Hi friends! This week I was in experimentation mode. I have been asked a lot lately if I knew how to make a cheaper version of Wink of Stella pens. They are a glittery brush tip marker that is all the rage and quite pricey at $7 a pop! Here is my first try, they were very pretty but more like the Wink of Luna pens according to my viewers:
The real wink of Luna pens are nearly $10 a piece so to make a set of 12 for less than the price of one its awesome I think! But still I needed to go back to the drawing board to capture the glittery goodness of the Wink of Stella pens. Here is my second try. I showed these pens in action in yesterday’s video if you want to see them used on a project.
Disclaimer: I have never used either the wink of Stella or Wink of Luna pens so I can’t say if they are better or worse, all I can say is that I really like my homemade version and I had the stuff on hand already to make them. Keep in mind that you can refill your old wink of stella pens with ink and shimmer and make your own custom blends even if you would rather buy than try, there is no point is wasting a lovely water-brush.
Supplies for Wink of Luna fakes:
- Pack of mini Elmer’s paintastics (I paid $5 at Mardens)
- Blick liquid watercolors, I used gold, silver and pearl but if you have to choose pick pearl. You can also use fine mica powder like perfect pearls or Pearl-ex micro pearl. Use what YOU have.
Supplies for the Wink of Stella fakes:
- 3 pack of Royal water-brushes ($6 at AC Moore-cheaper with a coupon!)
- Future/Pledge floor wax or any light acrylic sealer
- Super fine or micro glitter
PS I tried adding the liquid first and then the glitter but it was a sticky mess, the glitter cling to the opening and edges of the brush. You can proceed however you like.
How do you think I did? Do you like making frugal alternatives to pricey art supplies or would you rather buy the real deal and be done with it. I like the messy experimentation myself! Thanks so much for stopping by and til next tiem happy crafting!
The Frugal Crafter Blog 
I like to experiment. It reminds me of when I was a little girl and I made glue from flour and water , put it in a jar with a lid and left it in my dresser drawer. What I found the next time I opened that drawer was a big flowing mess. Actually I think I actually ended up with a dough starter and just didn’t know it then. That was almost 65 years ago! Love all your fun lessons. Thank you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lindsey I tried this and I’m having problems…the glitter won’t come out with the liquid…I used the same brush as you and as use fine glitter and I don’t know what I’m doing wrong…I’m letting it sit over night hoping the mixture will bind together and see if that helps…
I did notice there were alot of bubble in mine …could that be the problem…please help….thank you!!!!
LikeLike
I had to take a pin and poke it through the brush tip to unclog it when I made the red one. You can even open the hole up a bit that way. Then it worked like a charm. You can do it through the bristles or unscrew the cap and poke the pin up from the bottom of the bristles and give it a wiggle and it will make a bigger opening. Just make sure to store it tip up when not using it!
LikeLike
YOU ROCK!!! Thank you – I love most if not all of your frugal interpretations and your website is what I always turn to when looking for ways to save cash in this crazy creative hobby!!!
LikeLike
wow, this is awesome. I own all the wink of stella & wink of luna… and aI love them. but your are dead on. now I am willing to try it on my own. thanks
LikeLike
I have the Wink of Stella clear and color with my Copics and use the clear WS on top…that way I only had to buy the one and with a coupon!!! Works great. Your faux pens look like they work well too and similar to the Wink of Stella, as I have tried the colored ones…however, I get a smoother look by using the COPICS and then the clear WS.
TFS
Jan
LikeLike
Hi Lindsey, I love all your tutorials and will be trying the faux glitter pens for myself. You’re postings are the first I look for when checking out my e-mails. I always love saving $$$ when doing crafts and you always have wonderful ideas to help do that. Thanks for helping all us crafter’s have fun and same money too.
LikeLike
Hi Lindsey, I love all your tutorials and will be trying the faux glitter pens for myself. You’re postings are the first I look for when checking out my e-mails. I always love saving $$$ when doing crafts and you always have wonderful ideas to help do that. Thanks for helping all us crafter’s have fun and save money too.
LikeLike
I love the frugal, make my own versions. If I can make a product and save money I am all for it. I also love to experimenting with trying to make my own. Please do more of these! Hugz~Lynda
LikeLike
Oh my gosh I cannot tell you how much money you have saved me in my crafting Thank you Thank you Thank you. I also spread the word about your site to other crafters.
LikeLike
Another great idea Lindsay, you just continue to provide them and I continue to be amazed. What i appreciate most is you anticipate what we need and provide it before we know we need or want it. Thanks so much for all you do.
LikeLike
Awesome idea! I just have the clear Wink of Stella and apply it over coloring, so will be trying this- great video- you Rock! I love watching your video’s and am amazed at all of the ideas you come up with!
LikeLike
How comparable would you say the shimmer and glittery acrylic paints are to the Wink of Stella or Luna would they work and flow through a brush pen? They could even be diluted a little bit, Ya?
LikeLike
Thanks for sharing. While I was looking for water brushes on Amazon I found a review for Wink of Stella that said this and thought it was worth a try when mine is empty:
You guys know they are just water brushes filled with mica powder, but cheaper right? WHen they are empty, add some more water when they are totally empty pop out the little black thingy that you squeeze water into add a bit of your favorite mica powder then pop the black squezy thing back in shake and use.
LikeLike
This is just awesome. Will definitely try this.
LikeLike
Very cool, great share!
LikeLike
Oh I love the messy fakes thank you so much for sharing this is a wonderful idea I will be trying this afternoon
LikeLike
Hi sweet Lindsay! I just want to send congratulations as I saw this morning you won the annual “Best Thrifty Crafter” award on YouTube! Yaaaay! The trophies look amazing this year, wooooohooo! I do have WoS pens. Yours looks very, very similar. I would say the only difference is that WoS glitter is so micro micro micro fine, that you cannot see any individual specs. Perhaps they are using a type of Perfect Pearl in a clear base. I do not know. The WoL pens are very similar to what you created. Cheers to you, Lindsay! You so ROCK!!!!
LikeLike
Hi Lindsay, is there any other medium I can use besides the acrylic sealer?
LikeLike
hairspray maybe:)
LikeLike
Lindsay, it’s not easy for me to find acrylic sealer at my local store and I didn’t want to be using hairspray since my daughter will be handling the faux wos pens more than me. Is there a safer, child friendly medium?
LikeLike
you could try watering down some washable kids glue.
LikeLike
Thank you Lindsay.
LikeLike
I tried this and after it dries all the glitter fell off, why did this happen? What could I have done wrong?
LikeLike
did you use the Future/Pledge floor wax? Mine is holding tight to the paper. Maybe you picked up something else? The floor wax is realy a light acrylic sealer maybe you tried something else.
LikeLike
Excellent, looks just like it!! To avoid some of the mess, I’d use a plastic pipette to add the floor wax, or an eye dropper saved for art purposes. LOVE all your videos! Pamela
LikeLike
I really enjoyed your wink of stella video
LikeLike
oh yay. I just looked at wink of stella and was like….no not $6 a piece. I will have to buy most of the supplies, but if I do it slow and with coupons, I can make wink of stellas forever in any color I want—and I can be a nice mom and let my kids use them! Do these work over colored pencil ok? that’s all I have and am not planning on copics soon.
LikeLike
I think they will
LikeLike
Hello Lindsey, thank you for this great tutorial!
It’s not easy for me to find floor wax, so I was wondering, what if I dilute some Aleene’s turbo tacky glue with alcohol? They should work exactly the same way as floor wax, ain’t they? I fear that watering down glue would make a mess on cardstock.
Please help me!
LikeLike
how about using hairspray as the liquid?
LikeLike