How did you get started in tumbler making, and what inspired you to pursue this craft?
I started making tumblers during covid lockdown. My place of work was closed for 18 months and I needed a creative outlet. I started by making shirts and cups using just vinyl and a heat press. As more months passed I wasn’t enjoying making those things anymore, nothing was original, it was all ideas from things other people had made or licensed designs that I couldn’t share online. Epoxy tumblers was something I had always wanted to try and this seemed like the perfect time to start. So when my birthday came in April 2020 I bought myself a turner and starter epoxy kit and found Chunky Glitter Company that happened to be right around the corner from my house for my glitter needs. I quickly fell in love with making tumblers and haven’t looked back.
Can you walk me through your creative process when designing and crafting tumblers?
Making tumblers is a bit of a process. I start with a plain stainless tumbler and prep it by giving it a light sand and sometimes, depending on the design I will be doing, the cup will get a base spray paint coat. Next if I am making a tumbler wrap cup for example. I will apply the tumbler wrap to the cup and trim the top and bottom of the cup making a nice clean line. After that I will use mod podge to glitter the butt of the cup and the top rim before coating in epoxy. That coat will spin on the cup turner until it is dry. The next step is adding nail tape to pinstripe where the wrap and glitter meet at the top and bottom of the wrap. Clean the rim and back on the turner for another coat. Once cured the cup will get a light sand and go back on the turner for its final coat of Epoxy.
What types of materials and tools do you find essential for creating high-quality tumblers?
My most important tools required to make high quality tumblers are my cup turners that were built by my dad, a highly rated (and used by many popular tumbler makers in the U.S) epoxy, and blank tumblers of a good quality that I order from Captive Design Blanks.
Do you have a tip you want to share?
If your thinking of making tumblers I’d say trust the process it takes time to find the right products for you to grow the skills and learn the many techniques that can be used in tumbler making.
What is your favourite CGC glitter or product?
My favorite CGC glitter is Judy because it is named after my mom.
