DIY Glitter Art

If you happen to travel outside of the country from time to time, I’m sure you can can relate to the situation here. You’re at the airport..heading home..and you still have a handful of Euro, Icelandic Krona, or whatever currency used in your destination of choice. Not enough to buy anything substantial or convert back into your native currency, so you’re stuck trying to find something useful at one of those airport shops. I found myself in this exact predicament when we were leaving Paris a few of months ago.

Postcards seem to be a consistently inexpensive, even at airports! And although these are more like prints than postcards, they were something like 1 Euro a piece. And can be a great base for some DIY glitter art!

DIY Glitter Art - Tulips and a Terrier

And although you can certainly frame tastefully selected airport postcards and prints into a relatively chic art display, you can also take it up a notch with a handful of glitter.

DIY Glitter Art - Tulips and a Terrier

Because I would really hate to waste an opportunity to use my glitter set. And while I used prints, this would be doable with any postcard! You’ll also need a glue pen. Also, don’t forget to cover your surface with kraft paper or something of the sort. I like to lay a large sheet of paper down to cover the entire surface and use a smaller piece directly under the glittering area that can be easily folded to pour excess glitter back into the jar.

This couldn’t be any easier! Simply pick an aspect of the postcard you’d like to accentuate (the Eiffel tower seemed like an obvious choice) and fill in the shape with the glue pen.

DIY Glitter Art - Tulips and a Terrier

Sprinkle liberally with glitter!  Let it set for a couple of minutes, and then tap off the excess.

DIY Glitter Art - Tulips and a Terrier

Depending on the size of the shape you wish to accentuate, you could also outline it in glitter rather than filling it in completely.

DIY Glitter Art - Tulips and a Terrier

Which allows you to keep some of the detail within. In addition to the Eiffel tower, I added some sparkle to the fountains and lanterns in this print.

DIY Glitter Art - Tulips and a Terrier

While I’m at it, why not add some sparkle to Pont Alexandre III (although no amount of glitter can ever do justice to how magical this bridge looks when it’s all lit up at night..sigh).

DIY Glitter Art - Tulips and a Terrier

I added some bits of glitter to the water too, to try to recreate how the Seine shimmers at night (again, impossible to recreate..you just need to go there).

And some shimmering trees were in order on the last print. Seriously though, any project that allows me to use multiple shades of glitter in a non-tacky way are alright in my book.

DIY Glitter Art - Tulips and a Terrier

Once you’re satisfied with the level of glitter on your postcard/print, simply let it dry for a couple of hours and lightly brush off excess glitter with a small paintbrush. I decided to frame the prints in  simple white document frames from Ikea, but removed the plastic frame cover (I felt it detracted from the glitter a bit).

I’d love to hear what you think! Ever been to this magical city? Or attempted a souvenir DIY?

– Lusine