Want to dazzle your customers and skyrocket sales in the custom apparel game?
Adding bling—think sparkling rhinestones, shimmering spangles, and sequins—to your embroidery lineup is the low-cost, high-impact upgrade your business needs.
This DIY embellishment approach lets you create eye-catching designs on t-shirts, hoodies, and more, standing out in a sea of plain stitches.
In This Guide:
Whether you're a solo decorator or scaling an embroidery shop, we reveal:
- Sourcing Secrets: Where to get the best supplies.
- Bling Types: Differences between rhinestones, spangles, and sequins.
- Application Hacks: Step-by-step videos.
- Essential Tools: What you need to get started.
Why Add Bling to Your Business?
Why expand with bling and not something else? The answer lies in the combination of bold visual aesthetic and market demand.
Adding rhinestones, spangles, or sequins creates a visual appeal that’s hard to match with standard ink or thread. When you mix that with affordable start-up costs and high perceived value, you get a winning formula for profit.
What Is Bling? A Breakdown of Categories
Bling is a vast category. In the context of custom apparel decorating, it is split into four main sub-categories. Watch the overview below, then read the breakdown.
The 4 Types of Bling:
1. Hotfix Rhinestones
3-dimensional glass or acrylic pieces that mimic real gems. They have a heat-activated adhesive on the back. They add weight, depth, and texture you can feel.
2. Spangle Transfers
Small, flat holographic discs. They mimic the look of rhinestones but are flat and weightless (soft to the touch). Because they are punched from tape, they are very affordable.
3. Embroidered Sequins
Applied via a commercial embroidery machine attachment. They are stitched onto the fabric. Modern sequins come in plastic, metal, and even biodegradable materials.
4. Hotfix Sequin Transfers
Similar to spangles, these are pre-arranged designs on transfer tape that you press onto the garment. No embroidery machine required.
How to Source and Apply Bling
We are the #1 source for all things custom apparel. You can find over 50,000 wholesale supplies at Colman and Company.
But how does the work process look? We have prepared two video demonstrations below.
How to Apply Spangles
How to Apply Rhinestones
Equipping Your Workshop
What exactly do you need to invest in? Here is the checklist of essential gear.
The Essentials List:
- 💎 Rhinestone Setting Machine: Like the CAMS automatic setter. It places stones onto transfer paper at high speed.
- ✨ Spangle Transfer Machine: A budget-friendly alternative to stones. Punches holographic reels into designs.
- 🔥 Heat Press: Mandatory. You need consistent heat and pressure to activate the glue on the back of the bling. Shop Heat Presses here.
- 🔵 Glue Dots Applicator: Used to join spangle tapes together so you can run continuous jobs.
- 📄 Transfer Paper: The clear sticky tape that holds your design together before you press it.
- 💻 Design Software: Hotfix Era, CorelDRAW, or Illustrator to create your vector designs.
- ✂️ Tweezers & Scissors: For manual touch-ups if a stone gets out of place.
Need help? Call 877-793-3278 to chat with a pro.
Watch & Learn: More Bling Resources
Deep dive into specific techniques with these videos:
