05/18/2020
Steps for making your own helmet (and any other customized blinged item):
In my experience, the best way to go is to:
1) determine your budget
2) get the right helmet, and know that the more you put on, the heavier it will be
3) determine your design, including color scheme
4) order your crystals (compare online prices) I prefer SS 20 as the main size, but have gone down as small as SS 4 and as large as they come. *Don't be afraid to try different shapes, too--Swarovski makes all sorts of different shaped crystals and cabachons.**
5) gather other necessities
a) chopsticks
b) dental wax
c) e-6000 (smaller jobs, you can get a small tube, but for larger jobs, I recommend the caulking-gun size)
d) craft syringes (you'll need a bunch)
e) colored sharpie (metallic for black helmets, colored for light helmets)
f) divided trays (e.g. the trays made for watercolor painting)
Steps:
1) draw your design onto the helmet with the appropriate sharpie
2) put the stones into the trays, divided by color and size, mostly face-up
3) put e-6000 into the craft syringe, securely and tightly close the e-6000 tube
4) put a blob of dental wax onto the end of a chop stick, use your fingers to roll it into a point (looking a bit like a pencil)
5) place a small line of e-6000 onto a line of your design (no more than 4-5 stones' worth in length, width should be less than 1 mm for SS20 and smaller)
6) using the wax, pick up a stone and place it onto the glue, repeat along the line. Extend the line bit by bit.
7) e-6000 dries very quickly. You have to move quickly. Once cured, the stones are secure (I have dropped mine, and while the stones may crack, they always stay on. I have my entire motorcycle covered, my car emblems, and do my cars' license plates and license plate frames with no problems. I also have no issues with the stones coming off of my jackets.)
Note: you can nest the stones, which gives a MUCH nicer look, but will definitely bump your price up by as much as 20%.
Voila!