Alcohol is such a versatile product to have in your house. From beverage products, tinctures, and cleaning, to art supplies, organic alcohol is a great product to have on hand.
If you have any dried-up markers sitting around your house, this is the perfect way to upcycle them into an alcohol ink that can be used in a variety of arts and crafts. We are all about repurposing what you can and this DIY is a fun one, and a bit different from our normal DIY recipes.
Alcohol ink is a fast-drying, free-flowing ink that can be used in printing, stamping, and dying fabrics. If you start with permanent markers, you will get ink with more staying power whereas Crayola washables will be a little more forgiving. There will be some links below so you can see some crafty folks who use alcohol ink.
Making this recipe is very easy… and pretty messy. Make sure you wear gloves and protect your clothing and furnishings. Mix and match your colors and get creative!
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
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- Old markers
- Small sealable jars, large enough to fit marker cartridge(s)
- Organic Alcohol (we used Organic Cane), enough to fill each small jar 1/2-3/4 way
- Gloves
WHAT YOU'LL DO
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- Pour Organic Alcohol into small jars to the desired amount (this will be how much ink you’ll have)
- Wearing gloves, remove the ink cartridges from your markers of choice
- Place 2-3 ink cartridges into each bottle, mixing in different colors if wanted
- Cap jars, or cover with an old plastic bag and let sit for at least 5 hours, or overnight
- Wearing gloves, uncap bottles and remove cartridges squeezing out pigment as you remove (this is the messy bit!)
- Re-cap, and shake before use
As with any essential oil and alcohol, be careful to avoid sensitive skin and areas, and test for any allergies. Be careful to spray on clothing or furnishings.
Looking for ideas to use your alcohol ink?
Creative Alcohol Inks: A Step-by-Step Guide to Achieving Amazing Effects--Explore Painting, Pouring, Blending, Textures, and More! (Volume 2) (Art for Modern Makers, 2)