The holidays are almost here! Everyone has been busy decorating, mailing out special cards, gathering family and friends… whatever your projects are this year, we want to help you find the perfect markers and pens to use!!
To wrap up our 3-part holiday blog series, find some neat ideas with products from Zig Kuretake!
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Zig Memory System
If you are looking for an assortment of pens for papercrafts, you don’t have to look much farther than the Zig Memory System! A group of products specially designed for projects like cardmaking, scrapbooking, etc- the Memory System has just about everything! Various double-ended markers with different tip styles, “2 Way” Glue sticks, fine line writing pens, metallic brush pens, glitter markers, calligraphy pens, embossing markers, multicolor sets, and more!
The dual-ended pens come with different tip combinations to let kids (and adults!) experiment with how to make a variety of marks!
Browse the entire Memory System line HERE!!
Kid Crafting
Zig Memory System markers are water-based and safe for kids to use! Try some of the dual-ended pens like the Zig Writer to let the kiddos color their own ornaments, or use with coloring books! Make sure to check out the Memory System Clearance Section to find some colors of the Zig Writer for only $0.98!!
Thanks to Nathan for sharing his gingerbread man ornament!!
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Kurecolor Ink Marbling
Our blog featured this technique a while back, but we loved it so much we had to revisit it for the holidays this year. Zig Kurecolor Ink bottles are made for refilling the Kurecolor markers, but have other uses as well! Try dropping some ink into a tray of foam shaving cream.. swirl the drops around a bit.. and then press cardstock, envelopes, paper ornaments, etc. facedown into the mixture. Then lift up, scrape off the foam, and you are left with a beautiful marbled color design!
Get creative trying to make different swirl patterns! Or add a mix of different colors!
After the first pass with your scraper (you can use a squeegee, piece of cardboard, etc..) there may still be some shaving cream left over on your paper. You can gently remove it after it has dried a bit. Trying to wipe it off right away can smudge the swirls of color.
*This technique works best on thicker paper. If you want the same look on plain papers, or multiple copies of the same designs, make a “master copy” with cardstock, then use a copy machine to print your own unique cards, stationary, even gift wrap!
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Decoupage Glue Pen
The art of decoupage was a big craze years back, and the craft has not gone away! Create some uniquely-made objects using scraps from books, tissue/wrapping/wall paper, magazine clippings, etc! Decoupage involves taking various cut outs/scrap papers and sealing them to an object, leaving a layered look with a glossy coat over the top. With the Zig Decoupage Marker, a glue/water mixture is already done for you and this craft becomes fast and easy!
A fun craft for any age! Create one-of-a-kind gifts.. or gift boxes! Also try decoupaging ornaments.. photo album covers.. flower vases.. See what interesting looks you can give any item with decoupage!
Newspaper and magazines are full of holiday clippings you can cut out for your crafts.
Layer different pictures and letters onto ornaments, gift boxes, etc. using the Decoupage glue pen!
We also tried sealing layers of yarn into a shape with the Decoupage glue and it worked, leaving us another awesome handmade ornament!
Some Tips:
-For rounded surfaces, try to use softer, more flexible materials that will bend around the shape easily.
-Things printed from an inkjet printer, or colored with certain markers, are more likely to have their color bleed when the decoupage glue gets them wet, so use caution and test a cut-out first if possible.
-To give your piece added protection and durability, cover the top layer with a sealant.
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Zig Eraser Pens
One of our newest pens at Marker Supply, the Zig Eraser Pens work with alcohol-based markers on non-porous surfaces to create “reverse coloring” art! Color in a space or make a design with your colored markers (try the Zig Kurecolors or Zig Painty FX) and then write or draw over the color with the eraser pen to remove the color and make fun designs!
(Tip: Keep a piece of scrap paper or a tissue handy to clean the color off of the eraser pen tip after every few marks. This helps erase the color more completely in the first stroke. Depending on the thickness of the color, it could take a few passes to entirely erase the color coat.)
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Window Art
Doing any special decorating on surfaces like your windows, mirrors, chalkboard walls, etc.? Zig has MANY paint markers specially designed for that task! Have fun making some lovely holiday artwork for your home or business!
Want your marks to stay on longer, maybe for outside windows in the rain or snow?
Choose a paint marker like the Zig Posterman or Zig Woodcraft. These will need to be removed with a household/window cleaner (or try the Scrubs wipes!) and should hold up if in contact with plain water.
Want your marks able to be removed more easily and without special cleaners?
Go with the Zig Wet Wipe or Zig Illumigraph markers. Their paint will wipe off with plain water on a damp cloth! Illumigraph markers are very fluorescent and look especially bright under black lights.
While Zig Woodcraft Markers work great for glass/chalkboard art, also try them for their traditional use: wood crafts!
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Oil-Based Zig “Painty” Markers
Doing any decorating that needs some heavy-duty painted marks? Try using oil-based permanent paint markers! Zig features the Painty markers, that come in extra fine, fine & medium bullet tips and a very large selection of unique colors. A version of the Zig Painty marker that we LOVE for holiday crafts are the Zig Painty Twin markers.
These dual-ended pens are like having 2 pens in one!
Available in Gold & Silver with extra fine tips, or in Black & White with fine bullet tips.
There are dozens of paintys to choose from- great pens for adding a fun splash of color to projects of many kinds!
**The Painty markers are Oil-based and contain Xylene. They are not appropriate markers for crafting with children.
**Plan to paint on a mug or other dishes? Oil-based paint will come off when it is washed!! Use the Pebeo glass/porcelain paint markers instead. See our previous blog about decorating with the Pebeo markers & paints!!
**See the Painty Clearance colors sections to grab certain colors of these markers for only $1.00!!
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See our previous blogs in the Holiday Decorating Series:
–Part 1: Marvy Uchida
–Part 2: Pebeo
Have any holiday marker crafts that you / your friends & family like to do? We love seeing what creative ideas you guys come up with! Post/tag us on our social media pages or email us!
Thanks for following our Holiday Decorating Series here at the Marker Supply Blog. We hope your holiday season is filled with lots of wonderful things!!!
Valentine’s Day is coming up, and for those of you who get into the cards and crafts of the season, we’ve got some neat do-it-yourself ideas that are as fun to make as they are to give! These quick, easy, and inexpensive projects work great for special occasions all year long!
Ink Marbling Shaving Cream Cards
A great feature of the Zig Kurecolor markers is that they are refillable… But there are other uses for those bottles of Kurecolor Refill Ink!
This really fun project for creating cards is a simple and quick way to make some awesome designs!
What you’ll need:
–Bottles of Kurecolor Ink (you can use just one color, or 2-3 color shades that complement each other)
-Shaving Cream (make sure it’s the FOAM, and not the GEL. If you only have the gel kind, you can work it into foam with your hands first. )
-White card stock or paper (it can be cut into the shape you want before or after coloring)
-Plate or tray (to be your shaving cream surface)
-Swirling Stick (popsicle stick, chopstick, etc.- something to swirl the ink drops slightly)
-Scraper (something flat to scrape the shaving cream off of the paper)
-Paper Towels/Rubber gloves (whatever will help you keep things clean as you work)
**Use caution with the Kurecolor ink. It is alcohol-based and can stain the surfaces that it gets on! Also, the ink content makes this project not suitable for young children to do.
The process:
Make a layer of shaving cream in your tray. Using just a few dots of the ink, squeeze a few drops around the cream. Then swirl them around slightly.
Lay your paper facedown over the top of the cream/ink swirl mixture and press it down slightly- making sure each part of the paper comes in contact with the mixture. And then gently lift the paper back out!
Using a scraper, squeegee, or something flat- scrape off the shaving cream. Once it dries a little, you can use a paper towel to clean off any excess shaving cream residue.
Your paper should be left with a unique marbled ink design!
Experiment with different colors and swirling techniques to see what amazing looks you can create! Once your papers are dry, you can then write on them or paste cut-outs on top to make one-of-a-kind cards and valentines!
Calligraphy pens and “Two-tone tip” flowers
Another quick and easy way to make your cards have a fancy, professional look is to make some “two tone chisel tip” designs!
Use a Zig Memory System Calligraphy Marker in a light color (we used Baby Pink) then take a darker color (we used Rose) in a marker like the split-tip Scroll and Brush and touch the darker marker to one edge of the lighter Calligraphy marker to let the color soak in a little bit.
This temporarily allows you to write with 2 colors in each stroke of one pen! Make some curvy line “S” shapes in a circle to make flowers!
These dual chisel tip markers are great for versatile lettering as well- combine writing and drawing with them to make your Valentine’s cards really stand out!
Personalized Flower Vases / Coffee Mug Gift Baskets
Giving your Valentine flowers and sweet treats is a common tradition. Take that idea one step further and give your gifts in a personalized vase or mug!
Get a plain mug, vase, flower pot, etc. and use paint markers to make a custom design on them! If you paint an item that you plan to wash, stick with Pebeo paints and markers. They are specially designed for use on glass, porcelain, and china dishes and will stay on even if the dish is washed!
**Read our blog about dish decorating to see more tips on how to correctly do a craft like this!
Then add some goodies to your dish and there you have it- a great gift with that homemade touch!
Marker Supply has a huge variety of pens and markers for any type of Valentine’s Day projects.. From cards and invitations, to mugs and vases, to fabric crafts, to posters and signs- we’ll have what you need to make everyone LOVE your Love Day projects!
