Eddie just finished his first glitter Keyblade. He found a great design on the internet and used it for shape and color inspiration. 


Note: If using the internet for inspiration be sure not to sell your finished creation. Keep it and enjoy it for yourself.

He grabbed a sheet of plywood (1/2" or 3/4" is fine) and a jigsaw.

He drew out the design on tracing paper and transfered it to the plywood. Not only was the outline transferred, but the actual design where the different glitter colors will go. He then used a jigsaw to cut out the keyblade.

Close up of the Keyblade before it is decorated.  At this stage, you can continue on or if you are really into woodworking you can take a router to the edges and round them or chamfer them for added interest. If you are really handy with a router you can also lay down some "trenches" where the inside lines are. Get a simple or as technical as you like and feel comfortable with.

Eddie used masking tape to mask off the various sections of the Keyblade. This gave him very clean lines between the different glitters colors. He then got the glitter and Mod Podge ready for the next step. Note about masking: Removing the tape before the Mod Podge dries is recommended. If you wait until it dries you can sometimes tear the edge of the glue. Allow dry time between colors to keep your edges clean and colors distinct.

For the silver and blue glitter areas, Eddie mixed the Mod Podge with the silver craft glitter (chunky flake). He then applied the glitter/glue mix with a spatula. This lays a heavy layer of glitter down and gives it a textured finish. He really wanted a super sparkly look so he does not recommend this method to achieve that. For a super sparkly finish, it is best to lay down the Mod Podge and sprinkle the glitter on top.  Even though Mod Podge dries glossy it does knock down the shine a bit when it is mixed in with glitter.

For the hilt he used the second method- Mod Podge brushed on with glitter sprinkled on top. The result on the hilt (black/gold area) is very sparkly. Outside in the sun, the entire Keyblade is very sparkly and looks great!

The Keyblade is ready for action.... or at least admiration!

We used The Essentials Glue Pad for this project. We sell it over at our BulkGlitters.com website. It is also available at many decent craft stores. We like this brand for its price and quality. We also used a rubber stamp and Ultra Fine Polyester Glitters. Using fine and ultra fine glitters is going to be the best way to go with rubber stamping glue. It just is not thick enough glue to grab chunky glitters and hold on.

For today's project we are doing the white frame with metallic glitters. If you have a dark frame you might consider using the Ultra Fine Iridescent Glitters. They really pop when they are put over a dark surface!

We need to put glue on the stamp pad first. Put just enough to get the pad wet. We have a small stamp so we just put the glue in a small area of the pad (not the whole surface).

We took a cleaned stamp and stamped into the glue and then onto the painted wood frame. Test your stamp on paper first. Note: When stamping on a painted or slick surface you can expect a little slippage. Keep a firm grip on the stamp and make sure it does not slide left to right on contact.

The glue does not dry super fast. You can stamp at least a few times and then begin applying glitter.  In this case we went for two colors for added interest. Here is the first color...

Here is the second color.

Just to make sure the glitter was sticking we did take a finger and very lightly press the glitter into the glue.

Excess glitter was tapped off. We then allowed the glue to dry.

When the glue was dry we went back in with a soft brush and got any loose glitter off the frame.

Be sure to cover the stamp pad with the protective cover to keep it wet and fresh for next time.

Don't forget to clean your stamp with water and a paper towel!  You may not be used to doing this step with ink. It is important to do it when stamping in glue.

Here is the finished frame!  It was a fast project and it makes a great personalize gift.  Stamping with glue can be done on all sorts of items and surfaces.  Hope you give it a try!