MY MUST HAVES FOR CREATING TUMBLERS

THAT’ OR ‘THAT ADHESIVE IS BETTER THAN THIS ONE’ BUT I AM HERE TO TELL YOU WHY I PREFER CERTAIN BRANDS OR ITEMS OVER OTHERS. SO READ ALONG AS I PASS ON WHAT I HAVE LEARNED OVER THE YEARS.

FIRST, LET’S TALK ABOUT TUMBLERS. I USE TWO MAIN SUPPLIERS FOR TWO DIFFERENT REASONS. THE FIRST SUPPLIER I USE IS THE STAINLESS STEEL DEPOT AND THE SECOND IS THE STEEL MAGNOLIA. THE STAINLESS DEPOT IS THE OG TUMBLER SUPPLIER FOR CRAFTERS, IRENE IS THE OWNER AND SHE IS NOT SHORT ON STYLES. SHE HAS SO MANY DIFFERENT STYLES TO CHOOSE FROM AND ALL OF THEM ARE SUPER AFFORDABLE. YOU WILL NOT FIND SOMEONE ELSE THAT BEATS HER PRICES.

THE STEEL MAGNOLIA IS RUN BY NIKKI AND THOUGH HER STYLES ARE LIMITED, MOST ARE UNIQUE TO HER COMPANY. SHE HOLDS SEVERAL PATENTS ON HER CUPS. HER PRICES ARE GOING TO BE MORE EXPENSIVE THAN OTHER SUPPLIERS BUT HER CUPS ARE COPPER LINED, HAVE GREAT LIDS AND YOU CAN POP THE BOTTOM OFF TO CREATE THE POPULAR ‘GLITTER BOOTIES’.

NOW, LET’S MOVE ON TO EPOXY. EPOXY IS NEVER GOING TO BE A ‘ONE SIZE FITS ALL’ TYPE OF PRODUCT. I HAVE TRIED SEVERAL OVER THE YEARS AND I DEFINITELY RECOMMEND ANYONE STARTING OUT TO PURCHASE SOME SAMPLE BOTTLES FROM A FEW COMPANIES AND SEE WHICH YOU LIKE BEST.

CURRENTLY, MY FAVORITE EPOXY IS ARTISTRY EPOXY 1:1 FAST SET. I LIKE THEIR EPOXY BECAUSE IS IT A THICK FORMULA, I GET MINIMAL BUBBLES, LITTLE TO NO ODOR, CURES IN 1.5- 2 HOURS AND A CLOSE TO FLAWLESS FINISH (DID I MENTION IT CAN BE USED AS A FINAL COAT AS WELL)!

SOME PEOPLE STRUGGLE TO GET THAT FLAWLESS FINISH ON TUMBLERS SO HERE ARE SOME TIPS I HAVE LEARNED OVER THE YEARS:

• MOST EPOXY LIKE HEAT. GET A SPACE HEATER AND HEAT YOUR WORKSPACE UP TO 75-80 DEGREES.
• STIR YOUR EPOXY SLOW. THE SLOWER YOU STIR THE FEWER BUBBLES.
• I LIKE TO MIST MY WORKSPACE WITH WATER 30 MINUTES BEFORE I EPOXY SO THE WATER CAN CATCH ANYTHING FLOATING AROUND SO IT DOESN’T END UP ON YOUR CUP.
• GET A TORCH! DON’T BE SCARED OF THE BIG TORCHES- USING A TORCH TO POP BUBBLES REALLY DOES GIVE YOU THAT FLAWLESS FINISH.
• IF YOU ARE STRUGGLING WITH TACKINESS, GET A DEHUMIDIFIER. MOST EPOXIES DO NOT LIKE HUMIDITY SO GETTING A SMALL DEHUMIDIFIER OFF AMAZON CAN DO WONDERS. THIS IS THE ONE I HAVE.

 

NOW THAT WE HAVE THE TWO MAIN COMPONENTS COVERED, BEFORE YOU START CREATING… LET’S TALK ABOUT SAFETY! MIXING TOGETHER PART A AND B DOES CREATE A CHEMICAL REACTION. YOU NEED TO WEAR PROPER SAFETY GEAR WHEN WORKING WITH THIS MIXTURE. I RECOMMEND GETTING A RESPIRATOR AND ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS WEAR GLOVES. (SHOUTING) I REPEAT… DO NOT EPOXY WITH YOUR BARE HANDS!

I ALSO RECOMMEND NOT EPOXYING IN YOUR HOUSE. THE FUMES WILL HAVE NOWHERE TO GO IF YOU EPOXY IN A SPARE ROOM. THOSE FUMES WILL CIRCULATE THROUGHOUT YOUR HOUSE. I EPOXY IN MY GARAGE ON A CHEAP FOLDING TABLE AND IT WORKS OUT PERFECT- EVEN IN WINTER- MY SPACE HEATER WORKS GREAT FOR GETTING MY ENTIRE GARAGE WARM. IF YOU CAN’T EPOXY OUTSIDE OR IN A SHED, I DO SUGGEST GETTING A VENTILATION SYSTEM.

 

NOW THE BASIC NECESSITIES ARE OUT OF THE WAY… LET’S GET TO THE FUN STUFF! YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE LOADS OF ITEMS TO CHOOSE FROM WHEN CREATING TUMBLERS, I WILL GO OVER MY FAVORITES HERE.

IF YOU DIDN’T KNOW, I OFFER GLITTER AND VINYL OVER AT THE DRUNK FLAMINGO. I HAVE A WIDE VARIETY OF COLORS AND CREATE DECALS TO MATCH A LOT OF MY PATTERNED VINYL SHEETS.

IF YOU WANT TO TRY OUT FOILS, ARTISTIC PAINTING STUDIO HAS AS AWESOME SELECTION, HER ADHESIVE IS THE BEST AS WELL!

TO APPLY GLITTER, MY GO TO HAD BEEN ARTISTRY’S GLITTER GLUE. WE ALSO HAVE A DISCOUNT FOR THEIR SITE: DAMFANCY.

SEALING GLITTER IS ALSO IMPORTANT BEFORE YOU EPOXY- YOU DON’T WANT YOUR GLITTER SHIFTING. MY GO TO SEALER IS RUSTOLEUM 2X CLEAR. IF I HAVE VINYL OR PINSTRIPES ON MY TUMBLER I OPT FOR A LIQUID SEALER SUCH AS QUICK SEAL. SPRAY SEALERS CAN CAUSE VINYL TO CURL ON THE EDGES AND WE DON’T WANT THAT. LET THE SEALER DRY FOR A COUPLE HOURS AND THEN YOU WILL BE READY TO APPLY YOUR EPOXY.

 

TUMBLER TOOLS CAN ALSO MAKE CREATING YOUR CUPS SO MUCH EASIER! CHECK OUT CAMIPAIGE BOUTIQUE. I’M SURE I WILL HAVE AN ENTIRE BLOG POST OF JUST HER TOOLS SOON- MY MUSTHAVES: THE ULTIMATE TUMBLER GUIDE TOOL, EDGING TOOL AND CUP CRADLE! YOU CAN ALSO USE CODE DAMFANCY TO SAVE!