Do you want to wear a costume jewelry ring or a family piece for a holiday party, but it's too big? Discover how to resize a ring fast for holiday parties with this tutorial!
This technique for making your ring smaller at home is completely reversible. It is also fairly durable and, unlike some other methods of making loose rings fit, isn't noticeable and ugly.
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You can use this method to make your ring half a size smaller, or even a couple of sizes smaller.
I personally used this technique on my rings for 5+ years and absolutely believe it is the best way to quickly and easily make a ring smaller at home.
Please note - when I say you will "resize your ring at home" I'm speaking figuratively. There will be no damage or permanent alterations to your ring.
In this tutorial, we will reversibly resize your ring using clear-drying, food grade silicone adhesive. It sounds odd, I know, but it works and I'm here to show you how in this tutorial!
An entire tube of silicone costs less than any other "temporary" ring resizing option I've seen, it actually works, and it doesn't damage your ring. It is also virtually undetectable and doesn't feel strange in your hand, unlike many "ring huggy" products.
Table of Contents
Materials needed to make your too big ring fit
- A food grade silicone sealant (clear). Try something like the food grade safe option shown below. You want silicones that are almost 100% pure silicone with an agent that evaporates during the curing process.
- A coffee stir stick, small popsicle stick, or another relatively small, flat applicator
- A paper towel
- Your ring
- Rubbing alcohol
- Container size: 2.8 Oz. 100% RTV Silicone is a non-slump sealant and can be applied to vertical or overhead surfaces without flowing or sagging
- One-part, moisture-curing RTV (room temperature vulcanizing) silicone that cures to a strong, silicone rubber that maintains long-term durability and...
- Excellent resistance to weathering including ozone, ultra-violet radiation, freeze-thaw conditions and airborne chemicals. Fully cured, it has an...
I highly recommend using a food safe pure silicone adhesive. Don't just use any old thing from the hardware store because it will be right up against your skin.
Food grade silicone sometimes comes in colors (white, red, etc.), so make sure you get clear if you want it to, well, dry clear!
Because metal is nonporous, the silicone is ultimately removable.
After it dries, you can peel it away with your fingernail.
If you want to know exactly how the silicone behaves on metal and how "difficult" it is to remove, I suggest you experiment on the back of a spoon or inside a random ring for you own peace of mind.
Allowing the silicone to cure fully is critical.
If you start wearing the ring when the outside is dry but the silicone still looks foggy, it will probably come loose in just a few days.
Allowing it to cure until it's fully clear (which can be overnight or longer) creates a layer that can stay in place for weeks. Most food safe sealants need to cure 24-48 hours before they become non-leaching, so that is something to keep in mind, too.
How to resize your ring at home
- Clean your ring with rubbing alcohol. Stay away from the setting if you have a pearl or paste gems.
2. Using your applicator (coffee stir stick), dab a small amount of the silicone adhesive inside your ring.
Generally you want the inside portion furtherest away from the stone to have the thickest silicone application.
Apply a small, tapering amount of silicone up the ring's sides. Because the silicone is clear, it is difficult to see. You can tell the texture is there if you look at the photo closely, though!
3. Smooth the silicone adhesive as much as possible using your applicator or a finger.
4. Clean any excess adhesive from the outer portion of the ring using a paper towel, wetting it slightly with water if needed.
5. Allow the silicone to cure (check your package for curing times!), try your ring on, and reapply additional layers of silicone, as needed. It may shrink slightly as it cures.
6. Try to refrain from wearing your ring (or wear it as little as possible) for 24 hours to allow the silicone to cure. The tube says it takes 24 hours to cure fully, but go by how your silicone looks and feels.
7. In order to remove the silicone, loosen it with your fingernails and simply peel it away! It is easy to remove and doesn't leave a residue behind.
The silicone is very durable - it doesn't come off when you wash your hands or remove your ring (a common complaint about commercially-available ring resizing solutions).
Please note, however, that some lotions, sunscreens, and perfumes could degrade the silicone. I haven't had this personally happen, but it seems to have happened with some folks in the comment section.
With time, the silicone will get sort of grubby looking and will eventually loosen at the ends, but it's easy to peel off and apply anew! I need to remove the silicone and re-coat my ring about every month or so, which isn't too bad.
As I mentioned above, it only lasts this long if you let the adhesive cure fully before wearing the ring. Wearing it too soon loosens the seal and results in a layer that peels off within days. If you only want to wear your resized ring to a single night at a holiday party, this isn't a big issue. If you want to wear it all season long without redoing the silicone, try to wait.
Will this way to make rings smaller work on my ring?
Over the years I've received many questions from people wanting to know if this ring resizing hack will work on their ring. To the best of my knowledge, it will work on any ring. It should work just fine with:
- Silver rings
- Gold rings
- Platinum rings
The only rings I would not recommend this with are porous rings, like rings made from unsealed wood that isn't lined with metal.
What about making loose rings fit with hot glue, tape, or hemp twine?
Yes, you can make a loose ring fit with clear packing tape. It's also uncomfortable, ugly, and won't last long. The tape gets dirty, comes loose, and the edges poke at your skin.
You can also use hemp twine, or embroidery floss, wrapped around your ring to make it smaller. This method is very visible to other people, the twine gets dirty, and it's difficult to tie the twine off securely without leaving a bit knot and/or a long, awkward tail.
And, yes, you can make your ring smaller with hot glue. Hot glue is nontoxic and this method is less visible to other people than twine or tape.
Because low temp hot glue, which is what most people have at home for crafting, comes loose at higher temperatures, making your ring smaller with hot glue is not very durable. It will do in a pinch if you only need to wear the ring for a few hours, but it is not a longer term solution.
Using silicone, or clear nail polish like I demonstrate in this other tutorial on how to make your ring smaller with nail polish are the only semi-permanent, comfortable, attractive ways to make your rings smaller at home.
How to Resize your Ring at Home - DIY Solution for too big rings
Learn how to "resize" your ring quickly and easily at home! An easy and totally reversible way to make your ring smaller.
Materials
- Food grade silicone sealant (clear). Try something like the food grade safe option shown below, or just search Amazon for food or “aquarium” grade silicones. These silicones should be almost 100% pure silicone with an agent that evaporates during the curing process.
- Coffee stir stick, small popsicle stick, or another relatively small, flat applicator
- A paper towel
- Your ring
- Rubbing alcohol
Instructions
1. Clean your ring with rubbing alcohol. Stay away from the setting if you have a pearl or paste gems.
2. Using your applicator (coffee stir stick), dab a small amount of the silicone adhesive inside your ring.
- Generally you want the inside portion furtherest away from the stone to have the thickest silicone application.
- Apply a small, tapering amount of silicone up the ring’s sides. Because the silicone is clear, it is difficult to see. You can tell the texture is there if you look at the photo closely, though!
3. Smooth the silicone adhesive as much as possible using your applicator or a finger.
4. Clean any excess adhesive from the outer portion of the ring using a paper towel, wetting it slightly with water if needed.
5. Allow the silicone to cure (check your package for curing times!), try your ring on, and reapply additional layers of silicone, as needed. It may shrink slightly as it cures.
6. Try to refrain from wearing your ring (or wear it as little as possible) for 24 hours to allow the silicone to cure. The tube says it takes 24 hours to cure fully, but go by how your silicone looks and feels.
7. In order to remove the silicone, loosen it with your fingernails and simply peel it away! It is easy to remove and doesn’t leave a residue behind.
Notes
Make sure to allow the silicone to dry fully (for at least 24 hours) before wearing your ring.
Some lotions, perfumes, sunscreens, etc. may cause the silicone to come loose more quickly.
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