DIY Sparkle Earrings with FolkArt Glitterific

Thanks to Plaid Crafts for sponsoring today’s post. All opinions are honestly my own.

If you’ve been following along lately, you already know I have a new crafty obsession: FolkArt® Glitterific™ Acrylic Paint. It’s a brand new product from Plaid Crafts, and I love it because it allows you to make some of the most sparkly, glittery projects you’ve ever seen without any of the mess! Pieces of glitter in a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors are suspended in a clear base and the amount of sparkle they produce is out of this world. Today, I want to show you how incredibly easy it is to use Glitterific to create gorgeous glittered earrings; take a look.

I think you’re really going to love this project because it takes very few supplies, very little time, and no fancy skills. You can create them for yourself, or they’d also make great gifts for birthdays, Mother’s Day, and of course, “Galentine’s Day.”

You’ll need:

Earring Blanks/Bezels: These are the ones I used, just $2 at Michaels for 30!
Ear Wires: I used small kidney ear wires, but you can use any kind you like
FolkArt Glitterific: I used Unicorn, Gold, Rose Gold, and Blue Moon
Small Paintbrush
Optional – FolkArt Brushed Metal and or Color Shift paint

Step 1: Apply a base coat of FolkArt Brushed Metal or Color Shift paint inside the bezel.

Although we’re planning on filling in the whole area with Glitterific, since the glitter is suspended in a clear base,  you might see a bit of the surface peeking through in certain spots. If you want to see a color or a different shade of metal instead, you can paint the surface with whatever you like and let it dry before moving on to the glitter. For this particular project, I did just one very light coat of FolkArt Brushed Metal, but you can use as many coats and whatever color you want.

Step 2: Use a small paintbrush to apply enough Glitterific to completely cover the bezel.

Think of it less like painting and more like filling a pan with cake mix. The paint is thick, and you don’t want to brush it on like you normally would, you want to plop a bunch inside that bezel to fill it up. You can use your finger or a toothpick to move around individual pieces of glitter to get exactly the look you want.

If you haven’t heard already, Glitterific is available now on the Plaid website and is coming very soon to craft retailers near you. It can be used on lots of surface types including wood, metal, plastic, terracotta, paper mache, glass, ceramic, and canvas for decorative purposes. There are 10 colors available now, and 11 more are coming this Spring.

This time, I focused on the metallic colors: Rose Gold, Gold, and Silver, since I hadn’t tried them yet. I couldn’t resist playing with Blue Moon too; look at that gorgeous color combination! To see some of the other colors, check out my previous jewelry projects and my DIY clipboard. I’m having real trouble deciding which one is my favorite!

Make sure to let the Glitterific dry completely before you move on to the next step. It will probably be dry to the touch in about 30 minutes, but it’s best to let your earrings dry overnight before assembling and wearing them. The thicker you apply the Glitterific, the longer it will take to dry and cure.

Believe it or not, you do not need any kind of sealer or top coat. The formula is self-sealing and holds all the glitter in place with absolutely no mess!

Step 3: Add ear wires.

The easiest type of wires to use are kidney shaped, like the ones pictured below. All you have to do is open them up and slide your earring bezel on. If you prefer a french hook or other style of ear wire, you’ll just need to twist them open with a pair of pliers, add your earring bezel, and twist them shut again.

That’s all there is to it! There are so many combinations of Color Shift, Brushed Metal, and Glitterific that you could make a huge variety of unique earrings. They’re a really easy, affordable DIY gift idea; I got enough bezels for 15 pairs for just $2, and the ear wires are equally inexpensive.

Another thing about these earrings that I really like is how light they are; they provide dangle and sparkle without weighing a ton like some earrings do.

Since Color Shift, Brushed Metal, and Glitterific are all water-based paints, cleanup is quick and easy, which means you have more time to focus on fun things like thinking of your next sparkly project! I can’t wait to wear my new earrings; in fact, I wore the gold ones already. Which ones are your favorites?

Do you like it? Then you oughta put a pin on it!

Be sure to check out these other Glitterific projects by my fellow Plaid Creators!

DIY Glitter Heart Cake Toppers – The Pretty Life Girls

Glitter Popsicle Stick Frame – Made to be a Momma

Let’s Be Adventurers Glitter Globe Banner – Flamingo Toes

DIY Hand Ring Dish – Positively Splendid

Mommy and Me Bracelets – The Cards We Drew