Lately I’ve been obsessed with gelli printing. First I compared the Stampendous and Gelli Arts plates, and then of course I wondered how I could make my own? Out of the recipes I found, the measurements were confusing- ounces to tablespoons. UGH. So I simplified them so that the measurements were easy. Now I’m sharing it with you!
For “disposable” gelli plates (good for 2-4 weeks of fun) you’ll need:
- 1 box (4 packets) Knox Unflavored Gelatin
- 1 cup water, divided
- 5X7 ish container with a SMOOTH BOTTOM
Put 2/3 cup room temp water into your container. Sprinkle in ALL FOUR PACKETS of the gelatin. Stir quickly with fork- it will start to “bloom” and thicken immediately. Quickly pour in 1/3 cup HOT water and stir quickly to dissolve. Place in the fridge for 2-4 hours.
For PERMANENT gelli plates
- Knox Unflavored Gelatin
- 1 6 oz bottle of Vegetable Glycerine
(or 2/3 cup)
- 1/3 c HOT water
- 5X7 ish container with a SMOOTH BOTTOM
Pour 2/3 cup (the whole 6 oz bottle) of glycerine into the smooth-bottomed dish. Sprinkle in ALL FOUR PACKETS of the gelatin . Stir quickly with a fork, as it will start to “bloom” and thicken immediately. Quickly pour in the HOT water and stir it around to break up any thick parts or clumps. Let it set up for 2-4 hours before using.
I made you a video to walk you through it, step by step!
My daughter made a ton of prints out of the first one I made- which was a little bumpy, even.
She even made her own birthday party invites this way! For the cost, I’d say it’s worth the hassle to make a plate that you can use up to 100 times over a month or so.
And if you want a comparison of homemade plates, check out this post here!
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Oh, this is excellent, you even have two versions, excellent!. I wonder how many grams of gelatine are in one sacket of Knox gelatine, as we don’t have that gelatine brand in Spain, but we have another one called Royal which has 2 packets in a box, wonder if the quantity in each packet is the same as Knox, then I would buy 2 boxes. For Royal gelatine I get a box of 2 packets containing 10 grams powdered gelatine each.
This is great!!! It is addicting once you get started. Your daughter did a fabulous job!!!!!
Fancylooks a box of knox unflavored gelatin contains 4 packets. The entire box is 1 ounce or 28grams hope this helps you.
Shelly
Shelly: Thank you!
Yes, it does help, thank you, it means i will need about three packets of 10 grams each to obtain a similar amount to 4 packets of the Knox brand
What kind of paints are you using for the gel plates?
I made one a while back using the second recipe. The first time it was not set enough and after cleaning it, the top became tacky. I cut the pieces and remelted then reset – very easy. Only problem was that I was not able to completely clean prior to melting so now my gelli has chunks of paint throughout 🙂 Still works great though. Thanks for sharing!!!!
Hi! Love your blog! I made the “permanent” gelatin plate with the glycerin, early Dec 2014,and still have it. I’ve even been able to cut it up into pieces and microwave it on several different occasions, with no breakdown I can see,trying to get a smooth, even mold? Just can’t seem to find any seamless, airtight containers. Bought a cheap brayer at HL and TRIED to pull prints just like every person in the million or so blogs I watched, and mine were NOTHING, nothing I tell you, like theirs:-‘( So I gave up. I believe the brayer was the culprit as I had noticed when brayering the puddles of paint,this brayer would sort of glide right over the paint, not mixing well at all or mixing too much! Frustrating, very!! My pallet was nowhere close to anyone’s tutorials! So,my thought, brayer too hard. Finally able to buy a “real” brayer, Speedball brand, and this roller has way more give, more spongy. Haven’t had a chance to try it yet, but when I do, it better work!! Or, I’m giving up! LOL? I’m new to all of this crafting and mixed media and this plate is the ONLY thing I’ve created!! Uuugghhh!! My dad has always said, “He who expects nothing will not be disappointed.” Or, I think that’s what he says? It seems kinda negative either way. Thanks so much for sharing and helping! You sure do a lot of work and it’s appreciated:-)
Christina- don’t give up! I found that ALL of the Gelli plates (purchased and homemade) need a little “breaking in” period of 5-10 prints. The surface is initially VERY slick and the paint won’t move around very well.. so you have to keep brayering paint on and lifting it off. After this conditioning, the plates work amazing and the brayer rolls better. (Also- don’t go back and forth- just one direction.) Hope these tips help, and I think I’d better make a little video on this…!
Is it possible to use a vegetarian gelling agent instead of gelatine?
You could try it. I would suggest Agar over Carageenen, tho, since Agar sets more firmly. And we are not concerned with taste here, only the texture. I found a post here that is on that topic, but it seems that the results are truly hit-or miss. http://www.lindagermain.com/2012/09/agar-agar-in-place-of-gelatin-for/
If you DO try it, let me know! 🙂 But if you are concerned, why not just spring for a Gel Press? Those are (I believe) made from silicone.And they are inert, work forever (do not dry out, become brittle or mold) and personally I like them the best: http://amzn.to/2kBH49a (aff). It’s a solid art investment!