Thursday, April 10, 2014

Decorating the brace

Dancer Girl opted to get a plain, neutral colored Boston brace with the idea that she would decorate it herself. She didn't want anything too bright or something she would end up not liking a few months down the road.

We had heard that decorating them is tricky because of the plastic surface but it also meant that nothing was permanent so you could redecorate it over and over as your mood dictated.  This was actually a good thing for Dancer Girl.

She had two good friends over and together they tried out some ideas on plastic containers to see what might or might not work.


Decoupage: We tried this technique on the plastic container first.  It seemed to work well but then a few days later it had peeled off.  In the meantime she had tried a bit on the brace in a few small spots and it too peeled off.

This method might work best if you are committed to doing the whole brace (like this at Strength of Spirit) but since that was not the goal at this point this was not an option for us.


Markers: Markers, even Sharpies, seemed to go on faint and dull.  Dancer Girl was not happy with the results.  It also rubbed off fairly easily - too easily.  Redoing it every few weeks or months is one thing, but every couple of days was too much work.


Stickers: We worried they might not adhere to the surface of the brace, but in the end these have proven to be pretty good options.

Dancer Girl tried some that were glittery and while it looked fun, the glitter rubbed off and got onto her clothes fairly quickly.

We found some nice inspirational sayings and Bible verses and those have stuck nicely.  Again, they can come off if she wants to change them but they also are staying fast after a couple of months.




Tape: Decorative tape is all over the place these days.  Dancer Girl was nervous about trying the colorful duct tape. She thought it might work too well and then leave a sticky residue if she tried to remove it.


Instead we went for the smaller rolls.  We found that most work well, although one style didn't stick.

Tape is a great option because you can find all kinds of colors and styles.  We picked up most of ours at either Staples or Michael's craft store.



Rub-ons: We bought the rub-ons by accident actually, mistaking them for stickers! We weren't sure they would work but it turns out these are really nice options!

With some help from Little Sister to hold it in place, the rub-ons were applied and have stuck for quite a few weeks now.





In the end we have come up with a number of fun, easy ways to decorate Dancer Girl's brace.  She likes to be able to personalize it without too much effort, as well as the ability to change something if she wishes.

8 comments:

  1. This is so cool! My brace had holes drilled all over it, so this wasn't possible for me. I love that you put quotes about strength...amazing <3

    Ava
    scoliosis-fashion-help.blogspot.com

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  2. Thanks Ava! The stickers and rub-ons are finally wearing off so it is probably due for another decorating session. The quotes were a great find and could be used on anything - books, binders, notebooks, walls, headboards...

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  3. Where did you find the rub- ons??? what is it exactly???

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  4. We found them at Michael's craft store so they are probably in most craft stores (Michael's, AC Moore, JoAnn's fabrics, etc). I think if you search for Rub-on Transfers online you will get some ideas. I believe they were near the stickers at the store since we thought they were stickers when we bought them! Basically, you peel of the backing and then rub the image into the brace or other surface with a craft stick. Very easy to do. Good luck!

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  5. hi, we just got 2 kids with braces this last week...i wonder if you have tried craft vinyl? wanting to cut some out for the kids :) thanks & thanks for the great ideas!

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    1. We never thought of craft vinyl but I bet it would work. I would love to see how yours turns out if you give it a try! Dancer Girl recently redid her brace with black Sharpie pens. It seemed to work better this time around although it won't last as long as the rub on stickers.

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  6. My daughter was supposed to have a Jacksonville Jaguar printed on her brace and then we were going to have the team sign it. However they forgot. I'm thinking to have it spray painted at the Flea market. Any ideas greatly appreciated.

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    1. What a great idea!! I hope it works and would love to see a picture if it when it's done. I'm not sure what kind of paint they use but whoever does it should be able to figure out if it will stick to the brace which tends to be smooth and slippery. You could probably coat it with a protective layer to make it last longer - I would check a craft store for ideas on what to use. Good luck!

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