Decorating Your Flip-Flops with Rhinestones

Flip-flops can be made of different materials; rubber, vinyl and polyurethane. Rubber is a better material to work with in almost all cases and we recommend you purchase footwear with rubber straps if possible before you start the gluing. This is due to the fact that its surface shine is inherent in the material and not added by placing a top coat of another, less gluable material.

In order to obtain the best adhesion from your glue, you should take a minute to prepare the straps by removing the shine from the material. This can be done easily by using a nylon scouring pad (the dark green side of a two-sided kitchen sponge). A little water on the pad and a few strokes will remove the shine. You should then remove any residue with a little isopropyl alcohol and a clean cloth; don’t use a paper towel. Let them dry.

A very popular scheme for the rhinestones on the strap is to line them up, three across. Should you use this, you will probably use 16ss rhinestones for best coverage. You can design your pattern around this scheme. If you want to use a larger stone (20ss), you may have to move to a honeycomb pattern. This looks nice as well.

Once you have decided on the scheme and pattern, apply a little adhesive and set the stones on at a time. Allow the glue to dry completely before wearing the flip-flops, to be safe, this will take about a week.