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DIY Custom Magic Bands (Easy & Cheap!)

diy princess magic bands

We got so many compliments on our DIY MagicBands on our recent Disney trip! I cutomized them myself (with plenty of help from my three-year-old daughter) and it was easy to do.

We really blinged them out since it was a girls-only trip with my mother-in-law. 😉 Here’s some basic info on Disney Magic Bands if you aren’t familiar with them.

I spent a grand total of $2 to decorate all three bands, whereas custom Magic Bands from Disney will easily set you back $20+ per band. Here’s what you’ll need:

removable tattoos and nail jewels

  • Removable Disney tattoos
  • Clear fingernail polish + optional jewels/other nail art

I found both items at the Dollar Tree. Sometimes it is hard to find tattoos there, but I found these in the sticker section.

Instructions

To decorate the bands, apply the tattoos to the bands as you would on skin. Just cut them out, pull off the plastic, place them on the Magic Band, wet thoroughly, and hold the paper down for about a minute.

You can put the tattoos anywhere without affecting the functionality of the band, though I would suggest avoiding the areas with holes.

After your band has dried thoroughly, apply the clear nail polish all over the front of the bands. If you are using any gems or other nail art, you can apply them now. Wait for the first coat to dry, then go over the gems again with the clear polish to seal them on.

And that’s it! We swam with our bands and they looked great even at the end of the trip. have you ever decorated MagicBands? Please leave a comment below!

DIY Custom Magic Bands Pinterest Image

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Leona Schultz

Monday 17th of July 2023

I love this Idea, but no way did you place the tattoos directly on the magic bands. Do you have a template for cutting vinyl to place on the band as you would a skin and then decorate with the tattoos and such?

Leona Schultz

Monday 17th of July 2023

@Leah, my apologies, it looked like you had vinyl under the tattoos. They are great. Sorry again for doubting you.

Leah

Monday 17th of July 2023

Hi Leona! I did actually apply the tattoos directly to the band and they held fine. These were original Magic Bands and I don't know if the material from which they are made has now changed with Magic Band 2.0 and MagicBand+.

Felicia Rivera

Wednesday 13th of January 2021

Hello, I am going in March 2021 to Disney and have made reservations at a Disney resort. I just want to confirm that the resort will ship the Disney Bands to me at no cost. Or do I need to purchase the bands from the online Disney store? Thank you, Felicia

Leah

Saturday 16th of January 2021

Hi Felicia! Well Disney is no longer offering free bands. So I suggest you go into your My Disney Experience account (in the app or on the computer) and see what your options are. I have heard of those with reservations being offered discounted bands ($5 each) but you do have to go through MDE. If you don't have that offer and want bands, you will have to purchase them and have them shipped to your home. You can then link them to your MDE account and you will be ready to go.

Amanda

Sunday 22nd of July 2018

I love this idea but if I mess up like misplacing the tattoo, tattoo wrinkles, or want to change the design how do I fix/remove it without damaging the band? Any remover especially acetone(100% positive it destroys tech by melting the material even plastic and silicone. Learned this the hard way while doing my nails on my laptop and set down an acetone soaked q-tip.)will damage it. Maybe I'll just have to avoid the tech area and only do stuff to the band itself.

Leah

Monday 23rd of July 2018

Hi Amanda! Well, I did mess up slightly and used a small amount of acetone-free nail polish remover to correct my mistake. It didn't affect the band at all and I used it successfully on several trips. I think you are wise to use caution, though! In the worst case if you ruin your band and it doesn't work you can ask for a new one at your Disney World hotel and they will give one to you. :)

Jenny K

Sunday 27th of November 2016

Ohhhhh I thought maybe they were blank bands you can get at Michael's or something. Guess I'll have to go to Disney :-p

Stella flores

Monday 11th of January 2021

Disney World are the ones that use the bands. You can order them with designs, but I am going to try and decorate mine.

Leah

Sunday 27th of November 2016

Yes! Go to Disney for the Magic Bands! ;) Seriously, though, they are amazing. They get you into your room, act as your park tickets, allow you to charge back to your room account, and more. It is all you have to have with you on vacation which is so nice. A little dangerous, too, with being able to charge to your card with your wristband.

Jenny K

Sunday 27th of November 2016

Leah, where do you get the bands that you're decorating? I see fun possibilities for myself! :-)

Leah

Sunday 27th of November 2016

Hey Jenny! You get complimentary Magic Bands anytime you book a stay at a Disney resort. You select your colors and they ship to you about a month before your stay. They are amazing!

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