Sparkly dance costumes look fantastic on stage! But it’s not so fantastic when you start noticing glitter anywhere and everywhere the costume has been.
If your dancer has a particularly sparkly dance costume for recital or competition, how can you keep that glitter where it belongs: on the costume? Check out this quick solution to keep glitter on the costume, plus some general costume care tips to help the costume last.
Hairspray
Hairspray is the key for a quick fix to your glitter problems!
First, take your project supplies outside, to a well-ventilated area.
Take the costume in question, and lay it out as flat as possible. Spray a generous amount of hairspray onto every glittery portion of the costume. If the costume has multiple layers or ruffles, make sure to get each one, but also make sure to let each portion dry completely before you touch it.
Ta-da! Your dance costume should now have a good hold on all that glitter.
That being said, hairspray only provides a temporary solution, and over time (and after washing) the glitter will start to fall off again. That could mean another round of spraying, depending on how frequently the costume is worn.
Another thing to note: hairspray (or any other kind of spray adhesive trick) will probably cause some stiffening of the fabric. For a quick fix, it’s probably worth it! But a better option is to try to care for the costume as much as possible to keep that glitter on as long as possible.
Caring for your Dance Costume
Some dance costumes are more fragile than others, and sparkly dance costumes are tricky to keep in great shape in the long-term. A few tips for taking great care of your costume:
- Hand-wash when possible, in cold or lukewarm water. Hand-washing is gentler on clothes in general, and can help to keep glitter on instead of letting it tumble around a washer/dryer
- Speaking of drying, make sure to air dry costumes with glitter on them! Less movement and friction means more glitter on the costume
- Have a separate garment bag or area where the costume won’t be constantly brushing up against other articles of clothing. Less friction will help keep glitter on the costume, AND it’ll keep glitter from getting on other clothes!
Replacing Lost Glitter with Rhinestones
Is the glitter on your costume diminished to where you’re looking for more advanced solutions? Rhinestones and rhinestone patterns can make a costume pop, and can be a more permanent fix for a sparkly dance costume that has really started to lose its sparkle.
If you need some help or inspiration for a new rhinesteon design, be sure to check out our article on How to Add Rhinestones Designs to Dance Costumes in the TutuTix blog.
