Has anyone decorated their Magic Bands? Please show us the pictures!

[tj6285]

Acrylic paint should come off with water and a little careful scraping with a Q-tip or finger nail. Polish remover would be more useful on oil based paints.

Thank you Violespider!

 

[OhanaMomma]

Grrrrr....Anna Frozen Fever band cracked like crazy! I cleaned the band with alcohol, then I primed it with 2 light coats of Krylon white spray primer (was not Fusion primer), then painted the design in acrylic, then 3 light coats of acrylic sealer spray, then a coat of clear base nail polish. Can anyone tell me where I went wrong, other than perhaps too many layers???? If the bands are just going to keep cracking and flaking off, I may just switch over to vinyl decals.
I stripped the band and lightly sanded it. I'm going to buy the Krylon Fusion primer tomorrow, but I'm looking for a definite "recipe" for success in keeping these bands from cracking so badly! I'm worried about my Stitch band cracking - so far it's showing some signs around the holes, and I haven't sprayed a sealer on it yet...very frustrating bc it's a lot of time consuming work since I'm new to painting. Thanks!

 

[TheyThinkImCrazy]

Hi All! DD and I are in the process of decorating our bands. Had a little mishap and need to know if you can remove acrylic paint from the band with nail polish remover? Thank you!

Rubbing alcohol works to remove acrylic paints.

 

[TheyThinkImCrazy]

Grrrrr....Anna Frozen Fever band cracked like crazy! I cleaned the band with alcohol, then I primed it with 2 light coats of Krylon white spray primer (was not Fusion primer), then painted the design in acrylic, then 3 light coats of acrylic sealer spray, then a coat of clear base nail polish. Can anyone tell me where I went wrong, other than perhaps too many layers???? If the bands are just going to keep cracking and flaking off, I may just switch over to vinyl decals.
I stripped the band and lightly sanded it. I'm going to buy the Krylon Fusion primer tomorrow, but I'm looking for a definite "recipe" for success in keeping these bands from cracking so badly! I'm worried about my Stitch band cracking - so far it's showing some signs around the holes, and I haven't sprayed a sealer on it yet...very frustrating bc it's a lot of time consuming work since I'm new to painting. Thanks!

I think your primer is the problem. I have had better luck using a brush on acrylic primer and topcoat from the craft store rather than nail polish. Now I use acrylic leather paints/primer/topcoat/thinner and like that the best.

Are you painting the bands in a curved position or flat? They will be more prone to cracking if you flatten them. I don't even flatten mine for taking pictures. I am usually pretty careful putting them on, but even so, the bands that I have done with nail polish seem to crack around the holes after some time.

 

[Violetspider]

Grrrrr....Anna Frozen Fever band cracked like crazy! I cleaned the band with alcohol, then I primed it with 2 light coats of Krylon white spray primer (was not Fusion primer), then painted the design in acrylic, then 3 light coats of acrylic sealer spray, then a coat of clear base nail polish. Can anyone tell me where I went wrong, other than perhaps too many layers???? If the bands are just going to keep cracking and flaking off, I may just switch over to vinyl decals.
I stripped the band and lightly sanded it. I'm going to buy the Krylon Fusion primer tomorrow, but I'm looking for a definite "recipe" for success in keeping these bands from cracking so badly! I'm worried about my Stitch band cracking - so far it's showing some signs around the holes, and I haven't sprayed a sealer on it yet...very frustrating bc it's a lot of time consuming work since I'm new to painting. Thanks!

I think the primer coats are the culprit. I sprayed a nail polished band with Krylon Acrylic Clear Coat and despite doing this in the round, the band cracked like crazy when I removed it from the stand I was using. Since the band was dark purple with sparkles, you couldn't really see the clear coat cracking thank goodness.

I've now changed to using nail polish base coats as my top coat and that has given me a better result for nail polished bands. I have two new bands that I've just painted with acrylics that I'm literally too scared to seal at the moment. My only saving grace is the painted images are centered where the bands are mostly flat (by the RFID chips), so I may not experience major cracking issues by the artwork anyway...hopefully.

 

[OhanaMomma]

I think your primer is the problem. I have had better luck using a brush on acrylic primer and topcoat from the craft store rather than nail polish. Now I use acrylic leather paints/primer/topcoat/thinner and like that the best.

Are you painting the bands in a curved position or flat? They will be more prone to cracking if you flatten them. I don't even flatten mine for taking pictures. I am usually pretty careful putting them on, but even so, the bands that I have done with nail polish seem to crack around the holes after some time.

Thanks for the reply! Where can I find acrylic leather paints and primer? Does Michael's sell them? I used basic craft paints from Michael's (Americana, Folk Arft, etc) and the Krylon Clear gloss sealer AND nail polish base coat (as I've read on this thread that it was supposed to work better than top coat) over the sealer.

Yes, I painted the bands slightly curved - I won't say they were completely coiled and buckled, but I had them sort of wrapped around a jar when painting...

 

[OhanaMomma]

I think the primer coats are the culprit. I sprayed a nail polished band with Krylon Acrylic Clear Coat and despite doing this in the round, the band cracked like crazy when I removed it from the stand I was using. Since the band was dark purple with sparkles, you couldn't really see the clear coat cracking thank goodness.

I've now changed to using nail polish base coats as my top coat and that has given me a better result for nail polished bands. I have two new bands that I've just painted with acrylics that I'm literally too scared to seal at the moment. My only saving grace is the painted images are centered where the bands are mostly flat (by the RFID chips), so I may not experience major cracking issues by the artwork anyway...hopefully.

So, which primer do you use? I used regular Krylon white primer (not the Fusion kind) and that was a bust.

I also used the Krylon Acrylic Clear Coat over the acrylic and noticed the paint still chipped, then tried to save it by coating it with Seche Vite (sp?) Base Coat over the Krylon Clear and the cracking noise the band made was heartbreaking!!! Large flakes of the paint were coming right off...

 

[Violetspider]

So, which primer do you use? I used regular Krylon white primer (not the Fusion kind) and that was a bust.

I also used the Krylon Acrylic Clear Coat over the acrylic and noticed the paint still chipped, then tried to save it by coating it with Seche Vite (sp?) Base Coat over the Krylon Clear and the cracking noise the band made was heartbreaking!!! Large flakes of the paint were coming right off...

I didn't prime the two acrylic painted bands. The band colors were fine, so I went straight to painting. I'm going to do the nail polish top coat, so I'm hoping that everything will turn out ok. Still a bit scared to try it though, but with only four days until Disney it's time to take the plunge.

 

[OhanaMomma]

I didn't prime the two acrylic painted bands. The band colors were fine, so I went straight to painting. I'm going to do the nail polish top coat, so I'm hoping that everything will turn out ok. Still a bit scared to try it though, but with only four days until Disney it's time to take the plunge.

FANTASTIC JOB! Love them both! Thanks for your help

 

[Violetspider]

FANTASTIC JOB! Love them both! Thanks for your help

Thanks! I've put two coats on the BB8 band and it turned out just fine with no cracking whatsoever. In hindsight, I wish I would have used a matt top coat polish, since this band belongs to my great nephew. He might not like it as shiny as it is. I'm going to use a matt top coat on my Haunted Mansion one. Just have to go buy some.

 

[TheyThinkImCrazy]

Thanks for the reply! Where can I find acrylic leather paints and primer? Does Michael's sell them? I used basic craft paints from Michael's (Americana, Folk Arft, etc) and the Krylon Clear gloss sealer AND nail polish base coat (as I've read on this thread that it was supposed to work better than top coat) over the sealer.

Yes, I painted the bands slightly curved - I won't say they were completely coiled and buckled, but I had them sort of wrapped around a jar when painting...

I ordered mine online...either from Dharma Trading or an art supply store....or maybe Amazon. The brand is Angelus. I wouldn't hesitate to use a brush on sealer/top coat from the craft store though. I actually might have use that on one of my MBs, but it would have been the one that I lost, so I don't know how well it worked.

I think it is HockeyMom who uses a spray on Acrylic sealer. I think she got at Walmart, but I have no idea if it is an aerosol or what.

 

[OhanaMomma]

I ordered mine online...either from Dharma Trading or an art supply store....or maybe Amazon. The brand is Angelus. I wouldn't hesitate to use a brush on sealer/top coat from the craft store though. I actually might have use that on one of my MBs, but it would have been the one that I lost, so I don't know how well it worked.

I think it is HockeyMom who uses a spray on Acrylic sealer. I think she got at Walmart, but I have no idea if it is an aerosol or what.

Well, I used the spray aerosol can of Krylon Clear Coat acrylic sealer and the paint was still flaking off the Anna band. My other daughter's Elsa band seems to be holding up a bit better, but there are still signs of cracking. I think the base coat OVER the Krylon clear sealer had something to do with the extreme cracking. It sounded and felt like when you crack a glow stick bracelet to get it to glow...it made THAT sound, to my horror. I will never be the same at evening BBQ's

I was doing some research on Angelus leather paint. I saw that a lot of people use it to paint/customize sneakers. Then I went to the Angelus web site. Someone in the FAQ asked about painting on plastic...they responded to use an ADHESIVE PROMOTER. So I then researched that...and ended up watching youtube tutorials on painting plastic and rubber flexible CAR PARTS - both interior AND exterior. BINGO! Adhesive promoters are very common in auto detailing/painting. There is a popular brand on Amazon called Dupli-coat. I am going to try my local Automotive supply shop today or tomorrow and see if I can get my hands on a bottle. I also read you don't need a primer with the adhesive promoter, but it still can be used. Which I then found something called SEM FLEXIBLE Primer Surfacer on Amazon. One reviewer states he uses it on flexible model aircraft, another said it worked great on his flexible bumper. So - the order of use would be: plastic prep/cleaning (acetone, alcohol, or they also sell a plastic prep aerosol spray), then adhesion promoter, then flexible primer, then paint, then your sealer.

So, the answer to painting on flexible plastic/rubber seems to lie in the automotive painting world. I will give it a shot and report back with my results on my husband's band, as well as my younger daughter's Anna FF band.

 

[Sydney2977]

Well, I used the spray aerosol can of Krylon Clear Coat acrylic sealer and the paint was still flaking off the Anna band. My other daughter's Elsa band seems to be holding up a bit better, but there are still signs of cracking. I think the base coat OVER the Krylon clear sealer had something to do with the extreme cracking. It sounded and felt like when you crack a glow stick bracelet to get it to glow...it made THAT sound, to my horror. I will never be the same at evening BBQ's

I think you are probably right about the clear acrylic sealer in combination with the base coat. When I did DS's and his GF's I used acrylic paint with a base coat over it, and they chipped and cracked quite a bit on the bottom (where the holes are). For DH's, other DS's, and mine I used the same type of acrylic paint but only used the Krylon Clear Coat spray over it. Those three had minimal damage, and that was mainly rubbing off of paint on the bottoms on DS's and mine. Part of the reason some of that occurred I believe is because of the thicker layers of paint I used, like someone else posted.

I would be interested to see how your new ideas work out!

 

[HockeyMomNH]

I don't use any sort of base coat. I do paint the entire band in acrylic paint to start. Right on the band. I think that less is more when it comes to layers. The spray sealer that I got from Walmart is by Plaid.

I think it is also a matter of how much you actually use the bands. I figure that they are not going to last forever anyway, the long range RFID battery will run out at some point, so if I get a few trips out of a band I'm happy. I mostly find that if there is cracking it happens near the holes. That doesn't really bother me.

The two bands in my avitar pic have been on one long trip and three or four shorter trips. Now they are living on display on my dresser.

 

[OhanaMomma]

I don't use any sort of base coat. I do paint the entire band in acrylic paint to start. Right on the band. I think that less is more when it comes to layers. The spray sealer that I got from Walmart is by Plaid.

I think it is also a matter of how much you actually use the bands. I figure that they are not going to last forever anyway, the long range RFID battery will run out at some point, so if I get a few trips out of a band I'm happy. I mostly find that if there is cracking it happens near the holes. That doesn't really bother me.

The two bands in my avitar pic have been on one long trip and three or four shorter trips. Now they are living on display on my dresser.

I definitely think the "less is more" approach is better than 20 layers of paint. Thank you for sharing your technique with us. Your work is FABULOUS!!!

 

[tarahart24]

Hi Tarahart24, I love the bands you made! I'm interested in creating my own vinyl as well. You had mentioned wanting to try the contouring product because the regular one wrinkled a little on your bands. Is this the one you were looking at? http://www.texascraft.com/hps/Inkje...erproof-Vinyl-8.5-in.-x-11-in.-10-Sheets.html
Did you ever get to try it? In the description, it mentions using their spray or their laminate over the vinyl to make it more sun & waterproof. Did you try that?
Thanks for your help!

Yes! I did try it- I found it didn't stick as well to the bands si I stuck with the regular. I finish all the bands off with an acrylic spray. The decals have worked for several trips but you definitely see signs of wear and tear after awhile but we were happy with it. Luckily each trip they send you new ones to start over with....

 

[RedHotMama]

Yes! I did try it- I found it didn't stick as well to the bands si I stuck with the regular.

Thanks for the update!

 

[Tansymine]

Another Magic Band to add to the collection. (Sorry for the sideways photo.)
This time I used acrylic leather paint and sealer (satin finish). I bought a matte finish sealer to try too....maybe on the next band.

Here it is with the others (posted previously in this thread and in the other MB post). The two on the left are DH's and rest are mine. We still have one brand new band to decorate, but haven't decided what to put on it....or who gets it. I vote for me.

I had done a Maleficent band before, but it was a bit too sparkly and not really 'me', so I removed everything and made it a TNBC band instead. I still wanted a Maleficent band. I like this one much better than the first, but it could be because I have more experience and it looks better. lol

How did they hold up? I'm going to be surprising my family with painted magic bands and am trying to figure out what acrylic paints and sealer to buy... I really don't want them peeling or cracking..

 

[Tansymine]

Wow! Those are amazing! You are very talented!

Did you use acrylics? The colors are beautiful! Oh and what type sealer? Base coat?
Thanks

 

[Tansymine]

I got my new magicbands in the mail this week! Here are the two new designs.. Nightmare Before Christmas for my husband and I did Finding Nemo/Dory band for myself

The colors are beautiful! Did you use acrylic paint? Base coat? Sealer? If so what brands and how did they hold up?
Thanks!! Oh and I LOVED your adventure band from an earlier post it's gorgeous!!