Watch a wood grain tumbler tutorial from start to finish. Learn how to spray paint, apply the alcohol inks, decals and epoxy.
I’ve shown you how to decorate a lot of different kinds of tumblers over the past year, but most of them have been primarily for the women in your life. Well, not anymore!
I made a beautiful wood grain tumbler and I’m so excited to show you how easy it is to do! I added decals and photos on it, but you could decorate it however you’d like.
That’s the beauty of making your own DIY tumblers, the sky is the limit on what you can put on them! They can be so personalized to the person you are giving them to which always puts that beaming smile on their face!
Make sure to browse all of my other tutorials on how to make a glitter tumbler, how to make a fabric tumbler, how to apply waterslide pictures to tumblers, and how to make an alcohol ink tumbler.
I have a full video tutorial from start to finish on how to wood grain a tumbler (before the epoxy section) along with some printable instructions at the bottom.
What Color Alcohol Ink for Wood Grain?
There are quite a few different alcohol ink brands and colors on the market.
Let’s Resin, DecorRom, SigWong, and more have all come out with alcohol inks since they are becoming so popular and are such a fun thing to add to resin crafts.
If you are going to start making for crafts with resin, then a large set of a bunch of different colors might suit you well.
I had been using the Ranger Tim Holtz brand so I stuck with that one and honestly it’s the only one I’ve used so I can’t comment on the colors of the other brands.
The best wood grain alcohol ink colors are in the brown range.
Ranger has a great pack of 3 different brown colors that I think work perfectly to mimic the color of wood grain. I used this pack from Amazon that came with Caramel, Ginger, and Latte alcohol ink colors.
If you want even more variety there is a 7 pack of different brown alcohol inks available here.
Materials Needed for Wood Grain Tumbler
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links from Amazon and/or Cricut.com. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my links (purple text).
- tumbler – I used a Built tumbler I bought at Walmart. I also like Mossy Oak and Ozark brand.
- alcohol inks and chip paint brush
- white spray paint
- spray enamel or glaze – this is what I had on hand and used
- epoxy
- printable vinyl for photos (optional) and printer
- Cricut cutting machine and vinyl – always check prices between Cricut.com and Amazon (click links to compare!)
- painter’s tape or electrical tape
Now…How to Make a Wood Grain Tumbler
I will go over all of this in the video below, but here are the bullet points:
Start off by taping off the top of the tumbler with electrical or painter’s tape.
Place it upside down on a turn table or piece of paper in a well-ventilated area and spray the tumbler until every part is covered.
Let the paint fully dry (read side of the can on how long it should take).
I used all three alcohol inks from the pack I mentioned under the materials to make a three tone wood grain tumbler.
You could just use one if you want it all the same color or two for a two tone wood color. As I said every one of these comes out unique!
This is much easier to explain how to do it in the video, so make sure to watch it;) I started by using the darkest color (ginger) and squirted a line of the ink down the tumbler.
Then using the tips of a bristle brush, I brushed the ink back and forth down the length of the tumbler.
There is no right or wrong way of making a wood grain tumbler! That’s what makes them all one of a kind.
Continue adding different colors of the alcohol inks and brushing them one at a time until the entire tumbler is covered.
To make wood knots on the tumbler, dab a small drop of the ink and let it ripple out in a circle. Use the brush to gently brush the edges.
Add another drop or two in the middle to add a more layered look.
One of the best thing about alcohol inks is that they dry very quickly!
How to Seal Alcohol Ink
After about an hour, it is time to seal the wood look tumbler.
Spray a clear coat of enamel over the entire alcohol ink tumbler. This will prevent the inks from running together when the epoxy is added.
Spray the enamel on like we did the spray paint. Spray in a well ventilated area and either spin it on a turntable or walk around it while you spray from about a foot way.
I’d love if you come craft with me on Instagram! I post a ton of short video tutorials on all sorts of different DIY projects. Click the button below!
How to Add Photos to a Tumbler
On the glitter tumblers, I posted tutorials about before, I used waterslide paper to add pictures. You can really do either.
The one thing with waterslide decal paper is that it comes in clear or white. I only had the clear one on hand.
The clear one will show the wood grain if there is any white in the picture. White does not print! So, on a white glitter tumbler using the clear water slide paper was fine.
I looked through my stash and I actually had printable vinyl that I had never used before. It was so easy! I think it might be my new go too!
I printed out pictures of the five grandchildren with a little edge border using Cricut Design Space. You can use any program to print the pictures on the vinyl though.
Also, if you are new to CDS, make sure to check out my series of Cricut Design Space 101 tutorials to get started.
Once they are printed, let them fully dry. Then you’ll need to seal them (just like water slide paper). Spray a light layer of enamel or gloss all over them.
(I believe if you have a laser printer that you don’t have to seal, but since I don’t have a color laser printer, I can’t be certain. Maybe check by adding a little epoxy over the printed vinyl).
Wait about 30 minutes and do another layer, making sure to spray in all directions. I waited another 30 minutes and did a third layer just to be safe!
While they are drying, add a vinyl decal cut from a Cricut cutting machine or another machine to the front if you want.
Once the pictures are fully dry to the touch, cut out the pictures (or you could have the Cricut cut them out!). Peel off the back of the vinyl and place on the wood grain tumbler.
Press down well with your fingers.
Add tape to the top of the tumbler 1-2 mm above the paint line. I wanted to make sure the tumbler would be shiny so I added another light layer of the glaze over the entire tumbler and let it dry.
Step by Step Wood Grain Tumbler Video Tutorial
The entire process is in the video and will seem so much easier once you see how to do it! Make sure to turn your sound on so you can hear the details.
You can also watch the video over on my YouTube channel here.
Time to Add Epoxy to the Tumbler (it’s not as hard as you think!)
I built a DIY tumbler turner that I always use now. If you don’t have one, check out my post here on how to apply epoxy with a homemade hand turner.
Stick the tumbler on the turner and prepare the epoxy. I used 10 ml of both solutions for this wood grain tumbler. Mix them both together well in another cup for at least 3 minutes.
Starting pouring a little epoxy over the tumbler and smooth it all the way up and down the tumbler with a gloved hand.
Add the entire mixture of epoxy over the tumbler and make sure it’s fully covered, including the bottom. Let it turn! I set a timer for 45 minutes and then remove the tape.
Let it turn for another 3-4 hours and then I let mine sit overnight before I remove it. That’s it!
Here’s how the front of the DIY wood grain tumbler turned out with the vinyl layered decal.
And here are the cute photos!
I got to admit, I’m in love with how this turned out. I think I see one for myself in the future, but I’m not sure my cupboard can hold any more tumblers!!
If you’d like to save this tutorial for later, hover over the top left of the picture below and PIN IT now.
Here are the printable directions.
Wood Grain Tumbler Tutorial: Video Tutorial from Start to Finish!
Learn how to make a beautiful wood grain tumbler with a vinyl decal and photos.
Materials
- alcohol Inks
- tumbler
- white spray paint
- spray enamel or glaze
- chip bristle brush
- epoxy
Tools
- Cricut
- DIY Tumbler Turner
Instructions
- Tape off the top of the tumbler. Spray paint a white base coat over the entire tumbler and let dry.
- Apply a thin line of an alcohol ink down the length of the tumbler. Use the top of the bristle brush to spread it out in long strokes.
- Continue adding alcohol inks all the way around the tumbler and brushing them one at a time. Use all the same color or mix up the colors as you go around. Let the inks dry for an hour.
- Spray an enamel or gloss over the entire tumbler to seal the inks. Remove the tape.
- If adding photos, print out photos on printable vinyl. Let fully dry. Spray on three layers of enamel 30 minutes apart to seal the printer ink. Let fully dry.
- Cut out vinyl decal if using and apply to tumbler with transfer tape.
- Add the photo by peeling off the back paper and press firmly on.
- Apply tape to the top 1-2 mm above the paint line.
- Spray one more light layer of gloss or enamel.
- Mix 10 ml of type A and B epoxy and stir well for 3 minutes. Place tumbler on a tumbler turner.
- Pour small amounts of the epoxy over the tumbler and spread in long strokes up and down with a gloved hand while the cup is spinning until the entire tumbler is covered.
- Let spin for 45 minutes and remove the tape. Continue spinning for 3-4 more hours.
- Let fully dry before handling. Enjoy your new wood grain tumbler!
Notes
Make sure to watch the full step by step start to finish video tutorial first to fully understand all the steps!
Recommended Products
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Thank you so much for stopping by. Have a creative day!
Leah
Monday 27th of July 2020
Do you think this same epoxy sealing process would work with ceramic mugs? I want to have a super long lasting seal, but every tutorial I find only has you add mod podge or a spray sealant. Just wondering if you think the epoxy would work on ceramic as well. Thanks for a great tutorial!
Leap of Faith Crafting
Wednesday 29th of July 2020
Hi Leah, I've never done it so I'm not sure. For mugs you need something without a handle or the epoxy is going to run all funky in the spinning process. If it's a ceramic mug without a handle, I would think it would work.
Brittany
Friday 6th of December 2019
I'm about to attempt my first wood grain cup, and I have a question that may or may not be silly. I bought some 20oz tumblers that are repainted white (instead of stainless steel), and was wondering if I needed to put anything on the cup before starting the alcohol ink portion. Maybe painting it with acrylic paint or something? I just didnt want to start it until I figured out if the ink would work properly on that surface or if I'm missing a step! Thanks in advanced, your tutorials have helped me from day one, and I couldn't imagine doing my crafts without you!
Leap of Faith Crafting
Friday 6th of December 2019
Hi Brittany, you know, I'm not exactly sure since I've never tried it on a painted one. Is it totally smooth or does it have a bit of grit to it? If it's not totally smooth I would think it would stick fine. You can always try it and if it starts to run all over just wash it off or paint over it! Good luck and have fun!
elana Hamby
Saturday 27th of July 2019
What kind of printable vinyl did you use for the pictures? I haven't been able to get ahold of any good yet. My email is elanahamby@yahoo.com.
Leap of Faith Crafting
Sunday 28th of July 2019
Hi Elana, I have a link to the exact product on Amazon under the Materials section. It is Cricut printable vinyl!
Ashley
Monday 10th of June 2019
I apologize in advance for the long comment, but I was hoping you could offer some advice. I have made several tumblers using epoxy, both decal only and glittered. I've never had any issues with the epoxy. Recently, I used your tutorial to make my first, second, and third wood grain tumblers (thank you, by the way! Excellent tutorial!) So far, I've used the epoxy on 2 of 3 tumblers and I'm having the same problem with both. When I applied the epoxy, everything was slick and smooth like it should have been. However, about an hour in (at least the 2nd time, the 1st I didn't find for about 4 hours) it starts to dry splotchy. The best way I can think to describe it is when water hits an oil or grease spot or when you use rain-x on your windows; it gathers in certain places while leaving other spots completely devoid of epoxy. At first I thought it was because I rushed through the first one, having done it while at home on lunch...but the second one I took my time and made sure every inch was covered. I even sat and watched it for the entire first hour on the turner. By the time it started doing it, there wasn't anything I could do to fix it. Have you had this happen? Do you have any suggestions? The only thing that's different in these vs. tumblers I've done in the past is adding that clear coat spray and I wonder if that's it....but I know it's a necessary step!! Help, please!!
Emily
Wednesday 24th of July 2019
I had the same problem too! I think it has to do with the stype of spray sealant used. Mine was a shiny top coat, but maybe a Matte clear coat would work better? I've found that the epoxy doesn't do that "slipping" patchy thing if it has something to grip on to. Whenever it happens I try to sand it down and get it as even as I can and then add another epoxy layer.
But I did have a different question. After sanding the epoxy and adding another layer on top, what's the best way to make the epoxy shiny again before adding the second layer? I've found that patches will look dull between the layers and while it's not a huge problem I want to see if I can do better!
Leap of Faith Crafting
Wednesday 12th of June 2019
Hi Ashley, on no! That sounds so frustrating. I've never had that happen, so I'm just guessing here. My first thought was maybe there were just a few spots you missed with the clear coat spray or spots for some reason that had too much of the spray. What spray are you using?
My other thought is maybe the epoxy itself. I know it can be fickle if it gets exposed to anything in the cup or from a stirrer or if it's not stirred long enough. Where are you having it turn? If it's outside and windy, any possibility something got on it??
I haven't tried this so I don't know for sure, but maybe instead of the spray try adding a layer of mod podge instead. Since it doesn't run too much, I dont' think it will change the alcohol inks, but again that's a total guess. Have you tried adding a second layer of epoxy after sanding it? Or using a new can of spray sealant? Those are just my thoughts, I'm sorry I don't have a definite answer for you! I really hope you're albe to figure it out soon!!!
Tanja B.
Wednesday 5th of June 2019
Would it be possible to seal the wood grain tumbler with just Mod Podge like you did in one of your other tutorials? I cannot use epoxy where I live, but I would love to try out a wood grain tumbler. I am aware that it would not be as shiny/smooth as with epoxy and I know that I would need to tape off the top. Just wondering...
Leap of Faith Crafting
Friday 7th of June 2019
HI Tanja, I would think so. I have not tried it, but I wouldn't see why it wouldn't work. I would still spray to seal it first just in case the mod podge might make it run. Triple thick would be another option and Mod Podge has come out with a really thick sealer that I haven't tried, but might be worth looking into. I'd love to know how it goes!!