How to Use Craft Glitter Without Making a Mess
Kids love craft glitter; there’s something about the shiny, glittery good stuff that just sends kids mad with happiness. You love nothing more than seeing your little ones happy, but what about the mess?
Using craft glitter without making a mess can seem like an impossible task, with it ending up everywhere from the carpet, to the curtains to into places you couldn’t even imagine how it got there.
The good news is there is a way in which you can safely use craft glitter, without it turning your relaxed afternoon into a scene from a war film. This article will take you through all the secrets of how to use glitter carefully in your home without making a giant mess.
With the US creative industry worth $43.9 Billion, the only challenge you’ll have is keeping up with how much glitter your kids will want!
Let’s get started.
Understand That Preparation Is Key
When you are getting crafty with the kids, getting yourself prepared is one of the best ways for getting rid of any mess. There are a few different methods you can use to make sure you’re minimizing the amount of mess!
Do It Outside
Like all great hobbies, it can be amazing to use craft glitter outdoors. There are some benefits of getting crafty outside.
You have the fact that you get some natural fresh air, if glitter does make a mess you can just hose it down, and you don’t have to worry about ruining the furniture. The only thing you’ll have to look out for is bad weather.
Fold out Some Paper
This technique is awesome for use inside. All it requires is you to fold a large piece of paper into quarters and then unfolded and place it underneath where you are using your glitter.
What this means is when you’ve finished, you can gently fold the edges in creating a nice pile of glitter in the center. Simply tip the glitter back into your pot using your paper as a funnel.
Put It on a Tray
If a large piece of paper isn’t freely available, you can do a similar technique to the above by using a tray. It’s a little bit more difficult to pour it back into a pot, but it definitely will limit the amount of glitter spreading out.
Paper Bag Technique
If you want to get rid of any risk of glitter, you can use the paper bag technique. All you need to do is:
- Pour the glitter into a paper bag
- Add glue to the item you want glittering
- Put your item into the paper bag
- Seal the bag up
- Shake, shake, shake it
- Remove the now glittery item
Voila!
How to Get That Glitter Out
It doesn’t matter if you’re the most prepared person in the world, there is no doubt going to be a time when glitter is just going to escape. It’s what glitter does!
You can use these simple techniques to remove that glitter before the other half gets home.
Lint Roller
Lint rollers are a great home hack to easily picking up any glitter that’s gotten somewhere you didn’t want it to. It’s perfect for fabrics like furniture or sofas and especially clothes to get excess glitter out, without the need for scrubbing.
Play Dough
An awesome suggestion we’ve heard is to pick up your glitter using playdough. Not many people realize that playdough was originally sold as a wallpaper cleaner, parents would use it to remove dirt and soot from their wall coverings just by rolling a wad of gloop across the wall.
DIY Cleaning Products
If you do have a mishap and need to clean-up some glitter, try using these DIY household cleaning products. They’re chemical free.
Lock the Glitter Down
Glitter can get not only all over the house but into your other crafting supplies. The stuff has the potential to go everywhere.
It seems the best way to keep your glitter from going everywhere is to use a few more preventative approaches.
Attach Your Glitter
There are a lot of ways in which you can attach your glitter to things. You have things like adhesive sprays and double-sided tape which you can use.
One of the best ways is to lay-down some plain white glue. You can try mixing in the glitter with the glue before you apply it to your work.
This avoids it spreading all over like crazy or slipping off your paper.
Seal Your Glitter, So It’s Not Shedding
Nobody wants their kids’ work to leave a trail behind, on the paper or off the paper. One of the best ways to make sure your glitter isn’t jumping off the page is to apply another layer of decoupage or glue mixed with a little water.
By putting this over your surface area, you are ensuring that the material won’t move at all, especially if you apply two coats. You can also seal the glitter using pour-on resin or a spray sealant that is clear.
The resin helps to protect your surface and embed the glitter into your project. The clear spray will add a small protection over the top.
Clean up the Glitter at the End
Let’s hope you did the best to contain all the glittery, shiny mess that your kids have managed to construct. But, as well all know, there will be the inevitable stray bit of sparkly material that’s got loose.
It’s worth cleaning up the craft area straight away after you’ve finished using the tips outlined above. You can also use a hoover, a broom and even things like dry dusters can work wonders in picking up glitter of hard surfaces.
Make sure also to check yourself and the kids for excess glitter, there’s nothing worse than them shaking their hair all the way up the stairs and you finding craft glitter for weeks.
Time to Banish the Craft Glitter Demons for Good
Now you’ve got all the tips; there will be no need to fear for a messy house or weeks of glitter cleanup. Using these simple steps you can not only minimize mess, but maximize happiness with the kids, and that’s got to be worth something, right?
For more tips on everything crafty, check out our DIY section.