DIY Halloween Rhinestone Patches

September 23, 2024 by Debbie Chapman

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These Halloween rhinestone patches are SO CUTE! Add some sparkle and pizzazz to your wardrobe this spooky season with a DIY rhinestone patch.

Use our free, printable templates to make jack-o-lantern, ghost, and bat iron on rhinestone patches! These sparkly patches glimmer and dazzle with every catch of the light, and they’re really easy and fun to make!

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Personalize your outfit or Halloween costume with these shining Halloween rhinestone patches. These DIY Halloween rhinestones are a little bit spooky with a whole lot of cute and a touch of glam -- and you can customize the colour palette to your liking!

Author: Debbie Chapman

Materials:

Free Printable Halloween Rhinestones Template
Iron-on patch
Rhinestone glue
Orange rhinestones
Black rhinestones
Brown rhinestones
Green rhinestones

Equipment:

Check Out The Video Tutorial:

Looking for more Halloween crafts? Here's a few of our favourites:

Pumpkin String Art

DIY Concrete Pumpkins

Instructions:

Step 1: Find what you need

Gather your supplies and materials.

Step 2: Add the first rhinestones

Add small dots of glue to the iron-on patch where you'd like the bottom row of rhinestones to sit.
We recommend using a precision tip on your glue, or applying the glue with a dotting tool or toothpick.
Pick up an orange rhinestone with a wax pencil or other rhinestone picking tool.
Place the first rhinestone into a dot of glue.
Repeat, adding the next 3 rhinestones that make up the first half of the first row.
We'll place the rest of the bottom row later.

Step 3: Continue adding rhinestones

Add the second row of rhinestones above the first, nestling each rhinestone between the ones from the first row.
You may want to use a ruler or another straight edge to keep the line of rhinestones straight.
Now you can go back and add the second half of the first row.
The complete second row above will help you find the proper spacing for these rhinestones.
Continue following the template, working your way up. Switch to black rhinestones for the jack-o-lantern's mouth.
Add more rhinestones according to the pattern, finishing the mouth and continuing with solid orange rows.
Place more black rhinestones for the triangle eyes, adding orange rhinestones around them.
Remember to keep straightening the rows and nestling the rhinestones close together.

Step 4: Add the stem and leaf

Fill in the rest of the orange pumpkin and then use brown rhinestones to form the stem.
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Follow the pattern so that the stem leans to the right.
Add green rhinestones to the left of the stem, forming the leaf.
Then allow the glue to dry for at least an hour. Follow your specific glue's instructions for dry and cure time.

Step 5: Cut out and iron on the patch

Cut around the patch shape, as close to the rhinestone design as possible.
Fine pointed detail scissors will make it easy to get into all the corners and curves, limiting how much of the patch is showing around the stones.
Your Halloween rhinestone patch is complete!
Now you can iron the patch onto a tote bag, denim jacket, or wherever you'd like to display it.
To do this, first arrange the patch in place where you'd like it to sit. Here we put our jack-o-lantern patch onto the center of a black pencil case.
Cover the patch with a piece of parchment paper.
Set your iron to medium heat, no steam. Place the iron over the patch and apply continuous pressure for at least 30 seconds or until it's set in place.
(If you can turn your item inside out or work from the back, this is recommended. This means more direct heat will reach the part of the patch that needs it.)
Your bag with Halloween rhinestones is complete!

Helpful Tips:

Use a small dot of glue only for each rhinestone. If you add too much glue it’ll seep out, dulling the rhinestone finish and making the fabric patch stiff.
You can adjust the rhinestones when they’re first added to the patch. Craft tweezers make this really easy to do.

Get our free printable Halloween rhinestones template:

The link and picture below will take you to our free, printable Halloween rhinestones template! The PDF file will open in a new window. Then simply print the pattern on 8.5 x 11 (letter size) printer paper.

>>> Halloween Rhinestones Pattern <<<

Do I need an iron-on patch to make Halloween rhinestone patches?

No, you can also glue your rhinestones to a piece of felt or another sturdy fabric, like canvas. Then use fusible interfacing to iron the patch on your bag or coat.

If you don’t want to iron the patch on permanently you can also sew it on using a running stitch.

What glue is best for making Halloween rhinestone patches?

We used B7000 glue to make our patch, which is a glue similar to E6000. It’s an all-purpose adhesive that’s self-leveling and flexible, and it creates a strong bond on fabric.

But Gem-Tac and Liquid Fusion are other great options. Gem-Tac is specifically made for rhinestones and gems, and both of these adhesives are fast drying, UV resistant, and low odor.

What size Halloween rhinestone patches do these patterns make?

If you use the same size rhinestones as we did (ss12) the patches should end up the following sizes:

Jack-o-lantern Pumpkin: 2-3/8 inches tall by 2-3/8 inches wide
Ghost: 2-1/8 inches tall by 1-7/8 wide
Bat: 1-3/4 inches tall by 3-1/2 inches wide

What type of rhinestones are best for making Halloween rhinestones patches?

We used flat-back glass rhinestones in ss12 size (3mm). Glass and crystal rhinestones are the best options, since the heat of the iron won’t affect them.

You can also use hot-fix rhinestones on your rhinestone patch. This type of rhinestone comes with adhesive on the back. They get fused onto the fabric with heat, using a special tool.

We generally prefer using flat-back rhinestones, because they can be adjusted for a short period before the glue dries. Hot-fix rhinestones can’t be moved at all once they’re fixed in place.

Create your own iron-on rhinestone patches and add them to a pencil case, makeup bag, tote bag, hat, or jacket.You only need a few simple supplies to make this rhinestone craft, and these dazzling homemade accessories will definitely take your Halloween style to the next level!

Here’s even more rhinestone craft ideas:

American Flag Rhinestone Patch

Rhinestone Headband

How to Make Rhinestone Earrings

Our bookLow-Mess Crafts for Kids is loaded with 72 fun and simple craft ideas for kids! The projects are fun, easy and most importantly low-mess, so the clean up is simple!