glycerin 101 for crafters!

Sorry it has taken me so long to compile a list of all of the great uses for glycerin in the craft room. Glycerin is a watersoluble plant based oily liquid that is a main ingredient in many of your art supplies. You can buy Glycerin at a pharmacy or a health food store or in the cake decorating aisle of the craft store (but that is the most expensive way) or if you need a lot of it you can purchase it through a soap making supplier online.

Uses:

Add a few drops to your acrylic paint rince water to increase open time and workability with acrylic paints. It makes your water wetter!

Add a teaspoon of glycerin to a 4oz spray bottle of water and you have dye based ink refresher, shake before using.

Add a couple drops of glycern to student grade watercolor paint in a palette to is does not dry out too much.

There you go, a fairly complete list, If I think of anything else I'll let you know!

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

[barbarahallowell]

I write with fountain pens, some are vintage and need a slippery ink to keep the bladders soft. I mix 2 drops glycerin to 2 drops water and mix it into my fountain pen ink, that's for one pen and one fill, not the whole bottle of ink. It softens the ink, keeps it from clogging up very nice old gold nib without harming them.

[PatriciaBearden]

You can also add it to 91% or 99% alcohol to make it more like a blending solution for alcohol ink painting. I just learned that this week too!😊 Great video! Thanks!! ❤

[DebbieBuckland]

Add a few drops to water for cut flowers it helps keep flowers looking fresher for longer.
Add drops to globby nail polish to help thin the product.
Make rubber stamp cleaner.
Make dry skin lotion.
After fridge cleaning rub inside of fridge so next time it's easier to clean (same with defrosting freazer)

[marciahero]

You can also add a few drops to children's bubbles--the kind you buy so they can blow bubbles with those little wands. It will make the bubbles a little more flexible so they don't break as soon as they blow them.

[ycwalker]

Two things I use it for. Add a bit to your paste food colors that are dry. I learned that from a cake decorating class. Also, it's great for your cuticles. I use it for embossing ink too, of course.

[debsandbob]

Hi just a tip about Glycerin, not for crafting though. When you have mouth ulcers dab some on with your finger to take away the pain
Debs from West Yorkshire  ( UK )

[ShoshiPlatypus]

I love glycerine, too, Lindsay! You have given me plenty more ideas for using it. I love it for mixing with water and spraying on card, crumpling it up and repeat several times, to make faux leather. It breaks down the fibres and makes the card pliable. Fabulous. Love this video - so much fun!

Shoshi

[mypandapaints]

This is a photographers' trick using glycerin. A couple drops into a small bottle of water can be used for any time you are photographing something that has moisture showing in the shot. Ex: a "cold" drink that has condensation on it. Spray lightly while covering up the part of the glass that isn't touching liquid. Then go in with an eyedropper for a couple larger drops for believability. This allows you to control the condensation. 

Portrait of someone sweating. Spray lightly with the mixture on their face and go back in with an eyedropper for some larger beads of sweat. 

Portrait of someone crying. Draw in with a glycerine/water mixture the path of tears and/or ending it with a droplet. 

These are all instances that actual water might dry up while shooting but this will stay wet longer and also keep the surface tension longer to get more shots. 

[MyBelgianAzzy]

Watching in 2019 and delighted to have found this channel! The information on this channel is excellent and provided in a way that even a beginner like me can use.

[norenestallard]

You can use glycerine with baby wash and distilled water to clean your rubber stamps after use. I think the recipe is 1 part glycerine to 2 parts baby wash and two parts distilled water in a spray bottle.

[mariagrimm]

Glycerine also makes a GREAT stamp cleaner--put some with water and a little bit of a surfactant (soap) in a spray bottle and it will also condition the rubber so it doesn't dry out.

[d.w.sparks]

Enjoyed your video ;-)  
From my point of view (older man) I use glycerine when making my shaving lather.  I add 10 drops to my shaving bowl along with my shaving soap or cream. Works really, really well ;-)  It is now an essential part of my pre-shave routine.
Danny,
Haarlem, The Netherlands

[beckylamb]

I always vote for crafting over house cleaning! Thanks for setting a good example!

[Artbynasrinaolcom]

Hi Lindsey:i mix glycerine with lemon juice in a bottle (1/2 glycerine and 1/2 lemon juice)real lemon is better but you have to use a strainer to remove pulps, otherwise it clogs the spray bottle, this mixture is the only thing that gets rid of cracks on the heels of your feet, spray that after every shower while your feet are damp, and shake the bottle before each use😘😘😘

[WendysCraftDen]

Hi Lindsay. Thank you for this I bought a BIG bottle and had forgotten what you said to do with it also. You have cheered me up on a miserable grey, wet and dull morning in Wales. The mad scientist bit was great. Please never change you always cheer me up. Hugs and Luvs xx Wendy

[ZealousZest]

you're the best Lindsay!!! 10 years later I still enjoy this one!! Lori

[shallremainnameless]

Thanks so much for this video. I've just filled my Kuretake water pen with the glycerin, water and gum arabic mixture and am playing with my watercolour pencils. It's like having a whole new drawing medium. The effect is so much nicer than just using plain water. Can't wait to try it with my Akashiya Sai pens and Letraset Aquamarkers.

[bru]

Use a little glycerin mixed in with 5 parts h2o to 1 craft acrylic paint, makes an air brush paint that flows and sinks to the bottom of moderate to highly textured pieces. Use as a glaze too

[suayres]

Don't forget: it's also great for dry skin--add a couple drops of rosewater, and you have an old-fashioned & quite effective hand lotion!

[purplemav]

This use isn't craft related but....I use the type from the cake deco. section and mix it with my mineral eyeliner powder, I then apply my mix with a eyeliner brush. I find it works so much better then mixing it with water.