DIY: Glimmer Mists

I don't know about you, but I absolutely love making my own craft supplies! I have to say that I get pleasure from making things myself! I also love the idea of not spending any money by using supplies I already have on hand. Frugal and Fun! 

Glimmer Mists are a great element to have in your arsenal. I love the subtle color and glimmery "eyeshadow" effect they provide. I've used them as a background to some of my SMASH* pages, on the Kraft cardstock of my homemade daybooks, as well as on wood veneers and naked chipboard. I'm always looking for new ways to use them!

Last month I took a crack at making Alcohol Ink for the first time. It turned out awesomely! You can find that blog post here. But I first started making my own Glimmer Mists about 6 months ago, when I came across a video on YouTube. It seemed easy enough, and decided to give it a try. The video was very helpful to get me started. But I came up with my own recipe and technique for making them, that I want to share with you today.

SUPPLIES:

• Acrylic Paint in Your Favorite Colors
• Metallic Acrylic Paint in Pearl White
• Mod Podge - I use the Matte version
• Mini Spray Bottles - You will find them in the Health and Beauty Dept. of your local Target/Walmart (Look in the Travel section that has all of the little sample-sized bottles of shampoo)
• A Paintbrush

The first thing you need to do is fill your spray bottle halfway with warm water. Then you are going to dip the handle end of your paintbrush into the bottle of Mod Podge. Take the brush with the "gluey" end and stick it directly into the bottle of warm water. Give it a few good swirls. *The warm water helps to dissolve the glue (which acts as a binding agent).

Next, you are going to add your colored acrylic paint. Be sure to shake up your paint bottles first!. I don't really have an exact measurement as to how much paint to use. Over time, I've learned to just eyeball it. But I'm sure that a 2-3 second "squeeze" should suffice. (Don't worry though, you can easily make adjustments later!)

Lastly, you will need to add the Pearl White Metallic Paint. This is what gives you the glimmer effect. I usually add a little bit more of this paint than I do the colored paint, just because I want to make sure that it's extra glimmery. A 3-4 second "squeeze" should do.

Tightly secure the spray nozzle to the bottle and shake it up really well. You will immediately see the glimmery specks in the bottle. At this point, you'll want to spray a sheet paper (and let it dry) to see if you need to make any adjustments to either the color or the metallic paint. It all depends on your taste. And that is pretty much all there is to it!

Over time, when you aren't using your sprays, you may notice that the paint will settle to the bottom of the bottle. No worries though. Just give them a few good shakes before using!

TIP: You may also discover that your sprayers 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 spray nozzle and place the straw (with attached nozzle) directly into a 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! Now you can start experimenting with different colors and replace all of your sprays with your own homemade collection. Doing that should be so easy and inexpensive, especially if you do what I did and use stuff that you already have. FYI, This project didn't cost me a penny! I even have a stash of empty spray bottles ;)

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Do you make your own craft supplies too? I would love to hear your tips and recipes! Do you like having photos included in the tutorials? Any thoughts, questions, or comments? Drop me a line! Your feedback is always welcome and much appreciated.

Thank you for stopping by!