honeycomb is a marathon, not a sprint. Slow and steady wins this race.
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