Sharpie Paint Markers Mini Review

 

Have you watched a video of how they use a regular Sharpie on glassware? Or have looked at a Pinterest pin and thought “I could do that”. It looks really good, doesn’t it? But does it work? I am here to tell you that using a regular Sharpie on glassware is my biggest Pinterest fail to date. I did just what the instructions said. It looked good for a few washes and then it was like I picked it out of the 25 cent bin at the Woolworths.

This idea has been milling around in my head. Last year we did the paint on wine glasses craft for Christmas Craft Club. This is where you use a special paint for glassware, paint it, let it cure for about a week, and then bake it in the oven. It reminded me of the Sharpie Pinterest fail. The glass is really cute. However, I refuse to use it. I paid way to much money to have that glass disintegrate. So instead I take it out around the holiday season and put Dove chocolates in it.

I will admit that I have had these Sharpie Paint Markers in my house, new in the package for a very long time. But I was afraid to use them on anything in fear that the project would turn out like all the others, rediculous Pinterest fails!!!

I took them out the other day when I was making the Glitter Mug.  This was a great time to see how good they really are. I made another mug in silver so that I could try them worry-free. I couldn’t use them on my gold glitter mug, what if they were terrible, then that project would be ruined and so would the tutorial I made for all of you.

When I took them out of the package my heart was beating. I was praying that they were going to be easy to use and not ruin the mug. I know I said it was worry-free but I really like the silver mug. After using them I was pleasantly surprised. I have now used the silver mug for several weeks. I do hand wash it. Here are the pros and cons of the Sharpie Paint Markers. At the end of the post, I have some GREAT tips for you about using the markers.

PROS

1. Inexpensive– I paid under $8 for both of these markers.
2. Hold well in the package– I did not use them for over 8 months after I bought them and they worked like a charm (with lots of shaking).
3. Write smooth– I was surprised how well the painted flowed from the tip once I got it started.
4. Non drip– it did not matter how slow I pulled the tip across the mug, the paint did not pool or run. Also, I colored in areas, like the hearts and there were no paint drips there either.
5. Wears well– it has been several weeks and it still looks like the day I painted it (FYI: I use the mug frequently).
6. It does not need several coats– I only used one coat on the silver mug. I could have painted more. However, you get full coverage with one pass, so I felt that only one coat was needed.

 

CONS

1. Shaking– I had to shake the marker a lot. Of course, this could be because my markers are quite old.
2. Difficult initial use– it took several tries to get the paint to the tip as the directions stated. To aid with this see the tips below.

 

TIPS

1. Clean the mug with isopropyl alcohol really well. This takes off any fingerprints and allows the paint to adhere nicely.
2. I used a paper towel to get the paint flowing to the tip. Shake, then press the tip on the paper towel. Keep repeating this process until the paint flows freely.
3. Once the paint is flowing freely, use it first on the printer paper to ensure constant even flow. This helps prevent any mistakes on your project. I usually just draw a line or heart.
4. Let dry for a week. This allows the paint to cure. Once cured you can wash the cup by hand without any signs of wear. I let the glitter mug cure for over a week because of the Modge Podge so this was am easy step for me.
5. If you make a mistake. Use isopropyl alcohol with a cotton swab immediately. It will remove the paint and not leave a residue so you can reapply.

 

I have created a video for you. I am using the markers on the silver mug so you can see exactly how they work. If you have tried the Sharpie Paint Markers let me know what you think.

As Always,

Happy Crafting!