Turn Dried Out Markers into DIY Alcohol Ink That Works on Glass, Metal, and Plastic

Sep 17, 2012 10:36 PM
Sep 17, 2012 10:38 PM
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Dried out markers are the worst. They take up space, and for some reason, even though they're totally useless, most of us have at least a few lying around just for the sake of not throwing them out. Luckily, Julie Finn over at Crafting a Green World has come up with a way to repurpose them into alcohol ink, a versatile type of ink that can be used on non-porous materials like plastic, glass, and metal. This is truly a tutorial for the pack rat in all of us.

First, a little primer on what you can do with alcohol ink. It can be used on a lot of different surfaces that you can't use regular ink on, and is often used to create backgrounds and patterns. Here are a few ideas for projects using alcohol ink:

Make custom homemade ornaments to add some personal flair to your holiday decorating.

If you make your own jewelry, some alcohol ink can help you create a unique look.

Make paperwork less boring with custom colored staples!

Love animal prints? You can create leopard, giraffe, zebra, and tiger prints with alcohol ink as well. The list is endless since it works on so many surfaces, so you can get pretty creative with this stuff. Now, let's get down to actually making it.

How to Make Your Own Alcohol Ink

All you'll need for this project are some old markers, rubbing alcohol, and a few small containers. The trickiest part is removing the ink reservoir, which Julie has also created a tutorial for. Once you've done that, fill your containers about 3/4 full with rubbing alcohol.

Now, just add the ink reservoirs and let them sit for a few hours (Julie recommends overnight for best results). For more details, check out her tutorial and, as usual, be sure to let us know what you create with your DIY alcohol ink!

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