Bedazzling is so much fun. Especially when you have the proper tools! Whether you’re picking rhinestones to embellish natural nails or you’re wanting to add some bling to your clothing, having a wax tip pencil is a total game changer.
I’ve tested and tried out several wax pens and pencils and I’ve used them for both nail art work, professional use and to make pop art for my house by bedazzling candy boxes. Let’s take a look of these pickers and I can show you how they work for different needs.
What are the best tools for working with rhinestones?
- rhinestones
- wax pen or pencil
- rhinestone tray
- standard pencil sharpener
- glue – see this post for my favorite adhesives
Which tool should you buy to pickup rhinestones?
Wax Rhinestone Picker Tool
I used these all the time when I was first making art with rhinestones. They come with either a metallic body or an acrylic handle and you can use this as a nail gem pickup tool or to make anything with rhinestones. You use the wax tip and you can pick up the rhinestones easily and then the stainless steel tip presses into the flat backs and picks them up easily. I also love how you can use the stainless steel tip to move the rhinestones around if you make a mistake or if the rhinestone slides out of place.
However, sometimes the cone shaped wax breaks off and if you do not have extra tips, you can no longer use this for picking up rhinestones. To prepare for this, you’ll need to purchase extra wax material caps and this adds to the expense.
The wax pencil
rhinestone has officially replaced the wax become my favorite for picking nail rhinestones and also to place rhinestones in the right spot. You can use these for adding embellishments to the nail surface, for adding some dazzle to your paintings or for anything you want to add rhinestones to.
The reason I love this wax pencil more than the others is because you can continuously sharpen the wax pencil using a regular pencil sharpener.
Can you use the rhinestone tools for nail design?
Yes! You can make beautiful nail art design using the wax pencil. If you’re a new nail art learner or an experienced manicurist, this will make your life so much easier! Once you pick up one of these handy tools, you’ll be making exquisite designs in no time. With this rhinestone tool, you can use them to paint your toe nails, acrylic nails, false nails and more.
How to use wax pencil for rhinestones
First place a pinch of rhinestones onto the rhinestone tray. Give it a slight shake until the rhinestones are laying with the flat side down. Using a wax pencil for rhinestones is surprisingly easy!
All you have to do is sharpen the wax pencil and lightly touch the wax to the top of the rhinestone. Pick up the rhinestone and press it directly onto a dot of a glue. Yes, that is it! Easy peasy!
Conclusion
For home use, I recommend actually buying one of each; the wax rhinestone picker tool and the wax pencil. I use the wax pencil to pick up the rhinestones and I think it works best. I use my broken wax rhinestone picker tool (sometimes called a wax rhinestone pen) to move the rhinestones around.
However, if you had to purchase just one tool, I would absolutely recommend only buying the wax pencils. You can use them for rhinestones, crystal beads, flat back rhinestones and more. I recently used the wax pencils in one of my classes to pick up sequins. I am sure you can pick up anything smaller than a cm diameter with this handy dandy little tool!
If you love making DIY crafts as much as I do, you’ll want to pick these up! If you want to know what rhinestone glue is best, check out this blog post where I break down the best glues.
Check out my Amazon Storefront for my must-have art supplies. Delivery times will vary but you can’t beat the free shipping!
Affiliate disclaimer: Although I stand by all of the products I use, I can receive a small commission from any products purchased via my affiliate links.
