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Tuesday, March 6, 2012

How to make your own Alcohol Inks, Shimmer Mists, Mod Podge and more


As I mentioned in my last post, I’ve been experimenting with some more cost effective alternatives in the crafting/scrapping/art journaling area and I want to share some of those with you.

1. Alcohol Inks and Spray Inks.

They are easily and cheaply made with every day ingredients. They may not be of the highest ingredients, but they work for what I need them for!
The first one I want to show you is the cool aid spray! Yep, cool aid is notorious for not coming out once spilled, so that’s just what we need.
Get yourself an empty small spray bottle either from the dollar store or from Target (Pharmacy department.) Get the Cool Aid powder of your choice and dollar store rubbing alcohol.





Place the cool aid powder in the bottle, fill it up almost to the top with rubbing alcohol. Shake to dissolve and that’s it!








Of course you can add more or less powder, depending on how intense you want the color. I used orange cool aid in this example and I needed the whole package to get just a hue of orange. Since that is what I was aiming for, it’s fine. Other colors are more intense, so start with about 1 tsp and work your way up if you need to!

The other option is the RIT dye alcohol inks. Basically the same as above, but you use the RIT dye, either powdered or liquid. Here you will need a lot less dye, as they are quite intense!

And of course, food coloring, egg dye and re-inkers can be used too!

And then there is the Gelato way! Faber Castell has these cool little gelatos, that also make lovely sprays! I basically cut an 1/8 inch off the gelato stick, and dropped it into the spray bottle. Then I filled it up with half water and half rubbing alcohol and let it sit for a bit. This gives the gelato bit time to dissolve. Then shake, shake, shake and you have a vibrant ink spray!





Incidentally you can also use the gelatos to color modeling paste. Just shave a little off, spritz with some water, make a paste and then add to the modeling paste. More on the gelatos a little later in the post.

You can also easily make your own acrylic color mist by adding some acrylic paint (the kind in the small tubes) to rubbing alcohol in a mister bottle. I got a cheap variety pack at Walmart for $6 and they work just fine. Depending on how deep a shade you want, start with a little paint, and add until you reach the shade you like. Shake vigorously to dissolve the paint.

2. Mod Podge.

Love the stuff, but after a while it can get quite expensive. So for years now I’ve used Elmer's School Glue. I buy it by the gallon and make up the Mod Podge recipe as I need it in a mason jar. Just add half water, half Elmer's glue, replace the lid, shake it up and you’re ready to go. If you need it thicker, use less water! My preferred rate of dilution is 3/4 Glue, 1/4 water.




3. Faber Castell Gelatos.

Love those little things! However, they run fairly expensive. There is however a seller on Amazon that sells the “kid’s” version and calls them gel sticks. And wouldn’t you know it, they are the EXACT SAME as the Artist’s Gelatos. I mean identical!

Here’s the link to the regular gelatos: 12 Ct Gel Sticks With Brush
Here’s the link to the metallic gelatos. Faber Castell Metallic Gel Sticks

Again these are marketed towards kids and are listed in “toys and games” but they are identical to the gelatos!

If you need some ideas of what to do with the gelatos, look here.


4. Homemade Shimmer Mist.





Here’s something else that’s so easily made at home: Shimmer mists! There are lots of recipes for this all over the internet, but here’s the one I like to use.

I bought one of those Pearl Ex Powdered Pigments variety packs about 10 years ago and they are still going strong! I tend to only use them in the shimmer mists now, so a little goes a long way!
I usually make two kinds of mists. The one that is much like the kind you buy in the store, which just has a hint of color and is really just meant to add some glimmer to everything. And then I also make the one which is a regularly saturated spray ink that I add some glimmer to as well. Both work for different applications!

For the glimmer mists that are pretty much the same that are available in the stores, like the rangers and tattered angels mists, you will need:

Travel sized spray bottle (dollar store or target again)
Water
Means of color (acrylic paint, re-inker ink, food color, RIT dye, alcohol ink you made above, water color etc.)
Mod Podge/School Glue


Fill the spray bottle about 3/4 of the way with water, add about 1 tsp worth of school glue/mod podge. Add a little color (or a lot if you want it a little more saturated) and then add Pearl-Ex powder. The amount is up to you, but I find that about the equivalent of 1/8 tsp is plenty.
Shake well to mix and dissolve everything.
And that’s it!

Now, remember to shake up the glimmer mist well before every use. The Pearl Ex pigments like to settle on the bottom of the bottle. If you find that you have difficulty shaking the stuff lose from the bottom, add a small marble or a very small, smooth (and clean) rock to your spray bottle. It will help with the shaking up of things!


Yes, the Pearl Ex Powdered Pigments are a bit of an investment initially, but considering that the ready made Shimmer mists usually run $7-$9 per bottle and you’re going to be able to make probably something like 60 + spray bottles worth of glimmer mist from the one 12-pack of Pearl Ex, it’s really not much of an investment and a huge savings!


So, that’s it for today. I hope you found some of these tips useful!
Happy creating!


Linking to:
 UndertheTableandDreaming

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178 comments:

  1. Well, I can't believe no one left you a comment about this yet! Thank you for taking the time to do this post and provide your recipes. Very helpful, and exactly what I was looking for!

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    1. Excellent tutorials. I'm needing something I can apply with a craft/art brush. Will these work for that? I have sent your URL to my grandson who does spray paint art. I know he'll want to try these!!

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    2. I have trouble finding MINI-MISTERS....like to find cheap ones~

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    3. I use empty body spritz bottles like the ones from the Victoria's Secret mini sets. You can also use empty lotion bottles that come wth a pump or mini hair spray spritzer or empty perfume sample bottles. You probably lots of things around the house you could use. Also, save any craft supply containers that can be reused.

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    4. I'm just starting in the polymer stuff and your idea's will help me make beautiful crafts thank you so much.

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    5. I also recicle used spray bottles from bed and bath.☺

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  2. Thank you, Susan! I'm so glad you're finding it useful! :)

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  3. Thank you so much for this!!! I can't wait to try the shimmer mist.

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  4. Fantastic hints, THANK YOU!!!!!!

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  5. Saw the link on Pinterest and am so glad I visited your blog.

    You gave very clear information. I've been wanting to make my own solutions and really appreciate your post.

    Thank you!
    P.S. Years ago we bought a couple of packages of ink to refill our printer cartridges. That didn't work so well, but I saved the ink bottles. Think I might try using it for the spray. Up until now I've used it to make my own stamp pads.

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    1. Great idea, Carla! I've got plenty of leftover ink from that…as well as a few cartridges that I can't use anymore. Might as well use the ink!

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    2. Caution: Use a mask when spraying inks to prevent damage to lungs and nervous system.. They're toxic and not meant to be inhaled. I would also avoid skin contact.
      Thanks for the helpful recipes.

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  6. thank you so much for posting such wonderful recipes! I can't wait to try these!

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  7. I have had an issue with my homemade glimmer mist clogging the sprayer? Have you had this problem at all? II purchased my spray bottles at the container store

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    1. Hi Barbara, I'm sorry that didn't work out for you!
      I can't say I ever had that problem, in fact I've never experienced mod podge not dissolving in water (unless it was already a clump to begin with, but that's not what we're talking about here.)

      The only thing I can imagine that caused this to go wrong is that if you used the amounts I gave above in a mini mister, you had too much mod podge and not enough water (or room in the mister) to shake it through and dissolve it.

      My instructions/measurements above were for a spray bottle, about the size of the commercially bought shimmer mists. It might be better to try this in a larger bottle and only refill into the mini misters, once it's all shaken up and dispersed in the liquid.

      I hope that helps!

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    2. The problem is the Mod Podge, which has a varnish in it, along with the glue. When making shimmer mists you need to use a binder only, which is what Elmer's glue is. Watered down Elmer's glue is NOT the same as Mod Podge, because of the Varnish in the Mod Podge. It's the Varnish that ruined the mini misters. The biggest myth in the diy craft world (and I try to diy ALL my supplies) is that watered down Elmer's is Mod Podge, it'not. It will work fine for most things we use Mod Podge for, but it isn't the same. As you can see, the reverse can be a problem too. Varnish doesn't play well with some ingredients.

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    3. If you're using acrylic paint, that will clog the sprayer too. Add a small ball baring or metal bead to the container and shake it hard before each use.

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  8. I've had it happen once with a spray bottle from the dollar store, but I thought it might have been just that one faulty bottle since the problem was in the mechanism, rather than the nozzle. I haven't had problems with any others of my homemade ones though! Having had that, I haven't tried the ones from the container store, so I don't know if those sprayers present a particular problem or not!

    I have however had that happen with the bought ones, but I've always been able to unclog them fairly easily by taking the sprayer nozzle off and either tapping it on the table or blowing through it. It you prefer not to get that stuff around your mouth, you could use compressed air (the stuff you use to clean your keyboard) or just drop the nozzle in a cup of warm water, let it sit for a minute and then tap it out or blow it through. That usually takes care of the problem.
    I hope that helps!

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    1. Also, shaking your glimmer mist bottle side to side instead of up and down will help keep more of the mica powder out of your nozzle.

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  9. White solids settled out of my kool-aid inks, so I let them settle, then poured the colorful part off, rinsed the bottle, and put the colored alcohol back into the bottle. The sediment was the other ingredients in kool-aid. (citric acid, maltodextrin, ascorbic acid, etc.) My colors were just as intense as before but with no clogging and without the solids left on my page.

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    1. I made alcohol inks with the kool-aid as well, I had watched a video where the person mixed the kool-aid and rubbing alcohol in a glass, then filtered it thru coffee filter before they pouted it in their spray bottle. I have made several colors using about 5 different flavors of color and noticed each color has a different amount of sediment that would settle before I filtered. they work very well nothing has clogged yet. but my favorite about using kool-aid is it smells so much better than just the rubbing alcohol.

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  10. Thank you SO much...wow! These are great!

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  11. These are great. I will have to try the glimmer mist. I made one recipe with half glue and half water and that was just to much glue. I wasn't sure what to use for color, but I see you put many options. Thanks.

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  12. This is awesome! Brilliant! Fantastic! Thank you so much for sharing!

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  13. You are all very welcome! Thank you for visiting and leaving comments! They are much appreciated! :)

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    1. can't wait to try these! Thank you for your ideas!

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  14. You are a blessing...thank you so very much for your dedication to poor artists lol!

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  15. Read your blog and am wondering what you use the inks for... I was thinking painting silk scarves? I'm not sure.

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  16. I use them for pretty much any and all of my journaling pages. Almost all the pages I have posted on this blog have either water-based spray inks, shimmer mists or alcohol inks on them.
    I use them for background layering, for stencil spraying, stamping, coloring in stamped images, etc.

    Silk scarves would require silk paints, especially if you are ever going to wash it. Any kind of fabric paint needs to set either through heat or salt (not in silk) or both. So just spraying these inks on silk wouldn't work. They are meant for paper or mixed media canvases!
    I hope that helps :)

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  17. Years ago, I used Kool Aid to paint my children Valentines Day cards-They were like "scratch and sniff" cards. They lasted for many years without fading. I am definitely going to try these alchohol sprays!!!

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  18. Love to try your recipies. I wonder ! Can I use this alcoholic ink on washers too? I must try to find all this stuff in an norwegian store!
    Thanks!

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  19. You could always add "beebees" to the bottle to help mix up. they are cheap and I use them in nail polish also.

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  20. I just found your blog and love all these directions. Thanks for sharing your great ideas.

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  21. Thanks a bunch for all this information. I loooove making my own things.

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  22. For the gelatos I don't think that "kids" version is cheaper it's that one is 12 & one is 6 so actually the non-kids version for $13 is a better deal than the 6 for $8

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  23. Tenika, maybe I wasn't quite clear in my post.

    Usually Faber Castell gelatos (the regular ones) are usually around $10 for FOUR gelatos. The first link in my post is to the "kid" version of the gelatos that are $13 for TWELVE, therefore much cheaper.

    The second link in my post is for the metallic gelatos (different product,) which are usually around $5-$7 for TWO, but are $8 for SIX in the "kid" version I linked to.

    I hope that makes more sense now :)

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  24. Brilliant. Thanks for sharing! I am all for crafting being accessible to everyone...not just for those who can afford the expensive supplies!

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  25. I will be trying these ideas. Thanks a bunch!

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  26. for the glimmer mist i used cheap powdered eye shadow. seems to work great!

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  27. Oh, I hadn't thought of that! Great idea!
    Liquid pearls paints work very nicely too!

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  28. I've read many recipes for making sprays but...never one that used glue. May I ask why you use glue?

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  29. It's essentially acts as a binder that helps the glimmer to disperse better and gives it a bit of a seal once sprayed.
    Liquid hairspray would work too if you prefer that. Or Gum Arabic, but that is not something that many people have readily in their homes and it doesn't shake up that easily. But glue/mod podge does and it has much the same effect :) HTH!

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  30. Awesome recipes! Can't wait to try them out! TFS! Found this article on Craft Gossip!

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  31. Such great information. I love to craft but because I do soooo many things, I need to cut corners. I appreciate any info you post. I will be following. Many thanks!!

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  32. today i found this article on Craft Gossip!thank you for the fantastic tutoriale.i love the tutorial with the cool aid,i make with kids cards for OHW
    http://operationwritehome.org (cards for the Soldiers ,to write home to the love ones)these is perfect for a workshop with kids.You are an amazingly talented artist! Glad I found you! Thank You!I appreciate you being so kind and sharing with us.Bless you, your time, hard work and your amazing talent.thank you for sharing your creative project and inspires .I wish you many more creative years of inspiration.Keep up the fabulous work.Take good care of yourself.hope you have a marvelous weekend
    Sending you my BIG Aussie Squeezes.
    snowbird
    i will be back soon to see more of your work and tutoriale.now i'm off to go in the dollerstore for the spraybottels.(thank you to all the Ladys from the comments for the tips you have give.hugs across the miles.)

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  33. Thank you for your great recipes, I found this on Craft Gossip and will follow you to add your inspiration to my boxes of finds from the internet.

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  34. omg what a brilliant idea! Love it

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  35. Thanks, can't wait to try all of these tips!

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  36. I think is great, but Im worry about insects, because koolaid has a lot of sugar included, how I can avoid insects attack?

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  37. Hi Nan, the small cool aid powder packets that I'm talking about are unsweetened, so you don't have to worry about that :) It says "Add Sugar" on the package. You only add the sugar to make the drink, but you don't add the sugar to make the spray inks.

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  38. Wow... just wow! lol. This is awesome! I only have 2 glimmer mists cause they're pricey... but I can afford doing this! Thanks so much for all the details!

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  39. wouldn't the acid in the Kool-aid cause the paper to dissolve over time? normally i buy acid-free papers and archival spray for vintage paper to make sure it will not fade or crumble over time. they are tested by chemists to make sure they last... also the watered down elmer's glue does not make modge podge... it just makes a watered down mess.. modge podge is formulated to be stronger and more durable than regular white glue. also they have different kinds that will produce a different finish (like matte, gloss, glimmer).

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  40. Hi Anonymous,
    Yes, the cool aid sprays are definitely not acid free. Honestly, I don't know if they will break down or not. I have used them for a year or so, and so far so good, but my projects are pretty much mixed media anyway and have a lot of more unconventional stuff going on. If you have any concerns about this, do feel free to purchase the acid free sprays!
    As for the mod podge. Personally I love Mod Podge in every variety. And I am also aware that Mod Podge does a wonderful job on oh so many projects. My post does in no way mean to suggest that Mod Podge and watered down white glue are the same or do exactly the same. However, there are many projects where the more superior qualities of Mod Podge are not necessary and that's where the much cheaper and easier white glue alternative comes in.
    And this is really what these tips and tricks are about - alternatives! Are they exactly the same as the product they are replicating? No, not always! Are they affordable alternatives that will work for many people on many projects (even though not all?) Absolutely!

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  41. I didn't feel that I could spend money on some of the fun products I see other crafters use as I am just an occasional crafter. But...Thanks to your post, I can make my own. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Love this post!!!!! Frani

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  42. I've been looking *everywhere* for a cheaper alternative to the spray inks/dyes that I've seen used for masks & stencils. Thank you so much for sharing these sources. I can't wait to try them out.

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  43. Love all of these ideas. Can't wait to try them. Thanks for the ideas.

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  44. Great ideas and recipes! FYI, student or kids' grade artist products will contain more "filler" (wax, gum arabic, or other binding medium) and less pigment. So artist's quality materials usually are more vibrant and opaque, and last longer. But of course, for your purposes, the kids' gel sticks are probably just fine.

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  45. Hi, bearcatnat!
    Yes, they often are! However, in this case it doesn't seem to be the manufacturer(Faber Castell) that markets them as "kid's" products, it's the seller. And like I said, there is absolutely NO difference as far as I can tell. I have them both and they are identical - in packaging as well as performance :)

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  46. Hi! I've been making these with hairspray, food coloring, and the Pearl Ex pigments. I had been playing with several "recipes " for other formulations, then I found your blog. Thanks so much for ALL your goodies.
    FYI: I put beads in my mister bottles to help keep things blended.

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    1. BBs (for a BB gun) would work very well, too, just drop a few in the bottle, shake to drag the BBs around and lift and mix the solutions.

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  47. Hi Birgit,
    I just found your site through Pinterest and love all of your concoctions, I think I will give them a try sometime. I have thinned out elmers glue before and it works great, but I do like to use Modge podge more. I prefer the thickness to it and it holds really well for the things I make. But for paper on paper I think the Elmers mixture would do just fine... Thanks for sharing you alternative mixtures...

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  48. Oh My Gosh!!!! I too just found your website and this fantastic idea. I live in deepest darkest Paraguay (not really, I'm in the capital city and have internet so it can't be too deep and dark.) There are NO hobby stores here, no Michael's, no Wal-Mart, no Target and no any of my other favorite stores in the USA. For me to buy a crafting supply costs me the cost of the item, the shipping and handling to the courier in Miami and then $12 a pound to get it to Paraguay. Sometimes people pack things in the heaviest thing they can find. So, your recipes are super exciting for me. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I now have all the colors I want with things that I can buy here in Asuncion. You made my day!!!!!

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  49. Hi Jewel! Ahh yes, food coloring! There's another source of inexpensive color! Good idea about the beads too!

    Hi Wings! Thanks so much for your comment! I hope you'll have fun concocting and creating!

    Hi Tally! I'm so happy for you!! Yay, for having more colors! Happy creating!!!!

    Have a creative and joyful day everyone!

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  50. Hi Birgit, just found your site and wanted to thank you for your recipes. I just wanted to add another cheapy way for glimmer mist that you can add as well. Eye shadows use Mica powder to giver the shimmery effect and Mica powder is what perfect pearls is. I crush up old eye shadows and mix with water to make my glimmer mist and it works beautifully. The colours are amazing and as you stated the more depth of colour you want just add more eye shadow! Hope this helps.

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  51. Thank you, so much for the tuts, they are great, found the link to your blog on pinterest. So glad I did.

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  52. Thanks Birgit. I absolutely love it when I find uncomplicated, brilliant ideas for crafting. I am an overthinker at times and sometimes make things more complicated than they need to be so when I came across your blog through Pinterest, I was ecstatic. It's great that you are willing to share your ideas with everyone. I trust that it's okay that I featured you in my "Why Didn't I Think of That? Wednesday blog entry - it was a perfect fit.
    Tammy

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  53. Hi Tammy! Thanks so much for your kind words and the feature on your blog! Have a wonderful day!

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  54. What wonderful ideas! I was just wondering how costly it must be to buy these in the stores! I love shimmer mists and I've been wanting to try alcohol inks!
    Thank you so much!! :)

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  55. Hi,

    Thanks so much for posting these tips and alternatives. I'm an illustrator and always looking for new and fun ways to change my work up and try cutting down my costs for supplies.

    I make my own spray paint and have a lot of spray bottles. I went to the chemist in my local super market and asked for rubbing alcohol and the women gave me a bottle what says surgical spirit. Is this the same stuff as what you use its originally for use on bed sores and for harding skin. Just wanted to make sure that this is the right stuff. And if not then would it work? and is it ok to use ?

    Thanks

    Emma

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  56. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  57. Hi Emma, yes, according to wikipedia, rubbing alcohol and surgical spirit are the same. :)
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubbing_alcohol

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  58. Thanks for all of your ideas!! Money is tight and I am looking to do lots of homemade gifts this year for theholidays! This will help a lot!!

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  59. Thanks so much for the recipes! I just made the shimmer spray with the perfect pearls powder and didn't add a color. It turned out awesome!

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  60. Thanks to share Birgit! I'm donwload your recipes!
    Hughs from Barcelona!

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  61. Thanks for your post, love all your ideas. Do you have any ideas on how to paint on fabric. I have a couple of plain t-shirts I would like to decorate.

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    1. There are ways to make your own fabric paint, however, most of these don't stand up to as much washing as a t-shirt would require.

      Your best bet is probably a fabric medium, like this one here
      http://tinyurl.com/94q5onq
      which allows you to turn regular acrylic paints into fabric paints.

      Milk pigments and cool aid powder is also said to make inexpensive fabric paint, but I have not tried that myself. Maybe you can find out more on google :)

      For the actual process of painting on t-shirts, you might find these tips helpful: http://painting.about.com/od/fabricpainting/a/FabricPaintTips.htm

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  62. Wow! 'Found your site using Pinterest! THANK YOU!

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  63. Found this on Pinterest. Genius! Thanks so much!

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  64. I guess I'm later than everyone else finding this and am excited about trying it. I love to find things I can make rather than buy...thanks!

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  65. Great tips and comments (and replies). Found this post via Pinterest and I'm so happy I did! Heading out to get me some little spray bottles right now!

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  66. One tip for people concerned with the cost of the pigment powders. Both Michaels and Hobby Lobby have weekly 40% off coupons (good for one item) you can get online. It makes the powders a lot more affordable. :)

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  67. Was wondering if the kool-aid ink could be used on dominoes or ceramic tiles?

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  68. I'm purely guessing here, since I haven't tried it, but I would say no.
    You may be able to do some dying on unglazed ceramic tiles, but not on glazed ones. And dominoes are usually plastic or glazed too, so the same applies.

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  69. great article! I found a bunch of the little spray bottles on ebay for a good price - also I always use the 91% alcohol when working with the alcohol inks, I find it's worth the extra $$ (couple bucks, I get it at WallyWorld). Can't wait to try the mists. I need to read up on the pigment powders, they are COOL!

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  70. WOW - this is A-W-E-S-O-M-E!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TY for all the BRILLIANT ideas - you will save me a TON of $$$$$!!! TY TY TY TY TY!!! :)

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  71. What an awesome collection of savings ideas!! Thanks for sharing all your expertise :)

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  72. Thanks for sharing these great ideas!

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  73. Lice in the UK and presume Kool Aid is a brand of powdered drink, would any drink brand do. Although don't see it here I will hunt it out.

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  74. Yes, Gill. Any powdered drink mix will do as long as it's colored and unsweetened. If you can't find anything, food coloring will do just fine too!

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  75. Finding your blog just now is a blessing. My husbands' place of work just closed for lack of work orders. If I use these subs I'll still be able to continue making my jewelry to help out.

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  76. Thank you for the subs for these art supplies, they will be used alot by this artist.

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  77. Thank you, Thank you! My friend Marina and I have been looking for awhile now for instructions on making glimmer mist. We looked at many videos and most of them were really terrible and didn't really tell us what to use or give us an idea where to buy the supplies. Your instructions are very clear and make complete sense to me.
    We will be making some of all the stuff you suggested in the next few days. You are the best for making this all available us. Thanks again.

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  78. Thank you , Thank you. My friend Marina and I have been looking for some tie now for clear concise instructions making this stuff.
    We watched a bunch of terrible videos and got nothing from them but your instructions are exactly what we were looking for. And made sense at last. Can't wait to buy the supplies and get started. Thanks again.

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  79. Awesome ideas. Thankyou can't wait to try them out as my nearest craft supplier is over an hour away, so I generally buy on line.

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  80. I just found this through Pinterest as well. Truly awesome! I have been crafting for 50 years and I am so impressed with your ingenuity and creativity! I was wondering if heat setting with an iron then putting them in the clothes dryer will "set" these treatments? I am going to give that a try. Thanks so much!

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  81. I just found this through Pinterest as well. Truly awesome! I have been crafting for 50 years and I am so impressed with your ingenuity and creativity! I was wondering if heat setting with an iron then putting them in the clothes dryer will "set" these treatments? I am going to give that a try. Thanks so much!

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  82. Hello just found your really good blog.
    Couyld you tell me what kool aid is?
    Please,as i have never heard of it.
    I would be very much obliged if you could answer.Thank you.Rosie.x

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  83. Hi Rosie, Kool-Aid is a brand of flavored drink mix that is usually also highly colored. You can see the little packages in my first photo.

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  84. Hello Birgit, thank you so much for replying.
    I hope i can buy Kool aid, here in the U.K.
    And if i can i shall surely try your recipe
    for alcohol ink.
    Keep well.Thanks again.Rosie.x

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  85. Any colored, unsweetened drink mix will do. I'm trying to remember what's available in the UK, but it's been a while. Tang for orange color? Anyway, it doesn't have to be drink mixes. You can use food coloring just as easily - that's all it is anyway :)

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  86. Love this info soooooo much! Thank you for sharing! I can't wait to make these and use them!

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  87. Mod podge isn't so easy to find in our part of the Pacific!!! And I am always wanting to try stuff, but couldn't do it, because no mod podge!!! Thankyou for sharing!!! THANKYOU!!!

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  88. I am so glad I found this link because I definitely need to try the sprays out with coolaid and everything else you are sharing with us. I find those ink sprays are way over the top expensive. Thank you for sharing this.

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  89. These are great tips!!! And anything to save money is great in my book. One addition I have is instead of spending the money on the Pearl-Ex for the Shimmer Mist, I just go to the big box craft stores or even Walmart and pick up some "Pearlizing Medium". It's usually in the pain section where all the paints are at. You can use that instead of the Pearl-Ex and it gives amazing shimmer and for $1.49 per bottle! I usually get about 10-12 bottles of shimmer mist out of one bottle of pearlizing medium. It just depends on the amount and intensity of the shimmer that I want at any particular time.

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  90. just starting out scrapbooking and i can use all the help i can get getting started is alot of money!!!!!!!!! thanks so much for all the tips!!

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  91. thanks so much for posting i am just starting to scrapbook and it can cost alot of money!! all the help i can get is great!!!!

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  92. great info .... thanks so much

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  93. Thanks for sharing your ideas with us. Sure can save lots of money doing homemade.

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  94. Thanks for sharing your tips, sure can save us lots of money!!!

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  95. These are great ideas--I never would have considered the koolaid powder! Even though my kids used to use it to dye their hair in the summertime, LOL. I can't wait to try it with the alcohol!

    Love your sharing spirit…I am a new follower.

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  96. Here by way of Pinterest. You're so cool to share this. Thanks!

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  97. Here by way of Pinterest. You're so cool to share this. Thanks!

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  98. Thank you very much for your recipes. I really need that information.

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  99. Thank you for your recipes. I, really needed this info. This is my first time posting here. I found you through Pinterest.

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  100. Thank you so much for sharing all your knowledge on so many methods. Crafting arts can be so expensive and any way to save is so much appreciated plus being able to customize your colors etc. is ideal. Plus, for me, what a bonus that I already have everything right in my cupboards and creating room! Thanks again. I found your site through A Crafty Island Girl: DIY by the way. I always like to give creds. (:

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  101. Gelatos are dried tempura paint! Crayola and other company's make it too!

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  102. Thank you for sharing these things. I live in Brasil and these material are so expansive or you can't found them. I try all the recipes.

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  103. Thank you to sharing these recipes. I live in Brazil and these materials are so expensive or you can't found. I try all!

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  104. Thanx for the inspiration to make our own inks and modge podge..will certainly have a go..happy creativity :)

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  105. Thanx for the inspiration to make our own inks and modge podge..will certainly have a go..happy creativity :)

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  106. Thanks so much for sharing your tips!

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  107. Great tips & ideas, thanks so much for sharing them.

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  108. Hi, i am very grateful for your recipes....in my country, Chile, is very difficult to find the original brands...almost impossible, and if would very expensive....i love your tips!!! and your sharing heart...
    blessings, Gisela

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  109. Thank you so very much for posting these recipes and hints. How wonderful and an excellent way to save money on certain projects.

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  110. Love this! Can you use the alchohol inks on metal like Tim Holtz does? And I have some liquid watercolors I'm gonna try to use as the color base!!! Thanks so much!

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  111. some really good ideas!! hoping to get my second bedroom back soon so I can start back up on crafting and such!! thanks for the info!

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  112. Thanks for all of these posts. I like the guidelines you've laid out here. Thanks for sharing us.

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  113. Thank you so much for sharing such great information.

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  114. I am so glad I found your tips. So glad! The possibilities are endless. Thanks for sharing!

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  115. love the tips but have a hard time to find the mist bottles at the Dollar stores. Yes Ebay has them but was trying to get a cheap deal of course :)

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  116. Thanks for sharing some great tips. In the UK you can get mist bottle from the £1 shops.

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  117. PS I am a silk painter and sometimes the metallic outliners get a bit dry for using. I squeeze the rest into a mini jam jar, discard any stringy bits, dilute with water and use for brushing, ,stamping stencilling spattering etc.

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  118. Thank you so much for this, I have just found your blog today and can't wait to go shopping now.

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  119. Thank You; Love You!!!
    Tina in San Diego

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  120. Tried this before/sorry if it posts twice. I had noticed you say you have used your glue/water as a "mod podge" for years... have you noticed any yellowing/flaking or difference in how waterproof the seal is than regular mod podge? I have used glue and water for decoupage but didn't know how it would hold up on say, a dining room table. Thanks for the article!

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  121. I use mod podge and glue/water mix, depends on the project. And it also depends on your material, the conditions you expose them to, and how many layers you put on. This goes for mod podge as well as the homemade stuff.
    I would not recommend either for a dining room table. A dining table gets way too much use, needs constant cleaning, has a lot of friction from plates, etc and is exposed to heat at times too. Nothing short of certain varnishes can stand up to that. Otherwise you will get flaking, scratches, peeling and discoloration - it's just not meant for that kind of application.
    As for water proof compared to mod podge. Again, it depends on what you put it on as well as how many coats you apply. In general it is not exactly the same as mod podge in all applications. It works for some things, not for others.
    Neither would be a good idea for a dining room table though.
    I hope that helps :)

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  122. I love this as an art student especially the modge podge and alcohol inks!

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  123. I have just mixed my perfect pearl powder with water to use on canvas and paper. Did not use glue or alcohol. Will this work.

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  124. It will work to some extent. A thin application will work fine. However, a thicker application, once dry, will rub off or fall off, just like if you used the straight powder, since it has nothing to stick to. I would recommend you seal your work in some way to prevent them from coming off.

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  125. Sending thanks from near Gettysburg ~ I appreciate your shared ideas - they'll keep my in line with my limited art budget!

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  126. Hi Birgit, love your ideas! I have 2 questions for you. 1)How long will the recipes/solutions last? I have read that you use your inks primarily for paper applications. I have seen alcohol inks used to decorate metal washers. What type of product/recipe will adhere to metal? Thanks, Christine

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  127. Hi Birgit, Love your ideas! I have 2 questions for you. 1) What is the shelf life of your recipes? 2) I read that you use your inks primarily for paper applications. I want to use them on metal; what do you recommend? Thanks!

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  128. Hi Christine,
    Anything with a large amount of alcohol in it, has a pretty long shelf life, since the alcohol acts as a preservative.
    I have no experience with decorating metal or recipes for that, sorry!

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  129. Looking for help to do coasters with glitter..any ideas?? Thank you so much..so happy I found you!! 🌹❤️

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  130. Great ideas. I wish I knew how to pin this!

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  131. Teresa, hover your mouse of any picture in this blog post and the pinterest P logo will appear in the middle of the picture. Click it and it will pin it :)

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  132. Many thanks- this encourages me to start "properly" papercrafting as the initial outlay was stopping me, now, thanks to your experimentation and explanations, I can go forth and craft!

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  133. Thanks from Brazil. Your tips are really hepfull!

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  134. Thank you for this great article. I made spray very similar do these you've described in the article but they clogged up my spray bottles. I've soaked the tops in vinegar and they're still not working. Any advice and tips to keep sprayers from clogging?

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  135. GREAT information! And all in one spot. Thanks for all the great tips and even showing the slip ups ;)
    You are a really good artist. You have a creative mind and very giving spirit. God Bless!

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  136. Thanks for the great info Just wonderful

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  137. Thank you so much. Just what I was looking for!

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  138. I just got this in my email. I get the ideals once a week. I am going to try it. I love to make cards. I am in alot of pain and irt gets my mind off my hurting . So thank you for sharing

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  139. Grazie infinite per aver condiviso tutte queste idee fantastiche per risparmiare ,qui in Italia tutto è' molto costoso! Ancora grazie e un sereno Natale.

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  140. Just something to ponder for those very hung up on 'acid free'...my father was a printer for 40 plus years and when I asked him the question about 'acid free' papers, he said to me, well, they may start out as acid free but unless you keep them in an air free, pollution free, sun free environment, they will eventually pick up any acids that roam free in our wonderfully polluted air and will no longer be 'acid free' SO I no longer worry about 'acid free'. Just thought I'd pass that along from a professional in the business.

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  141. Thanks for sharing this!

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  142. Hi!! Just like everyone else I would like thank you for your coloring ideas!!!! My question is if you use these on any types of papers and they are exposed to sunlight do the colors fade? I'm sure they probably fade to a degree but is there something you can spray on them to preserve the color?

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  143. Hi!! Just like everyone else I would like to thank you for your coloring ideas!! My question is if you use these colors on types of paper and they are exposed to the sunlight, will they fade? I'm sure there is a degree of fading but do you know of any spray or anything that will preserve the color? Any ideas would be useful. Thank you!!

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  144. Hi Barb, as I've mentioned before, I wouldn't use the above for any kind of serious or precious art work, since there are just too many variables. I would imagine they fade, since we're dealing with food coloring here, essentially, and they don't tend to be formulated for color fastness.

    However, there are fixative and UV protection sprays on the market. They aren't exactly cheap though and I have no idea how they would fare with the homemade sprays. They may not make much of a difference. It's not something I have tried.

    Your best bet may be to have your work behind in a frame with a sheet of glass protecting it.

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  145. Birgit,
    I love these recipes and the fact that they are so much cheaper and I love savings ideas, especially in craft work. Can these be mixed ahead of time; i.e., what is the shelf life?
    Jill - Denham Springs, Louisiana

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    1. Yes, they can be mixed ahead of time. As for shelf life ... not sure. None of the items contain anything that could go bad any time soon. Rubbing alcohol, glue, water - all keeps a pretty long time!

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  146. Hi Brigit,thank you so very much for sharing your great ideas. I'm so glad I found you on pinterst.

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  147. Wow...your article lives on after almost 4 1/2 years and you are still helping other artists! I just found it on Pinterest and loved it, I read every last comment,too. There's even great tips there. Thank you for so graciously sharing your free instructions, advice,and tips. I am a "young at heart" artist with a brain disease, only 43 years old, and living out my lifelong dream of having my art studio in my home and creating as many different types of art as I can. Art supplies are expensive so I always appreciate and in fact take pride in the cheaper ideas and methods. It usually turns out AMAZING in the end and my works are for gifts for my friends and loved ones anyway.
    How can I follow your blog???
    God Bless you,
    Tonja from Texas

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  148. Hi! I am wondering if you know if there is any way to make home made alcohol inks thicker? Thanks in advance xx

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  149. It always amazes me, when I get on Pinterest, or YouTube, how people have taken the time to research, and develop simple recipes for things we crafters use every day! And then to share them with us is so generous! I thank you for your time, your intelligence and your generosity. Kudos kiddo!

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  150. Thank you. this information was useful.

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  151. Question how does the alcohol ink work on metal surfaces like washers? I make jewelry and am wanting to look into using alcohol inks for some of it but cant afford the high price of store bought inks.

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  152. I have no idea, sorry! It isn't something I have tried. I would however assume that it isn't the same as the store bought inks, since those are usually very balanced formulas to make them adhere to various mediums.

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  153. I have a question about your recipe for modge podge: Will it work as the finishing layer on crafts to seal it and give it sort of a shine? I am thinking of trying my hand at transferring photos onto pieces of wood. Do you think it would work?

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    1. I wouldn't use it as a top coat, depending on what the craft is. It may very well be too liquid and would saturate your work and the shine is minimal in comparison to the glossy type of mod podge. Might be better to use the real thing for that!
      This homemade mod podge does however work well for the photo transferring! :)

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Birgit Kerr