GUIDE
Rhinestone template hole size chart
Template holes need to be slightly bigger than the stone — too small and stones won't drop in, too big and they sit loose and rotate. This chart gives you the working hole size for every common stone.
The golden rule
Cut holes roughly 0.4–0.6 mm wider than the stone's diameter. The stone should fall in with a gentle brush stroke, sit flat without rocking, and lift out cleanly on transfer tape.
Hole size chart
| Stone | Stone diameter | Hole size (mm) | Hole size (in) |
|---|---|---|---|
| SS6 | ≈ 2.0 mm | 2.6 mm | 0.102″ |
| SS10 | ≈ 2.8 mm | 3.2 mm | 0.127″ |
| SS12 | ≈ 3.2 mm | 3.6 mm | 0.142″ |
| SS16 | ≈ 4.0 mm | 4.4 mm | 0.173″ |
| SS20 | ≈ 5.0 mm | 5.4 mm | 0.213″ |
Stone batches vary slightly between brands — if your stones catch on the way in, add another 0.1–0.2 mm and re-cut a test strip before committing to a full sheet.
How Stoneplot handles this for you
In the Stoneplot studio, the stone size you pick is the hole that gets cut. Designing with SS10 stones? Set a custom size of 3.2 mm and every circle in your exported SVG is a perfect drop-in hole at true scale — no manual math, no resizing in your cutting software. Not sure which SS size you have? Check the stone size guide.
Why hole size matters more than you think
A template is a sieve: stones brush across it until each one falls into a hole. Holes that are even 0.3 mm too tight mean ten minutes of poking stones in with tweezers. Holes too loose let stones flip face-up or jump out when you lift the transfer. The 0.4–0.6 mm window is the difference between a template you reuse fifty times and one you throw away.
Cutting tips by machine
On Cricut, import the SVG and confirm the width in millimetres before cutting — see the Cricut guide for the full import flow. Whatever machine you use, cut one small test shape first, drop real stones in, and only then cut the full template.