Maybe I just need bigger fingers

April 14, 2017 9:32 AM

I own two rings that are too big. I'd like to resize them at home, preferably by finding some substance that I can apply to the band that 1) won't come off when I wash my hands or take the rings off, 2) isn't really obvious, 3) doesn't cost too much (<$10, ideally), and 4) isn't uncomfortable. Any ideas?

Here are the rings, to give you a sense of shape, color, and material: #1 and #2. The band of #2 isn't actually flat on the inside as in the picture- it's cylindrical all around.

I read that you could resize rings with silicone, but when I tried it with this stuff, it just fell off of #2 as soon as I took off the ring. Enough stayed on #1 that the fit isn't terrible (and I like it because it's grippy so the ring doesn't slip now), but it just doesn't seem to work on #2, even if I let it cure for a couple days. I also tried using a twisty PVC thing, but it was uncomfortable, didn't look great, and started uncurling from #2 after a few wears because the band is large.

A ring sizer doesn't seem like it would work because it needs a flat band, right?

The silicone I bought isn't food grade- would buying a food grade version help?

Would sugru work?

posted by quiet coyote to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (15 answers total)

How much too big are they?

My first thought is clear nail polish.
posted by Ms Vegetable at 9:37 AM on April 14, 2017

#2 looks like you could just squeeze it a bit to close the gap.
posted by jon1270 at 9:46 AM on April 14, 2017

I used to wear a ring sizer similar to this one, which is more of a long tube that fits more snugly on a ring. It won't come off unless you make an effort to take it off, so that might work for you. It was pretty durable, too.
posted by possibilityleft at 9:48 AM on April 14, 2017

Is it possible to wear two rings on the same finger? And do you have some properly fitting rings? Then put the ring that fits on top of the too-big one so it won't slip off. Depending on what your rings are like, though, this might not meet requirement #4.
posted by eeek at 9:49 AM on April 14, 2017

I have used sugru for this. It does wear down, but I was very happy with the results.
posted by Talia Devane at 9:56 AM on April 14, 2017

For #2, I've already squeezed it until the two bars are almost touching, and it's still too big.

They're significantly too big- they would straight up fall off my fingers. I thought about clear nail polish too but was concerned it would wear down and wouldn't add enough circumference.

These are the only rings I own.
posted by quiet coyote at 9:59 AM on April 14, 2017

I've seen people wrap masking tape on the palm side. Make the layer thicker for a smaller ring.
posted by littlewater at 10:23 AM on April 14, 2017

I was definitely thinking Sugru. It won't last forever, but it might work. Though it probably wouldn't be visible if applied to the inside, you can get a neutral color or a color close to the band color.
posted by praemunire at 10:34 AM on April 14, 2017

I've wrapped thread/yarn around the inside of a ring. Tied on, doesn't fall off.
posted by jeweled accumulation at 10:39 AM on April 14, 2017

Yeah, I've wrapped paper medical tape around the backs of my rings for sizing, and just changed it when it got grungy.

If you go Sugru, I'd think you'd still want to go the encasing the backside with a tube of sizing goodness route, rather than trying to line the inner surface where it touches the skin; the first way would give more durability for on/off.

The kind of ring sizer you'd want is apparently called a "ring noodle" and is basically a nice, clear silicon plastic version of a robust wrapping of tape. Good luck!
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 10:42 AM on April 14, 2017

I currently have masking tape around #2...I'd like something that looks a little nicer. So far, it sounds like the ring noodle and/or Sugru are the way to go.
posted by quiet coyote at 10:49 AM on April 14, 2017

Check out this product.

If you're going to wear these rings all the time it might make sense to bring them to a jeweler to see if they can resize the rings.
posted by gregr at 11:46 AM on April 14, 2017

I have gorilla glue, which expands quite a bit.

So I glued a little on a couple tiny little beads to the inside of the band. Gorilla glue expanded just enough and was super smooth; is still holding on a couple years later. If you put too much on, just sand it down a bit.

Kind of a strange fix, but I opened up my craft armoire and got creative. Tried a bunch of other stuff, but this was the best fix. You could probably just do it with small drops of gorilla glue - just start very small and be patient.
posted by crankyrogalsky at 12:11 PM on April 14, 2017

I came here to recommend exactly the product you tried and rejected. For future Askers, I'll note that they worked very well for me when I was putting off getting my engagement band and wedding ring resized, but my rings are smaller than what's pictured in the original post.
posted by Coffeemate at 7:58 PM on April 14, 2017

Gorilla glue worked like a charm. I wouldn't use it on expensive rings, as it's kind of hard to control as it dries. Even working with a small amount at a time, it ended up gathering in certain spots and running over the edges. BUT that didn't matter for my purposes- it still looks nice at a glance, the rings fit, and I'm super happy to not have a big clump of masking tape on there anymore.
posted by quiet coyote at 10:25 AM on April 15, 2017