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Holli Mostella

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Alcohol Ink Tumbler Tutorial

August 12, 2021 by Holli Mostella Leave a Comment

Alcohol Ink Tumbler

This post contains affiliate links. I will receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support! Click here to read the full disclosure.

One of my favorite parts about crafting is that everything you make is one-of-a-kind. That’s the nature of handmade – every item is unique, just like us. And this project certainly lives up to that idea, Sis, because when it comes to working with alcohol inks, no two tumblers will ever look the same! So, let’s learn how to make an alcohol ink tumbler!

Ready to dive in? Let’s do this!

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Stainless Steel Tumbler (spray painted a flat or matte white) – I love The Steel Magnolia for tumblers
  • Alcohol Inks (I’m using this set for this project)
  • Disposable Makeup Sponge
  • Counter Culture DIY Fast Set Epoxy

Step One: Prep Your Tumbler

Start with a stainless steel tumbler spray painted flat white. Note: You want to make sure you’re using a *flat or matte* spray paint.

Step Two: Apply Alcohol Inks

Now we’re ready to apply the alcohol inks! For this technique, I am going to use a makeup sponge to apply the inks, but you could also use a brush, a paper towel, or even your finger depending on the look you’re trying to create.

Alcohol Ink on Makeup Sponge

Simply add a few drops of ink to your sponge and begin dabbing it onto the tumbler. You want to go ahead and cover the entire cup with this first color (Pro Tip: You can cut your makeup sponge in half so you can use it multiple times to get more bang for your buck out of those babies!).

Applying first color on Alcohol Inks

Once you’re satisfied with how it looks, you’re ready to add the second color. Remember, you’re going to blend these colors before we’re done, so you don’t need to focus too much on placement at this point.

Blending Alcohol Inks on Tumbler

Repeat the steps above if you’re working with more than 2 colors.

Step 3: Blend

Next, you’re ready to blend the colors. Apply a bit of alcohol to a clean paper towel and gently rub it over your tumbler to blend your colors together. This isn’t an exact science – it takes a bit of trial and error to get your cup looking the way you want.

 

Blending the Alcohol Inks

(Pro Tip: Once the alcohol dries, you can go back over your cup with more ink if you’d like to add more color or change the pattern of your design. Then repeat the process to blend the colors until you’re happy with the outcome.)

Alcohol Inks Blended

Step 4: Spray

Tumbler with Alcohol Inks ready to spray

Now it’s time for my favorite step! Fill a spray bottle with alcohol (a bottle that can do a fine mist works best) and lightly spray it over your cup to give it that watercolor look. (Pro Tip: You’ll want to hold the spray bottle about 10 inches away from the tumbler so that you get good, even coverage with the spray.)

Tumbler Sprayed with Alcohol mist

You can go as heavy or light as you want on this step. The more alcohol you spray, the more faded or spotty your colors will look.

Step 4: Dry + Epoxy

Once you’re happy with the look you’ve created, allow the alcohol inks to fully dry and apply your epoxy.

Completed Alcohol Ink Tumbler

(Pro Tip: Add a bit of fine glitter to the epoxy to give your finished tumbler a little extra sparkle!)

Allow your cup to dry completely, and you’re done! How much fun was that?! 

I’d love to see your alcohol ink projects! If you give one a try, be sure to comment down below or tag me on Instagram @hollimostella so I can see!

If you enjoyed this stumbler tutorial, head over to YouTube to see all of the steps above in action! And while you’re there be sure to subscribe to my channel for lots of crafting tips, tricks, and more tutorials just like this one.

Want to see more tumbler tutorials here on the blog? Drop me a comment down below and tell me what you want to see next!

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Meet Holli

Holli is an everyday crafter and mama of two. Her passion is driven from deep roots in crafting. She works hard to inspire and encourage crafters of all skill levels. Holli is an Official Product Expert for Cricut, and specializes in resin art.

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