Supplies Needed for a Tumbler

People might hesitate to start making their own tumblers because they're afraid of all the upfront costs/supplies needed.  You can get away with going with less and still get an amazing tumbler.  Here's a list of all the items you absolutely have to have.  At the bottom will be a list of all the things you can get but don't necessarily need.

1. Tumbler of some kind.  You can go with a cheap one from Wal-mart like this one or this.  Or you can order a bunch from different sources on-line and get a bulk pricing.
2. Epoxy.  There are tons of kinds available.  My preferred one is Clear Casting and Coating Epoxy Resin as it doesn't have a strong odor to it.  I tried a different company that came highly recommended but it gave me a headache so I'm sticking with this one. 
3. Glitter. You can literally get glitter anywhere even the dollar store.  Glitter is glitter and any will work
4. Glue of some kind.  Read my last post about the different methods of adhering glitter to the cups.
5. Tumbler turner.  It can be one that was purchased, made with a motor, or even one you manually crank but you will need something that keeps you tumbler moving to prevent weird curing of the epoxy.
6. Disposable gloves.  The resin will get on your hands and other parts and will take forever to not feel sticky.  Any kind you like using is what you should use
7. Measuring cups.  You will want to measure the two parts of epoxy.  You can go the disposable kind or you can get silicone ones.  There are pluses and minuses to both options.  The disposable cost will add up and it ends in the landfill.  However, once your done with it your done.  Silicone has a higher upfront cost but you can reuse it.  The issue with reusing it is you will need to make sure it is 100% clean before reusing it and that can be a pain.

That's all you really need to make a glitter cup. 

If you wanted fancier you still wouldn't need to break the bank.

1. Acrylic Paint can be the cheap kind from Wal-mart or Joann's.  A couple of drops in the epoxy and you get a shimmering pretty cup.
2. More expensive but just as cool is the Resin Dye.  It can be price but it goes a long way.
3. Automatic tumbler turner if you don't want to hand turn.  There are several options available.  Here is the one that I bought and like.  It came with a bunch of other stuff I needed to do my first cup.  But there are hundreds of options available.  There are ones that have a double tumbler with drying stand included but it all adds up in cost.  There are also other cups tumblers that are cool but only really work with smaller cups so if you only want to do 20 oz and under it works great.
4. If you don't want to use paint or glitter you can use Mica Powder.  If you branch off into molds you will want this to get color into your molds.  I've only ever gotten the multi-pack but you can buy the exact color you want and it is cheaper to go that route if there is only one color you're interested in.
5. If you want vinyl on your cup that will be a whole other list of items including a cricut, the cut files, and the vinyl.  You can buy pre-made vinyl if you don't want to buy all of these supplies and design you own file.
6. The last big optional item would be this plug.  The plug puts your turner on a timer so it doesn't continue to run.  This is great for saving some energy and keeping you turner from turning all night when you only need it to go for 6 hours. 

I know it seems daunting to see all the supplies but it can be reasonable if you find some deals and steals.  

Happy Crafting!