Being a DIY and craft blogger I like to try new projects to keep my hobby interesting.  The downfall to changing your type of projects is that you need to buy all new craft supplies, which in the case of mixed media is expensive.  To do mixed media craft you need some suitable waxes, shimmer sprays and paints.  Looking online for supplies I found the cost of these products so high that is was not viable for me to buy them when I only do a handful of each type of project. To avoid the high cost of the mixed media supplies I made my own form products I had at home. 

Please note: This post is not saying this is the correct method to make these products, just the method I used that worked well for me with products I had at home. I ordered 2 paste and 2 shimmer sprays to start and when they arrived I found I wanted more colours.  So I tried to make my own and they worked just as good as the store-bought products.  Travel spray bottles work great for the shimmer sprays and just any small sealable containers will work great for the wax paste.

How to make your own mixed media supplies

**This post may contain affiliate links. Which means I earn a small commission on links used at no extra cost to you. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.**

Mixed Media Wax Pastes

To make the mixed media waxes Annie Sloan clear furniture wax and Bronze Mica Powder was used.  I have only tried this using Annie Sloan waxes because that was all I had at home.  I don’t see why it would not work with other brands of waxes. These waxes go a long way so it is advisable to make small batches at a time.  Add a small amount of wax to your container first I used the tool in the image above and filled the scoop which was more than enough Mica powder and mix in well. 

While experimenting with the mica powder I found that you did not need a large quantity of the mica powder to get a strong colour. It is a good idea to keep adding small amounts of the mica powder until you get the colour you like. 

Using this method you can afford to have all the colours you want, just make them up as you go.

Mixed Media Shimmer Sprays 

Mica powder was also the secret to making the shimmer sprays.  The first attempt was just mica powder and water mixed in a spray bottle.  This did work but it did not have a very vibrant colour.  Next, I try Mica powder, water and some acrylic paint which was better, but adding a colour pigment was perfect.  Add the ingredients in this order, metallic acrylic paint, water, mica powder then colour pigment. 

The spray did not seem to mix as well when I added the mica powder first, it seemed to separate.  The store-bought shimmer sprays have a ball inside to help with the mixing so if you have one laying around that will help.

To make the colours darker just keep adding small amounts of colour pigment until you are happy with the colour.

Mixed Media Embellishments Using a Cricut Explore or Silhouette Cameo

As we all know no mixed media project would be complete without embellishments.  If this is a craft you want to continue doing, buying a Cricut or a Silhouette cutter will save you a fortune in the long run.  While I did buy a few bulk charms and gears online which are cheap from China. 

The large embellishment can be pricey, with the Cricut and Silhouette you can make all your own. All you need to do is find the graphic you want, There are many websites for free graphics. Convert the graphic into an SVG cut file using Inkscape another free program.  Load cardstock onto your mat and cut out multiple leaves as per this example.

Remove the leaves from the mat and use craft glue to layer them until you get the thickness you want. All the large embellishments in the canvas above were made this way.

Mixed Media Epoxy Resin Appliques

Another great method to make embellishments or appliques is to use epoxy resin and silicone moulds. The moulds are not very expensive and there is a large variety to chose from.  It is as simple as mixing then epoxy resin as per instructions.  (Not all resins are the same)

Fill the moulds with the resin and leave it to cure for 24 hours and then pop them out of the mould. One great thing about the resin appliques.  Even when cured you can heat them up with a heat gun and bend them around corners if they are not to thick. (Wear gloves for this as the resin will get hot).

Making stencils

No mixed canvas would be complete without some added texture using stencils.  All you need for this is some stencil film, find the free design you want online. And let the Cricut cut out your stencil. There are so many free websites for graphics, but if you don’t want the hassle of searching there are many Etsy shops online that sell the stencil designs for a few Dollars.

Stencils can be very pricey so if you are a big crafter the Cricut or the silhouette will pay for themselves in no time.  I keep mentioning both machines because I have tried both and feel they are equally great.

It was very hard to get a good picture of the finished canvas because of the light but the colours were stunning.

The final Mixed media Canvas themed around my daughter’s wedding. 

More Mixed media projects

This cow skull was given a very unique mixed media makeover. 

I made this reverse canvas using a recycle frame which got a mixed media makeover.

If you are looking for any of the items used in this project, please consider using our links. By clicking on the links we will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.  Which helps us come up with new and exciting ideas to share with you