Dressing Up Your Flute

Although some people prefer the elegant simplicity of a plain, unadorned flute, others like to decorate their flute to some degree. Flutes in some cultures are carved and painted or wrapped with colored string and feathers. Wooden flutes with multiple pieces usually have metal rings to support the wood at the tenon joints, and these rings of contrasting color from the wood add to the aesthetic balance of the flute. Although polymer flutes (pvc, Delrin, and other plastics) do not need rings, because the material is tough and not likely to crack, faux rings made from adhesive vinyl can substitute for metal rings in a cosmetic sense, and they are easy to remove (or replace) if you decide to do that.

For the black flutes I have vinyl in these designs: silver chrome, brushed silver, gold leaf, patterned gold (small engine turn), and silver holographic sparkle, my personal favorite, a la Michael Flatley. For the white flutes the aforementioned designs can be used, but for greater contrast I recommend: black marble or black holographic sparkle.

The vinyl that I use for the faux rings can be purchased inexpensively on ebay for the do-it-yourself flute decorators. However, for new flute purchases I will gladly install a set of faux rings at no additional charge. For anyone who doesn't want to bother ordering sheet vinyl in quantity on ebay and have the tools to accurately cut it in thin strips, I will sell small lots of cut vinyl strips (12 strips of any design mentioned above) for $2 including postage in the USA. The photos below can be made larger by clicking on them.

Brushed silver rings

Black holographic sparkle

Gold leaf rings: the rings look crinkled but are actually smooth.

The above photo shows the vinyl that I have for the faux rings. From left to right the patterns are: gold leaf, silver holographic sparkle, patterned gold (small engine turn), brushed silver, black holographic sparkle (for white flutes), and silver chrome.