Craft Revisit: Alcohol Ink Glass Ornaments



Last November I decorated some glass ball ornaments with alcohol ink after seeing a video online posted by the Ranger folks (the ones who make the alcohol inks), and I simply had to try it.  They were super easy and quick and turned out really neat, so I knew I needed to try it again this year with some variations.


So I grabbed two glass ornaments, a can of air, some rubbing alcohol, and some alcohol inks and set it all down on my craft mat.  I chose two shades of blue and silver for one ornament and red, green and gold for the other ornament.


One thing I tried this year that was different was that I started with a wet ornament.  I rinsed it out with rubbing alcohol and then dumped the excess out.  This made the inks much thinner and easier to mix and cover the glass.  If you're looking for a more solidly covered ornament, this will definitely help.  The other thing I did different was that I used the metallic inks.  They work really well for this project. As you can see above, I started by just squirting some red (watermelon) alcohol ink into the glass ball.


Then I used the nozzle straw to spray the canned air into the ornament.  As you can see it went from just a dribble to covering the whole ornament.  Then I set it aside for a bit to dry, but it didn't set up much. 


Next I squirted some gold and repeated with the air can.  The metallic inks really cover well and look stunning.  Then I squirted in some dark green (bottle) to finish it off and add some contrast.


The two blues I used for my blue ornament were denim and sailboat blue (and are part of the sets linked above).  Then I squirted in some silver and blew the air into the ornament and voila!

Because these ornaments were a little wet on the inside, I did turn them for a few hours as I let them dry so the ink wouldn't settle.  If you start out with dry ornaments and don't use too much ink, they'll dry almost immediately.  I think I like starting them dry better, but I definitely liked the metallic inks--they turned out very festive.




Comments

  1. UnknownSeptember 25, 2018 at 11:24 PM

    Would it work if I use my liquid acrylic glass paints and mix them with alcohol instead of buying alcohol inks? I would love to use the supplies that I have, instead of putting out a lot of money every time a new idea comes out.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sarah JaneSeptember 26, 2018 at 8:37 AM

      Yes, you can use regular craft paint. It will be less translucent. http://sarahjanescraftblog.blogspot.com/2012/11/painted-glass-ornaments.html

      Delete
  2. PeggyDecember 13, 2019 at 7:21 PM

    Can you use plastic clear ornaments with alcohol ink?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sarah JaneDecember 18, 2019 at 9:34 AM

      Yep. I tried that on the blog too. (http://www.sarahjanescraftblog.com/2017/12/alcohol-ink-ball-ornaments.html)

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Plastic Wrap Alcohol Ink on Small Ceramic Bowl

Image
A while back I picked up some small white bowls from Big Lots ( these look similar ) with a nice satin finish. I already inked one bowl using the flame method , but I still have a few bowls left, so I decided to give one the plastic wrap treatment. I got out my craft mat and some alcohol inks . Then I cleaned my bowl with rubbing alcohol on a paper towel and removed the sale sticker from the bottom. I tore a piece of plastic wrap off the roll that was large enough to cover my bowl, and I set it down on my craft mat, being sure not to smooth it out. Then I dripped ink on the plastic wrap until I liked the combination of colors and the plastic was mostly full of color. Then I placed my bowl in the center of the plastic wrap and carefully applied the plastic wrap to the sides without smoothing it out too much (so it keeps the wrinkled pattern). Then I flipped it over to dry. I ended up using 7 colors on the bowl. I wanted something bright and fun so I we
Read more

Splatter Resist Alcohol Ink Tile

Image
I still have some ceramic tiles left from my last run to the hardware store, so when I remembered I had saved the contact paper heart from my Valentine's Day Glass Etching project, I knew exactly what I wanted to try. I grabbed some bright alcohol inks , canned air , a 6 inch ceramic tile , and my contact paper heart. I originally cut it out free hand by folding the contact paper, so it doesn't have to be perfect, but I'm sure if you have a cutting machine you could use that to make whatever shape you'd like in contact paper or vinyl. I peeled back the paper backing and applied the heart to the middle of the tile (as best as I could eyeball it). Then I rubbed down the edges of the contact paper. I squeezed out a drop of alcohol ink near the edge of the heart and used canned air to blow the drop out from the center of the tile. I usually hold the can with my right hand and a plastic lid with my left (I use the lid from the small plastic box I keep
Read more

Alcohol Ink Washer Necklaces

Image
I received a package of alcohol inks for Christmas and then bought a second set with a 50% off coupon at Michael's.  I've used them now to make coasters and to decorate some candle holders .  I was just getting my sea legs with these inks to begin with.  I applied the ink directly onto the surfaces and played around with rubbing alcohol as a blending solution.  But I thought it was high time that I used an applicator to use them the way they were intended.  Of course, the applicator is just a stamp with some velcro on it and it costs 6+ dollars....not to mention buying the pre-cut pieces of felt. So I figured I'd make my own.  I was very much in a use what you've got mentality, so I grabbed a scrap piece of wood and a couple of strips of velcro (hook and loop tape).  I used the hook side and lined two pieces up next to each other.  Luckily they were just the right width. I had the sew-on kind of velcro, so I spread some tacky glue thinly onto the surface
Read more