DIY Fired Alcohol Ink Art
DIY Fired Alcohol Ink Art is so easy to make, and it looks amazing! We’ll show you the trick to using alcohol ink on glass for breathtaking results!
Finally!
The perfect project!
Seriously, DIY fired alcohol ink art hits all the right notes:
- It’s quick! You can make one in less than 5 minutes.
- It’s easy! Those 5 minutes won’t be taxing your mind or body.
- It’s cheap! Dollar store frames, people – you know the price.
- It looks absolutely stunning! You’ll wonder how you’ve somehow developed a boatload of artistic talent.
- It involves fire! Everybody loves fire!
C’mon, what more could you possibly want in a project?
Okay, we’re chugging along with Barish’s bedroom makeover – the first room is almost done! The grunt-work is over, and now we’re down to the finer aspects – like artwork for the walls.
In the very first post of his bedroom makeover, I promised you color. Well, sister, today you’re getting color up the wazoo! I already showed you how to add incredible pops of color by making alcohol ink switch plates, but now I’m going to show you something even more amazing with alcohol inks!
Have you ever been sitting on the sofa, casually tossing potato chips into your face while thinking, “You know, I really could be an awesome artist if only I had a few grams of talent!”
Drop the Ruffles, madam, and heed my words. You don’t need talent to be a rock star at alcohol ink art! All you need is alcohol ink and fire!
Oh, you’ll also need alcohol, too.
The rubbing kind, not the sipping kind. But you can keep a glass of the latter nearby for inspiration. 😉
Curious? Let’s jump in!
DIY Fired Alcohol Ink Art
- Alcohol inks in your favorite colors
- Dollar store picture frames
- 91% Isopropyl alcohol
- Small dish
- Small paint brush
- Lighter
- Foil-covered baking tray
DIY Fired Alcohol Ink Art – Tips & Tricks
The full tutorial (seriously, a monkey could do it) is in the video below, but first I’ll share a few pointers.
- Use 91% isopropyl alcohol, not 70%. The higher alcohol content works better with the inks, and it will burn off faster than the 70%.
- Be sure to flood the glass with alcohol before adding ink. Some people like to add ink first and then drizzle on the alcohol. Try that if you really want, but I’ve tried all methods, and I think the pre-flood method works best. As for how much you pre-flood the glass, you can try different amounts for different results!
- Don’t use too many colors! We found 3-4 works best.
- Use the tray to swirl the ink instead of picking up the glass.
- Don’t over-swirl! Once you light it on fire, all sorts of unexpected mixing and swirling will occur.
- Keep your face back while lighting it. Duh. Seriously, a face without eyebrows and eyelashes is a hysterical thing for everyone but you.
- If you used a lot of alcohol, it will burn longer, and the glass will be hotter, so let it cool before touching it. Again, duh, but you can’t be too careful with the disclaimers in this country!
- The side you inked is not the side that will be facing out of the frame, so let’s call it the back. After the flame has died and the glass has cooled, you’ll want to clean the front with alcohol and paper towels. Use a razor blade if you encounter any stubborn dried ink.
- You absolutely 100% should mount these with a pure white backing. It’s unreal how the colors pop with a white background! It’s like instant contrast for a photo. You may think your alcohol ink art is blah when you first look at it. Take the time to clean the front and place it on a clean white piece of paper, and you may be amazed!
- Dollar store frames are cheap! Last I checked, I think they were selling for somewhere around a dollar – so buy a TON and have fun! You can easily waste an afternoon making all sorts of unique and beautiful alcohol ink art!
DIY Fired Alcohol Ink Art Video Tutorial
Okay, enough of my yapping! Let’s get on with the vid!
If you’re following along with the teen bedroom makeover, here’s how we stand:
Teen Bedroom Makeover Checklist (for The First Room)
Teen bedroom ideas and laying out the game planDIY alcohol ink switch plates- Paint the walls
Build 2 IKEA Billy bookcasesBuild a daybedHack IKEA Kallax into a TV standCreate an accent wallBuy or DIY plugin sconcesMake wooden wall artBuild a vertical chess boardBuild 2 guitar display framesBuy a new deskChange the fanBuy or DIY colorful art- IKEA laptop stand hack
- Add greenery: faux plants, air plants, DIY air plant holders
- Metal filing cabinet makeover
- DIY Craftsman style trim
- World map wall art
- Small closet makeover
- Barish’s first room reveal
Click here to see more teen bedroom makeover posts as we continue to cross items off our checklist!
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Finally art I can do and it will probably turn out! Yours look fantastic!
Giselle, it’s so easy, and you’ll be surprised by how good they look!
Hi! I feel like we were too sparse with our ink color with the first couple of attempts. Do you know if we could try adding more alcohol and ink on an already “fired” glass?
Thanks!
Hi Kelly, we never tried that, so I can’t say for sure, but I think adding more ink will loosen the ink already on there (even if fired). I’d say give it a try!
Think I’m going to give this a try. Fast and easy which means it’s a project that can be completed. Plus colorful! One question: where did you get the zebra head? He’s cool!
Definitely give it a go, Barb! You’ll love it! We got that zebra head at Homegoods about 6 years ago, and I haven’t seen another like it. Here is a similar one on Amazon though: https://amzn.to/2ugvtDy
Looks fun. I am surprised the fire didn’t cause the glass to crack though. Love the blue, green, and purple combos. And that one in the top right with the oranges is so cool.
It’s really fun, Laurie! Alcohol burns relatively cool, so the glass held up just fine, even with some really long burns due to excessive alcohol, lol!
Looks great!
Thanks, Rev! 🙂
They are really cool. I would love to try and make some; especially RED ones…that is my thing..RED! But a couple of things. One, I have been up and down the post..I can NOT find ANY video anywhere to watch on how to do this. Am I missing something? And do you really need to use alcohol inks? Can you not just use craft paints? I mean you are adding rubbing alcohol to the paint (at least I think that is what you do) would that just not make the craft paint blend and run and mix like that alcohol paint does? Thanks for all that you do. You guys are amazing in your projects.
Laura
Hi Laura, if you are running an ad-blocker, you won’t be able to see our videos. Try disabling it for our site, and then you can watch! 🙂 I wouldn’t recommend craft paints with this as I don’t think their latex base would react well with fire. What makes the alcohol inks work so well is that they are alcohol soluble, so when you introduce them to rubbing alcohol, they dilute and flow in beautiful ways. But since I’ve never tried it with paints, I can’t say for sure. You can give it a go and see how it turns out!
Yeah.. I did not think you would reply…you have not to any of my comments.
Never mind…..AND I AM SO SORRY>>> I DO NOT KNOW HOW I MISSED IT….I FEEL LIKE A SHIT HEAD!!!!!!!! i Looked over and over and it was never there….then….bam…it was…so MY MISTAKE and I do feel so bad….honestly……I DO GREG…..I love following you and I should have not reacted hastily …but I kept looking and there was NO reply…but it could be MY crappy computer acting up….or me just having a bad day and jumped on you for it….sorry..again and again…..But most people I do ask question to..never do reply….and I wonder why they allow comments….but then I think..that is all they want and they do not want to help out their followerers…I feel SO BAD…but I can’t take that reply back….SORRY…. I hope you forgive!!!! Please DO….I promise NOT to jump again….EVER! If I was near you… I would give you a HUG….if you let me…Please know I feel so bad!
Laura
No Worries! I already emailed you 🙂
Lol Laurie. Go easy on yourself…95% of the time the original creators don’t answer. Great ideas @thenavagepatch. Merry Christmas everyone!
Thank you, Tambria! We try our best to answer everyone! Merry Christmas to you! 🙂
now this is awesome sauce ,just what I need to inject some color xxx
Thank you, Chris!! 🙂 It’s so easy – you can do it with the boys. I bet they’d love it!
Just ordered some Alcohol Ink, (from your link ?), and cannot wait to try this! I also want to try your other Alcohol Ink projects. Thanks for sharing!
Ooooh, cool! Send us some pics of your creations!
This is awesome!!! I have been wanting to try working with alcohol for a while now, but couldn’t find the right project for me, and I just found that project. I am going to do this! Thank you so much for sharing this. Y’all are awesome! ?❤️
Thank you so much, Nona! You’re going to love it! 🙂
I think this would also work on drinkware, but I am wondering how permanent the ink will be, and if mugs and glasses could actually be used after this treatment. Thoughts?
Oh, yeah, it’s great for glassware. But for that, the ink must be sealed with an acrylic sealant or dishwasher-safe Mod Podge. And even though it claims to be dishwasher safe, I’d still hand wash any glassware with alcohol inks. Give it a try!
FIRE!
One of my favourite things 😀 It’s amazing how the fire makes the ink flow rather than just burn and flake off. The power of alcohol ink. I’m actually in the middle of a seaside themed bedroom makeover and a piece in blue and greens hues might be just the thing to put a bit of colour into the mostly white and cream scape. Sir, you have inspired me!
Yeah, it’s crazy! And if you move the tray around while it’s on fire, you get something different still. Do try it for your seaside bedroom makeover. I think a bit of blue/green would be right at home there!
Beautiful! I love this look. I am thinking that this would make nice birthday gifts for my kids friend’s! 🙂
Thank you, Claudine! Yep, they’d make awesome gifts! (and everyone will think you spent a fortune, lol)
I have told you before how much I enjoy you. However, it’s been quite a while so I wanted to take a minute and tell you again. I want to thank Handan for sharing you with us. I want to thank you for being you. My only regret is that I don’t know you personally. You make my week. Every Tuesday I get my coffee and settle down to read the post! Now, I know that must sound pitiful that I don’t have more to do or more important things in my life. Well, I do! I just enjoy your site that much! You make me laugh, you offer up doable projects, I learn and I get to be a pretend I am a member of a wonderful group of people and a wonderful family! So, again, please don’t change a thing. I love you just the way you are. I pin, I tell friends about you, I share on FB…….anything I can do to give you exposure and share the fun! Thanks to you, Handan and Barish for sharing your life and making me feel so good every Tuesday.
Awww, thank you, Linda! What a fantastic compliment, and exactly what my tired bones needed to read after battling a paint roller and three stubborn walls all day! I won’t change if you don’t! 😀 Have a wonderful evening!
What a wonderful pop of color! Your tutorial of the light switch plate covers also really appealed to me, definitely trying that! Your dollar store upgrade to ART reminded me of a similar project I did last year with my friends boys, (elementary, middle and high school ages) dollar store frames and the alcohol inks. Each boy did a frame, just like you described it. Then we glued them to make an open box which we placed over a candle. They gave it to their Mom for Mother’s Day….a quick, easy project that they worked together on, and it turned out really nice.
Thank you so much, Bonnie! I love your idea – that must have looked amazing with the candle inside!
These are great! I am amazed that Handan lets you play with fire! If I can sneak a lighter I’ll give
this a try.
Thanks!
Maggie
As you saw in the video, I was under her watchful eye, lol! Seriously though, I taught that woman everything she knows about fire! 😀
Now, IF I can ask you a question…..you might just want me to go away after attacking you…(you could afford to lose a follower…especially one like me..but it will not happen again)… I think I might have a ‘ad blocker’ on…. But I am not ‘tecky’ and do not know how to do what you suggested about disabling it for you site..?? (me not being tecky..could be why I did not know you replied to my comment…I think I know what happened…I left the link opened..to watch to see ‘if you replied’…. when I finally closed it and reopened it….it ‘refreshed’ (I think that is what you technical people would call it)…and there was your reply…) I do not know how I would that for just your site. My ‘ex’ put that thingy on my computer for me…and it is handy. But to disable it for just one site…..????!!! Not sure how to disable it ALL……haha….
OK….are you tired of reading from me yet? SORRY for that NOW TOO….
Laura
I’ll get you sorted out. I’ll be back in touch over email!
Hi Laura, did you get my emails yesterday?
I’m going to have to go dig in my craft cupboard. I know I’ve got some alcohol inks floating around somewhere 😉 I’ve got to try this
You’ll love it, Michelle! Totally easy art! 🙂
Hello! I cannot find the link for the video. I would love to see how you do this even though the instructions are awesome. 🙂 Thanks!
Hi Trudy, most likely you are running an ad-blocker, and that is preventing you from seeing our video. If you disable the ad-blocker for our site, you’ll be able to see our videos. 🙂
Wow i love colour and these are gorgeous well done they look fabulous! I think this is something even this old crock could manage (-:
Catherine, you’ll love it! It’s really fun and easy, and honestly the cheapest way I’ve found to get really amazing art for the walls! 🙂
This project has been on my mind for a while. I bought the 91% isopropyl alcohol weeks ago but needed a foil tray. I got that too today; super excited and gloves and all, I started the project on a glass that had nice gold frame. Not the dollar store kind.. Alas…..after soaking the glass with the rubbing alcohol and dropping alcohol inks and setting it on fire (matches as I didn’t have the logs lighter)……I didn’t get results anything close to the “flowing, smooth” colors in your video. I then tried again and again by adding a LOT OF alcohol and colors on top, swirling etc but the fire doesn’t move around as much despite me putting alcohol all over. It just created some spurts here and there and after using up half a box of long matches, I gave up 🙁 I am so bummed.) This looked like the easiest thing as I have done so many other complex art projects but not sure what’s going on here. I feel like I wasted a lot of inks with no results. I am writing here only to see if others had success and may be I am doing something wrong (although not sure what could be wrong in a three step process lol). Thanks for the inspiration anyway.
Okay, let’s try to troubleshoot a few things. First, what brand of inks are you using? Second, what colors did you use? Third, after any of your attempts, did you put the glass on a sheet of white paper? Often, what seems like a “meh” result pops incredibly when placed directly on a white background. Don’t worry too much about your screw-ups – they can easily be cleaned with the isopropyl so you can try again. Other than the things I’ve listed above, I can’t think of why you’d have so much trouble. Maybe you can shoot a video with your phone of how you’re doing it and then send it to me? greg@thenavagepatch.com
Sorry, forgot to add that wherever the fire moved, it just removed the color from the glass, leaving it clear 🙁 Heck the fire doesn’t like me ? 😉
Greg, thanks for the speedy reply! 1. I am using Ranger alcohol inks. 2. I used 3 colors at first (two blues and one green but then added another lighter blue color). I can get exact names if you’d like 3. The results are a bit dark but I think that’s because of my multiple attempts to add colors/isopropyl alcohol and set it on fire. It’s not totally ugly per se but it’s not flowy, blended colors like yours. Mine has those dark borders around the colors spreading out if you know what I mean. I can send a pic to your email and that might help you to see what I have done. If I get to do this again soon, I’ll also include the video. Thank you so much for taking the time to respond!
I’ve played with alcohol inks, blowing through a straw (I use glossy Costco photo paper, not the expensive stuff), and using my little brulee torch…your examples are lovely. However, please try using nice wide, white matting and larger frame to frame your art…it really makes an impressive presentation. Have your inside frame cut slightly smaller so that the glass sits behind it and the outside glass. I hope I’m explaining it properly…in other words, treat your glass art like a photo. You’ll be so impressed with your results!
Love your projects, my first visit, won’t be my last. 🙂
Oh yes, I understand! That is a good idea, Linda, and I’m sure it would make it look much richer! 🙂
I was wondering… do you ever burn twice on the same piece?
Hi Alicia, I never tried! Give it a shot and let us know! 😉
Hi, I was soooo excited to try this I set up everything and then….the piece didn’t catch on fire… I don’t have a lighter so I am using matches, do you think this is the reason? I mean, a lot of alcohol and the fire touches it and doesn’t even burn it a little, nothing…. I am using 91% denaturated alchohol (isopropyl). Help?? xD I’m using pinata brand ink
Juliana, please forgive this late reply! That is really weird, especially with 91% – that stuff burns like gangbusters! I wonder, when did you buy it? Has anyone else had access to it? It almost seems as if you bought a counterfeit bottle, which I could only believe if you bought it during our current crisis. Otherwise, there’s no possible way that 91% alcohol wouldn’t burn. Very strange!
Could you fire the ink on a porcelain trivet? Not to frame but to achieve the same results color wise? Thanks, so beautiful!
Hi Laura, I think you could, but as I haven’t tried it, I can’t say for sure. I’d say go for it!
Loved your video, very inspiring and informative. I especially loved the ending (or outtakes) as it made me feel quite at home if you know what I mean,,,,nudge, nudge, wink, wink.
LOL, glad you enjoyed it, George!
What a fun project. I don’t see the link to the video though. Am I missing it? Thanks.
Hi Karen, the video is in there, but if you have an ad-blocker on, you wouldn’t see it. Try disabling the blocker for this page.
I would like to use your technique on a window. I want to do this on the OUTSIDE of the window ( it tilts toward the inside so it will be horizontal easier to use the tech.). Will it last with weather? Rain, snow, heat…?
Or, if I tire of it, how to remove?
Hi Mary Ellen, while I can’t say for sure, all my experience is saying no – at least not in the long term. The sun will cause the triple-thick glaze to yellow and crack over time.