DIY: Alcohol Ink Sprays

Since I've been making my own Glimmer Mists for a long time, I thought I would take a crack at making my own Alcohol Ink. I do love Glimmer Mists. They provide a subtle, glimmery eyeshadow effect of color to the background of my pages. But I also want sprays that are more vibrant, colorful, and fun! Alcohol Ink was my answer :)

I was first inspired by this pin that I posted on my "Smash & PL" pinboard half a year ago. The blog shows you how to make Alcohol Ink using Kool-Aid. I don't keep Kool-Aid in our house, but I saw that she also talked about making it with acrylic paint for the color base. She didn't give instructions on how to do it this way, so I just went on my own to experiment. I've made glimmer mists, and this was much easier, only a 2-step process.

MYO (Make-Your-Own) ALCOHOL INK

SUPPLIES:

• Acrylic Paint in Various Colors - I used Eco-Friendly Paint by EcoGreen Crafts
• Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol: 70% or 91%: Found in the First Aid Section of Any Store 
• Mini Spritzer Bottles - Find them in the Health and Beauty Dept of your local Target/Walmart. (Look for the Travel section that has all of the little, travel-sized samples of shampoo, body wash, etc.)

Making alcohol ink is an easy 2-step process. But you will need to make adjustments to the paint and alcohol depending on how vivid you want the color. 

Start by filling an empty spritzer bottle with your desired color. Fill it to where it at least covers the bottom of the bottle. Next, add the alcohol, filling the bottle only halfway. Cover the opening of the bottle with your finger, and shake it up real good.  

At this point, you will add more paint and/or alcohol. If you want more color, add more paint. If you are satisfied with the color the way it is, add more alcohol. But do not overfill! You need to leave enough room in the bottle to shake it and mix it up.

When you aren't using your sprays, the paint will settle to the bottom of the bottle. Don't worry. Just remember to always give them a few good shakes before using. Feel free to test them out by spraying on a piece of paper. Make adjustments from there. Just remember to leave some room in your bottle.

TIP: You may discover that your sprayers may clog when you let them sit unused. No problem. Just detach the little spray cap and run it under hot water. If it's still clogged, let the cap sit in a cup of hot water for a while. If your sprayer is still being stubborn, unscrew the nozzle and place the straw (with attached nozzle) into the cup of hot water. Spray into the sink as you normally would. Keep spraying until the water is clear and the spritzer is misting as it should be.

There you go! Wasn't that easy!? Now you can experiment with new colors and replace all of your sprays with your own homemade collection. Doing that will be so easy; it cost me less than $3- to make just one bottle of alcohol ink! You will save even more money if you use acrylic paint and alcohol you already have on hand.

THE RUNDOWN:

• Acrylic Paint - $.99/each - EcoGreen Crafts (Purchased from Tuesday Morning)  
• Isopropyl Alcohol 91% - Less Than $2.00 - Up&Up (Target)
• Mini Spray Bottles - $.97/each - Up&Up (Target)

Be sure to check me out later this week. I'll be sharing my DIY for Homemade Glimmer Mists! I just ran out of my favorite color and need to restock.

[You can now find my Glimmer Mist DIY here.]

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Do you make your own craft/scrappy supplies? I would love to hear your tips and recipes! Do you have any questions or comments about this post? Please let me know, feedback is always welcome! 

Thanks for stopping by!