How to Replace Stones on Pageant Dresses
As you know, glitz pageant dresses are often covered with Swarovski rhinestones. In fact, a high glitz pageant dress might be embellished with hundreds of rhinestones. Unfortunately, sometimes the rhinestones fall off a dress. Just handling the dress, even when you do so gently, can sometimes cause the rhinestones to loosen and eventually come off.
Most rhinestones on pageant dresses are affixed to the dresses with some type of glue. With some dresses, pre-glued stones or “hot-fixed” stones are used. With these stones, you won’t need to apply glue. To be honest, I’ve never used this type of stones.
I’ve always used loose stones that have no glue attached, so I have to apply the glue to the rhinestones myself. From my experience, the best glue for attaching rhinestones to pageant dresses is E6000. You can find this glue at craft shops, online, and even at most Walmart stores.
When you notice that your pageant dress is missing some stones, lay the bodice out flat so that you can see where the stones need to be replaced. Use a toothpick to place a small amount of glue on the stone or on the dress. I prefer adding glue to the dress instead of to the stone, but use the method that you’re the most comfortable with. Place the stone on the dress and press firmly. Allow the glue to dry for several hours before handling the dress.