How to Put Glitter on a Dress

Using Spray Glitter

Purchase a glitter spray paint for fabric at your local craft store. Pick out a glitter spray in the color you’d like to use on your dress. Check that the spray is designed specifically for fabric so it won’t wash off when you wash your clothes. Glitter fabric spray comes in lots of different colors and is sprayed on just like a mist.

Cover up your work area with plastic to protect any surfaces. Choose a large, flat space to spray your glitter. Lay down a piece of plastic that’s big enough to cover the whole surface so the glitter won’t get on your tabletop or floor. The glitter spray isn't strong enough to need ventilation or a mask, but you can wear gloves if you'd like to keep it off of your hands.

Cut a piece of cardboard to fit inside your dress. Place your dress on the cardboard and trace it with a pen or pencil. Use sharp scissors to cut the shape of your dress, making sure it's a similar length and width so it will fit properly.

Slide the cardboard inside the dress to separate the front and back. Open up the bottom of your dress and slip the cardboard in between the two layers so the front and back aren't touching. This will ensure the glitter doesn’t bleed through the front of your dress and into the back layers too. The piece of cardboard will help you to stretch out the dress so it’s easier to apply the glitter.

Use paper to cover up areas of your dress where you don't want glitter. If you’re spraying the glitter on all of your dress evenly, you can skip this step. Otherwise, use pieces of paper to cover areas of your dress where you don’t want glitter. Cut the pieces of paper into specific shapes, if you’d like.

Spray the glitter spray paint on the front of your dress in an even layer. Shake the bottle of glitter spray up first so the glitter and adhesive are mixed well. Spritz your dress with the glitter spray, starting at one side and working your way to the other. Apply even amounts of spray over the entire front of the dress for a uniform glittery look. If some areas have too much glitter, use a tissue or paper towel to gently blot the dress and absorb some of the glitter.

Let the glitter spray sit for 4 hours so it dries. After 4 hours, your glitter dress should be dry and ready to wear. If you want to be extra careful, let the dress dry overnight. After your dress has been dry for 72 hours, it’s safe to wash it inside out.

Flip your dress over and spray the back, if desired. Once the front of your dress is completely dry, it's safe to turn it over. Repeat the same process that you did for the front of the dress, shaking up the glitter spray and applying an even layer to the back. Keep the cardboard inside the dress to separate the layers. Wait another 4 hours for the back of the dress to dry.

Creating a Design with Glitter Bond

Pick out a glitter bond and loose glitter to go on your dress. Visit a local craft store to purchase glitter bond, which comes in a bottle and squirts out just like a craft glue does, but it’s designed specifically for attaching glue to fabric. Choose the glitter color you’d like to sprinkle all over your dress, too. Make sure you pick out solid glitter to go with the glitter bond instead of liquid glitter.

Lay down plastic to protect your work area. Find a work space where your whole dress can lay flat. Cover this area with a piece of plastic so your surface doesn’t get dirty when you’re using the glitter. It’s okay to use paper instead of plastic to cover your surface, if you’d like.

Put a piece of cardboard inside your dress and lay it flat. Cut a piece of cardboard so that it’s a similar length and width to your dress. Slide the cardboard inside your dress so it’s separating the two layers. This will keep the glitter bond from seeping into both sides of your dress.

Use the glitter bond to form a pattern or design on your dress. Squeeze the glitter bond out of its bottle and onto your dress slowly and carefully in whatever pattern you’d like. You might make polka dots, scales, wording, or any other type of random pattern. Squeeze out enough of the glitter bond so that it’s clearly seen on your dress, making sure there’s enough for the glitter to stick to. If you mess up, wipe the glitter bond away carefully using a paper towel or tissue.

Sprinkle the glitter all over the glitter bond evenly. Open up your loose glitter and pour a generous amount of loose glitter over the glitter bond. Check that the areas where there’s glitter bond are well covered to be sure you aren’t left with glitter-free spots.

Shake the excess glitter off gently to reveal your glitter pattern. Pick up your dress and tilt it to the side, carefully shaking off the extra glitter by patting the back of the dress. Shake the dress over your piece of plastic so it doesn’t leave your work space. You might shake the dress over a large piece of paper so it’ll be easier to reuse the glitter by funneling it back into the container.

Let the dress sit for roughly 3 hours so it dries. Leave the piece of cardboard in your dress as it dries so the glitter bond doesn’t reach through to the other side. Wait 2-3 hours for the glitter bond and glitter to dry on your dress before you move it. If you’re going to add glitter to the other side of your dress too, wait for the first side to completely dry (it might be best to wait overnight) so you don’t accidentally mess up the work you just did.