# How can I display my rhinestone designs without making a sample shirt?



## silverbolt (Aug 11, 2005)

Hello and Happy New Year to Everyone!
I often have new rhinestone designs. Some are a "hit" and some don't sell. I wanted to ask those of you who have been making and selling rhinestones for some time, how could I display my designs to the customers without making and wasting a t-shirt? For example, I put 10 designs on t-shirts for Christmas, and not one sold. I will save them in a Space Bag until next year, but I still wasted the money on making the shirts. If I knew how to probably display my designs, I could cut my costs. I mostly sell on Ebay and other craft sites. 
Thanks for the help!
Desiree AKA Silverbolt


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## jean518 (Sep 23, 2009)

I use black interfacing from the fabric store. The kind of papery kind not the knit interfacing. I tried felt but did not like it. Black cutaway embroidery stabilizer works also.


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## Corel Whisperer (Sep 1, 2010)

You could go to the fabric store and get T shirt material and back them up on foamboard. However if you don't want to waste the stones you could try laying them out of a shirt and take a photo before it is applied, print the photos and put them in a book. Some Customers may still want to see them on fabric. Hope this helps.
CW


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## Eview1 (Apr 29, 2010)

There are T-shirts available online that you can put your designs on if you do a simple search for, T-Shirt Mock Ups. You could also go to the company that you will be purchasing your shirts from and ask them they may be able to help. Splathead posted a tutorial found here if you wish to make one: Jimiyo Tshirt Template Tutorial- WatchTeeV


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## dan-ann (Oct 25, 2007)

Awesome suggestion- I have heavy duty black cutaway by the tons

Thanks


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## charles95405 (Feb 1, 2007)

Or if you want...draw a black (or any color) square around the rhinestones...send the square to the back and choose a rhinestone that look like stones...and just show the simulated image


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## Kim_t2_au (May 24, 2010)

Hi

I buy black t-shirt fabric which I then cut into 2cm squares. I apply all my designs to individual squares. When I attend an event I can then have a couple of racks that I put a large piece of fabric on and then I attach the squares for the deisgns I want to display. I get to test my designs, show the designs most appropriate for an event and don't end up paying a fortune in wasted shirts.

Kim


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## SandyMcC (Jul 23, 2009)

You can also heat press rhinestones to cardstock... I've been doing that to make greeting cards to send to friends and family. The craft stores, like Michael's and Joann's, sell packs of black cardstock in both 8.5" x 11" and 12" x 12".


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## CyberSultan (Aug 25, 2008)

jean518 said:


> Black cutaway embroidery stabilizer works also.


I have used both black and white Cutaway to display rhinestone designs and the material works great.

For those interested, here is where I happened to order mine from (available in pre-cut squares or rolls):

Embroidery Cutaway Backing


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## dan-ann (Oct 25, 2007)

Card stock would be better then embroidery backing as it is firmer and would store better
Thanks


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## SandyMcC (Jul 23, 2009)

You could also buy those clear 3-hole page protectors (sold at Office Max or Staples) and slide the cardstock samples into those for storage. That's how I protect a lot of my various cutting samples that I take to retreats to display.


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## silverbolt (Aug 11, 2005)

that is a great idea Kim! How do you attach the designs? Do you pin the rhinestone transfer on the display board or another way?


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## jean518 (Sep 23, 2009)

All suggestions are good. Just do the one that works best for you. I tried using a trifold display and found it cumbersome and did not want to stay in place. If you are near a door that opens it can be a pain. What seemed to work the best for me at a show setting is having them on the black stabilizer or interfacing and pinned or clipped to a vertical display that was very stable. My designs are where they could see them without having to sit and look through a book where only one or two people can look at a time. The book idea is great for storage and when doing a presentation to a small group. I make a few shirts for sale of my mainstays that are always good sellers. If I am introducing a new design, I will put it on a shirt and take orders. You never know what color will appeal. I had a Christmas design that I though looked great on off white. I had two orders that wanted it on dark green. Go figure. I make my one of samples on items that are my size so that I can get use out of them. Makes sales also that way.


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## charles95405 (Feb 1, 2007)

Here is a jpg showing an example of what I do to send a customer a representation of their design...Just put the rhinestone design on top of a square of the color of the shirt involved..in this case ..clear stones on black shirt


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## Leg cramps (Feb 9, 2009)

I like to have a shirt with each of my designs on it.
If you get a vendor spot at an event and you have enough space bring 2 racks,one for that event that you think will sell and one to display your other work,which they can purchase from your website.


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## My Shirt Connect (Jan 24, 2010)

We end up in situations where the shirt sizing varies dramatically from Brand to Brand. At large events or when our customers are ordering off our order forms, we want to make sure they order the right size. Some Schools, Events, etc. might prefer Bella 8701's while others prefer to go with Anvil 978's. This requires us to have one of each size in each brand on hand. 

We use these shirts to display our other designs. This kills two birds with one stone since we need them on hand anyway (for sizing) and why not promote our other designs at the same time 

This also helps when you ask a customer which type of shirt would they like their designs placed on and they say "I don't know". Then we grab an Anvil, Bella, Gildan, Next Level, Kavio, ect, etc, and each of them have other designs already on them. Holiday designs are perfect for this and we've ended up with additional sales by doing it this way. Especially when a shirt is worn to a large holiday event and the person shares who we are and what we do 

Anyway, if you have shirts on hand for sizing, why not use them for your designs too


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## DivineBling (Sep 14, 2010)

If I'm actually showing the shirts themselves, I put them on different sizes, colors, and styles so people can see the versatility. If I'm putting them on kids' clothes, I put them on shirts in my daughter's size so she can wear them! LOL

If I'm showing them online, I do what Charles does and put a black box around them. I use WinPCSIGN and I just discovered how to make each circle look like a rhinestone and add a few sparkles onto the picture.
Then you can print them out and put them in a binder to display.
That's what I do most of the time because I don't want to waste money using up shirts that I might not sell.


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## Leg cramps (Feb 9, 2009)

I had brought a rack for blank garments and sizes that I had in stock for customers to choose from in the past to shows.I agree with MSC about having your different labels and sizes right there!I am to the point where i need to rent 2 spots for my racks becuase you want people to be able to walk around them and have room to browse.


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## VinylHanger (Jul 16, 2010)

I don't do rhinestones, but I have found that it is actually cheaper to cut up a shirt as a sampler than it is to buy t-shirt material from the fabric store. 8 dollars a yard at the fabric store compared to 1-3 bucks for a shirt, and I get the actual color/material/brand I am going to use. I usually print samples on full shirts anyway. But if someone wants to see how a color looks as a chest logo or some such thing, then a sampler is in order. 

A shirt is just a piece of cloth until you prep it to be sold. Of course for me, it occasionally becomes a rag after I prep it to be sold.


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## Kim_t2_au (May 24, 2010)

silverbolt said:


> that is a great idea Kim! How do you attach the designs? Do you pin the rhinestone transfer on the display board or another way?


 
Hi Desiree

Originally I started by attaching velcro to the fabric that goes over the racks and the other half of the velcro to the design samples. I thought this would be good as i could simply change the display at any time, but, sighhhhh, I cut the velcro too small and the samples just kept falling off. As an emergency stop gap I used pins to pin the samples to the fabric. I decided to use press studs instead as they are pretty reliable. However,    three shows later I still haven't got around to sewing the press studs on yet. Oh well, can't rush these things you know

Kim


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## allhamps (Mar 15, 2007)

Some really nice ideas here. I think I am pretty much doing things along the line that Sandy is using. If I am sending a customer a proof or pricing sheet electronically, I put the design on a black background, or the color they indicate they will be using, add some sparkle in PSP, and send as a .jpg. I have pictures of ALL my designs in this manner, and have compiled a catalog that I take around with me. If I want to have an actual sample of a design, then I press to cardstock, place in a plastic sleeve holder and clip in a large three ring binder.

Oh, by the way, yes Sandy, rhinestones make WONDERFUL cards, and specialty gift bag designs


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## diana13t (Mar 11, 2009)

CyberSultan said:


> I have used both black and white Cutaway to display rhinestone designs and the material works great.
> 
> For those interested, here is where I happened to order mine from (available in pre-cut squares or rolls):
> 
> Embroidery Cutaway Backing


do you use the heavyweight?


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## CyberSultan (Aug 25, 2008)

I use the heavy weight (3.0 oz), which is not much more in price than the medium weight (2.5 oz). What you might want to do before purchasing is to see if you can be sent a sample of each weight...so that you can decide what works best for you.


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## Monte Carlo (Jul 11, 2006)

I went to the lumber yard and bought 4, 4x8 sheets of R board ( It is a 3/4 inch thick foam board used for insulation for new home construction ). Then I went to walmart and bought black felt material and used spray adhesive on one side and wrapped it around the back side about an inch. I then screwed them to the wall using fender washers with the screws. I have 4 sheets in our store on one wall and they work great, cost was about 12.00 per sheet finished.


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## dan-ann (Oct 25, 2007)

I don't have photo shop but have paint shop can you ad a little sparkle with paint shop - if so how?


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## silverbolt (Aug 11, 2005)

VinylHanger said:


> I don't do rhinestones, but I have found that it is actually cheaper to cut up a shirt as a sampler than it is to buy t-shirt material from the fabric store. 8 dollars a yard at the fabric store compared to 1-3 bucks for a shirt, and I get the actual color/material/brand I am going to use. I usually print samples on full shirts anyway. But if someone wants to see how a color looks as a chest logo or some such thing, then a sampler is in order.
> 
> A shirt is just a piece of cloth until you prep it to be sold. Of course for me, it occasionally becomes a rag after I prep it to be sold.



I think this is a great idea. Is it best to press several on a shirt first and then cut the squares out or cut the shirt apart first and then press each square individually? Thanks for your great idea.


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## DivineBling (Sep 14, 2010)

I think it would be easiest to press the whole shirt first and then cut the squares out. If they're just squares when you're pressing, they have a better chance of moving around and the stones shifting. That's just my 2 cents.


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## angelrob6 (Mar 11, 2012)

WOW, I didn't know that. I think I will use that.


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