Bright Ideas: 6 Tips for working with Glitter

Taylor and I are starting a new series here on Punk Projects called "Bright Ideas" where we share a few crafting tips! Our first tips are all about glitter.

Tips for working with Glitter:

1. There are different types of glitter

Glitter is one of my current (and probably always) obsessions for DIY projects. Gold glitter is definitely my staple. However, glitter comes in many different shades and sizes and it’s important to pick the right one for your project. You can buy glitter tape and glitter glue if you don’t like to get messy but we like loose glitter best, so that’s what I’ll talk about today. If you’re working on paper, such as scrapbooking projects, fine glitter is often best. Larger glitter is used for large surfaces, home decor projects, and porous surfaces like styrofoam.

2. Working with Large Glitter

Large glitter is our favorite choice for large, sparkly projects. A decoupage glue, like Modge Podge, is our choice of adhesive for chunky glitter. It’s best to use a layer of glue over the top of any large glitter project to keep it from flaking off.

3. Working with Fine Glitter

Fine glitter comes in the most colors and can usually be purchased in scrapbooking and paper crafting stores and departments. This glitter is nice because you often only need one or two coats. It does stick well to double-sided tape or a glue stick.

4. Preventing “Glitter-pocalypse”

There should be a saying like, “a little glitter goes a long way.” It’s very easy to think you’re keeping the glitter contained and glance up and realize the glitter has spread all across your table, your carpet, your hands (of course), your hair, and you may wake up days later with glitter on your skin. Getting glitter in places it shouldn’t be is often inevitable, but here are our suggestions for minimizing the mess: Fold a large sheet of paper in half, creasing it well, and then flatten it back out and lay it under your project. Once you’re done “glittering,” you simply fold the paper back up and pour the leftover glitter back into its container.

5. Save Your Excess Glitter

Cheap glitter (large glitter) and quality glitter (fine) alike are expensive, so we save every bit of extra sparkle for future projects. The key to keeping and reusing glitter is to collect it and pour it back into the container when you’re finished.

6. How to Seal Glittered Projects

I’ve recently become obsessed with glittering home goods like coffee cups and candle holders. In fact, gold glitter-dipped coffee cups were one of my main DIY Christmas gifts last year. If you want your cups, glasses, vases, and other similar projects to be sealed (and dishwasher safe!!) you need to use an acrylic sealer. We recommend Modge Podge Gloss. You need to apply the gloss in 2-3 coats over the glitter and then allow them to “cure” (dry) for 2-3 weeks before exposing to water. After that, they’re totally fine to wash in the dishwasher or the sink.