Playing with glitter can be messy. Enjoying it doesn't have to be.
Lets make a glittered wine glass that can be hand washed and even survive a trip through the dishwasher. Not a wine drinker? This technique can be used on coffee mugs, reusable plastic water bottles, everyday glass drink ware and more!
We also have a visual guide for you to follow along with.
You're going to need:
Start but marking your glass. Find an item about as tall as the widest part of the glass. I've used things like a roll of painters tape, the cap from a can of spray paint, and here, the lid to a powdered drink mix container.
Place your dry erase marker on top of this item so that the point hangs over. Place your glass against the marker and spin it, creating an even line all the way around. This step isn't absolutely necessary, but if you're making a set of glasses, it will help ensure that the glitter is even on all of them, which creates a nice aesthetic.
Tape off around the glass using the line as your guide. Electrical tape is forgiving and flexible which allows it to easily conform to the shape of the glass. It also removes cleanly, leaving no residue. Double check that the tape is even where it overlaps closing the circle.
Using rubbing alcohol and a lint free cloth, clean fingerprints, the dry erase marker line, and any other imperfections from the glass. I save outgrown or worn out t-shirts and cut them up for projects like this. This is an important step because your wine glass is see through and any marks on the glass will be trapped in and visible from the inside of the glass.
Apply a nice even coat of dishwasher safe glue to the lower section of the glass. It's perfectly fine to lap over onto the tape. I like to leave the bottom of the glass glitter-free so that they sit flat on the table, but you can certainly glitter that section as well if you desire (just make sure you dry your glass top-down). You want enough glue that the glitter has something to stick to, but not so much it takes forever to dry.
Sprinkle your glitter onto the glue. Don't be shy! Excess glitter will fall onto the paper underneath and can be reclaimed and poured back into the container. Once you've applied a liberal layer of glitter, tap off any excess and allow your glass to dry (1-2 hours but the longer the better).
Tap off any excess again after it dries and apply another layer of your dishwasher safe glue. You may notice some glitter is coming off onto your brush. A little is okay. A lot could mean that either your first layer isn't dry or you're using too much pressure with your brush. Try using a gentle stroke but don't be concerned by a little bit of glitter loss (this is why it's a good reason to dispense your glue into a small cup, so you're not getting glitter into your glue container).
Ensure that you've applied a nice thin even coat - not too thick, but enough that the glitter has something to grab on to. Be careful not to leave any clumps - you can't get rid of them once the glue dries.
Using the same technique as before, sprinkle another layer of glitter. Again - don't be shy! Any excess glitter will fall to the paper below and can be reclaimed. Tap off any excess and allow the glass to dry (1-2 hours - the longer the better).
Now to seal! You'll need to add AT LEAST 1 more coat of dishwasher safe glue to seal in the glitter. This will allow your glass to be gently hand washed. If you want to be able to wash your glass on the top rack of the dishwasher, you will need to add 3 coats total over the final layer of glitter, allowing 1-2 hours between each layer for it to dry.
Once you added the desired number of layers, its time to remove the electrical tape. Do this while the last layer of glue is still wet. Pull it back against itself (not up, or angled towards the base or mouth of the glass, but straight back) and slowly. Allow to dry for 24 hours before handling. This will give the glue a chance to really dry all the way through the layers so you can handle it without worry.
Here's the kicker. Most dishwasher safe glues require a 28 day cure time. Yes, you will have to wait 28 days before you can wash your glass! This will ensure that all your hard work will pay off and you'll be able to use and wash your glass for years to come.
During this time you can decorate your glass with a vinyl decal if you want. I chose to use Quintsy Casual from Missy Meyer in a Metallic Blue Oracle 951 adhesive vinyl cut with my Silhouette Cameo for my "More Wine Less Whine" decal.
These make great gifts! While you have the supplies out, make several at once in a variety of colors so they have plenty of time to fully cure. When you need a quick gift, you can add an appropriate decal for the recipient and you're ready to go!
*Adhesive vinyl isn't intended for the dishwasher. While is has successfully been washed on the top rack without incident for many, it is highly suggested to hand wash these items.
Let me know in the comments what color glitter your favorite is and what YOUR wine glass would say!
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