Today I’m bringing back my Disney series and I’m so excited to be kicking it off with a guest post by my friend Christine, who has known me for over 25 years…yes we go all the way back to Barbies! Christine is the extremely creative and is sharing 3 D.I.Y Disney Magic Band decorations.
How to Decorate Your Magic Band: A D.I.Y Guide ANYONE can use!
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Search Google or Pinterest and you will find thousands of amazing designs to inspire you to personalize your magic band. Decorating your magic band is a fun activity you can share with your kids as a way to “prepare” for your upcoming Disney trip.You could buy an already-designed one from Disney, but where is the adventure in that?Yes, you can do it! No, it will not “mess” with the gadgetry or “interfere” with the RFID or void your entry. And if you end up hating it, that’s why God created Nail Polish remover! Have fun with it! Here are a few ways to spice up that plain ole magic band.
Paint/Nail Polish
It can be as simple as painting the whole band a different
color or just coloring in the cute Mickey head on the top of the band and using
some glitter polish as an added pixie dust effect.If you are good with
freehand drawing, you can draw on the magic band and then paint it in with
acrylic paint or nail polish. Draw in pencil first. Then once you have an
outline of what you want, go for it.No matter what kind of paint you use, I would recommend that once it’s dry you go over it with 2 coats of clear nail polish. If you don’t like the glossy look, you can get a matte top coat. Go over the entire top of the band, not just where you painted.
If you don’t do the whole band you will have spots that look unfinished.Make sure that BEFORE you paint it you size it to your wrist and see where the band overlaps, if it needs to be adjusted or trimmed. Wrap it around a water bottle or keep it snapped
together for the best results. If you paint it while it is flat and it dries
flat, when you go to wrap it around your wrist the paint will crack. This
minimizes that effect.
color or just coloring in the cute Mickey head on the top of the band and using
some glitter polish as an added pixie dust effect.If you are good with
freehand drawing, you can draw on the magic band and then paint it in with
acrylic paint or nail polish. Draw in pencil first. Then once you have an
outline of what you want, go for it.No matter what kind of paint you use, I would recommend that once it’s dry you go over it with 2 coats of clear nail polish. If you don’t like the glossy look, you can get a matte top coat. Go over the entire top of the band, not just where you painted.
If you don’t do the whole band you will have spots that look unfinished.Make sure that BEFORE you paint it you size it to your wrist and see where the band overlaps, if it needs to be adjusted or trimmed. Wrap it around a water bottle or keep it snapped
together for the best results. If you paint it while it is flat and it dries
flat, when you go to wrap it around your wrist the paint will crack. This
minimizes that effect.
Temporary Tattoos
Pick a tattoo
, any tattoo! This was my favorite way to decorate our magic bands this past trip. I will definitely be doing this again. Although remember that the color of the magic band DOES show through and alter the color of the tattoos. So make sure to consider the color of the band when deciding to do this method, obviously the lighter colors
work best.
, any tattoo! This was my favorite way to decorate our magic bands this past trip. I will definitely be doing this again. Although remember that the color of the magic band DOES show through and alter the color of the tattoos. So make sure to consider the color of the band when deciding to do this method, obviously the lighter colorswork best.
My daughter wanted her pink band to be Frozen themed, like every other 5 year old. I gave my super hero loving sons green magic band an Avengers theme. My brother opted for the classic characters. My Mom wanted a Goofy inspired one, so I came up with this for her. I love how it came out.
To do this, all you need is: a water dampened cloth, your chosen temporary tattoos (any brand works), clear nail polish and a little bit of creativity!
1. Choose your tattoo and figure out where you want it on the band. Clip your band to where it will be on your hand and proceed with band snapped together to prevent cracking.
2. Cut it to fit where you want it on the band
3. Gently peel off the clear backing and place it on the band in the desired spot
4. Apply w water the same way you’d put it on skin. BUT be careful not to move it too much or it will split. If it does, have no fear. You can just wipe it off or if it is dry, use a little bit of nail polish remover and try it again.
5. Then once it is dry and the tattoo is set, you can go over it with the clear nail polish. Again, I did the entire band to give it a more finished look.
These tattoos lasted the whole week of our vacation. My son wore his to school for another week after our trip and they remained in tact.
Rhinestones
Of course, the Jersey Italian in me needed something a little sparklier… behold the bling band.
Any Rhinestones
will do but I prefer Swarovski Crystals
because they really shimmer in the Florida sunshine. I am pretty crafty and I used to do wedding invitations so
I actually had these on hand. But you can buy them at a craft store.
will do but I prefer Swarovski Crystals because they really shimmer in the Florida sunshine. I am pretty crafty and I used to do wedding invitations soI actually had these on hand. But you can buy them at a craft store.
I opted to make little Mickey heads…but you can do anything with them. Outline the band,polka dots, fill in the Mickey, or even crystal encrust the entire band!You
will need a very strong adhesive for these or they will just pop right off. Super glue is not strong enough. I used E6000®
; which is an industrial
strength crafters glue available at most craft stores.This worked very well. I
wore mine for a week straight (including the pool) and I only lost a
couple crystals. The ones that did fall off were in places you’d almost expect them to
pop off and only did so towards the end of the week. I probably wouldn’t have
worn it in the pool so much if I had it to do over again.
will need a very strong adhesive for these or they will just pop right off. Super glue is not strong enough. I used E6000®
; which is an industrialstrength crafters glue available at most craft stores.This worked very well. I
wore mine for a week straight (including the pool) and I only lost a
couple crystals. The ones that did fall off were in places you’d almost expect them to
pop off and only did so towards the end of the week. I probably wouldn’t have
worn it in the pool so much if I had it to do over again.
So there you have it, three DIY ways to upgrade and
personalize your magic band from as simple as a sticker to ultra crafty
“Mickey in the Sky With Diamonds”. During our trip we got lots of compliments on our bands from
guests and cast members alike. Its a fun, easy activity that you can do with craft supplies you may already have at home.
personalize your magic band from as simple as a sticker to ultra crafty
“Mickey in the Sky With Diamonds”. During our trip we got lots of compliments on our bands from
guests and cast members alike. Its a fun, easy activity that you can do with craft supplies you may already have at home.
How will you be customizing your band for your next trip?
About Christina
I am a work at home Dance/Soccer Mom of two. Owning my small graphic design firm, Kaleidoscope Design Studio, keeps me busy and allows me to keep my career doing something I love. My kids, Gabriel and Samantha, are my greatest joys and keep me even busier! Volunteering often at their school and soccer teams allows me to stay involved and make new friends. I love doing yoga and pilates and miss my Martial Arts days… gotta get back into that! My happy places are the beach, the city and of course, Disney World!
I've never seen these bands, but we are going to Disney this fall and I am SURE my girls are going to want some. Love the decorating ideas!
It's a fun way to prepare for the trip! Have fun this fall.
Just when I was going to look to for a post on how to personalize our Magic bands for an upcoming trip! I find this post. great job!
Thank you! I hope you have fun personalizing your bands!
I don't know how these bands work but I would have thought that decorating them would deactivate them. Glad to know they can be manipulated without losing functionality.
Yes they have a chip inside so putting something on them doesn't affect them. My friend even swam with hers.
That is super cool! Yeah, we did nothing with them when we went last year! LOL
This is good to know about for when we are ready to go. Love the rhinestones!
How did the bands work having the bows on them? They look adorable, but did you find that they got in the way when trying to use the bands?
They worked without a problem 🙂
How did you make the bows and get them to stay on? They are adorable.
Here is a post about how i did the bows. http://wineinmom.com/2016/05/magic-band-bow/
What if we painted the area the tattoo will go on with white acrylic paint first and let it dry?
I’m not sure that the tattoo will stick to the acrylic paint as we haven’t tried to do it that way. I would try it out on another piece of plastic before trying it on the magic band.
Would a hot glue gun work for the rhinestones?
I haven’t tried it but I think it would.
I haven’t tried it but I think it would.