If you are looking for some easy epoxy tumbler ideas, look no further.  I’ve pulled together some of the different ways you can make the quickest tumbler projects that don’t require much work.  I have also added a basic DIY tutorial for each one.  It really isn’t hard to make beautiful tumblers in just a couple of days.  

Materials You’ll Need for these easy epoxy tumbler ideas

• Stainless steel tumbler
• Sandpaper
• Spray paint
• Tumbler turner
• Epoxy/resin (these terms are used synonomously throughout this article)
• Popsicle stick or epoxy stir stick
• Mixing cup for your epoxy resin (I use medicine cups)
• Heat gun
• Rubbing alcohol
• Glitter (optional)
• Vinyl decal (optional)
• Temporary tattoo (optional)

Pro tip: the type of tumbler matters.  It has to be a double wall stainless steel one.  If it’s a cup that sweats or is flexible, you can’t epoxy over it.

Pro tip 2: I would not recommend starting with an expensive Yeti tumbler if this is your first cup.  

General Sanding for Your Tumbler

The first thing you’ll want to do is sand your stainless steel tumbler. They come with a protective coating on them to help prevent rusting.  Since you are going to have paint and epoxy on top of your tumbler, you don’t have to worry about that coating.  it can however repel spray paint and epoxy, so I recommend sanding it with a fine grit sandpaper prior to beginning.

Plain DIY Glitter Tumbler

These are the first types of tumblers I did when I started my tumbler journey.  You can choose any style of glitter you want, or do an ombre tumbler with different colors of glitter together.  These tumblers take about two days to complete if you use a fast setting epoxy.

The steps to making a plain glitter tumbler are pretty straight forward

1. Spray paint your tumbler in a base color. I recommend using a base coat of paint similar to the glitter color you choose, as it helps with coverage. You don’t have to use as many layers of blue glitter on a tumbler that has been painted blue. Let your tumbler dry for about 4 hours to make sure it is completely dry and all of the gases from the paint are gone. Make sure you spray paint in a well-ventilated area.

2. Put your tumbler on a cup turner.  It makes it easier to coat it in epoxy resin.

3. Pour and mix your epoxy according to the directions.  Apply it to the tumbler and then add a layer of glitter while the cup spins.  Have something underneath the tumbler to catch the falling glitter (even though you’re going to end up with glitter everywhere).  Let the glittered tumbler dry for the time specified in the directions for your epoxy. (You could use a layer of mod podge for this step, but I have never had luck with good glitter coverage with mod podge.)  Pro tip: don’t forget to glitter the bottom of the cup. 

4. Once the drying process is complete, use a soft paintbrush to brush the excess glitter from the tumbler.  I usually do this over the trash can, but you can use a piece of paper to catch the glitter if you want to.

5. If you notice bare patches on the tumbler where there is no glitter, you’ll want to repeat step 3 and 4. Once the cup is glittered, you can spray a little bit of clear spray paint to keep the remaining glitter where it’s at and not end up with it all over your hands.  Let that spray paint dry for about 2 hours or until it’s completely dry and not sticky.  Also please keep in mind that clear spray paint and spray adhesive are NOT the same thing.  One dries sticky (adhesive) and you don’t want that.

6. Once your cup is adequately glittered, you’ll add a second layer of epoxy to the entire surface, including the bottom.  Use a heat gun to get rid of any air bubbles that you may see in the epoxy, but don’t use too much heat for too long a period of time.  Let it dry for the time mentioned in the directions.

7. Unfortunately, it rarely takes just one layer of epofy for a cup to be done.  At this point, the cup will probably feel a bit rough. Lightly sand it smooth, wipe it down with a little rubbing alcohol and repeat step 6.

8. Repeat steps 6 and 7 until your cup is smooth. DO NOT SAND YOUR RESIN TUMBLER ONCE THE SURFACE IS SMOOTH.

Pro Tip: stay away from chunky glitter when you first start making tumblers.  It requires some extra steps and it just generally a pain in the ass to work with IMO.

Basic Decal Tumbler

A basic decal tumbler can be done with or without glitter.  Without glitter, you’ll use the following steps.

1. Spray paint your sanded tumbler and let it dry for about 4 hours.

2. Pour and mix your epoxy according to the directions.  Place your tumbler on the turner and apply the epoxy (don’t forget the bottom of the tumbler).  Let it dry.  

Pro tip: you may want to invest in a cover for your spinning tumbler, because little dust specks and glitter from your work surface are easier to see on an unglittered (not a word) tumbler.

3. Apply your vinyl decal.

3. Lighlty sand your tumbler and a second coat of epoxy.  Let it dry completely.  Repeat this until the tumbler is smooth. DO NOT SAND YOUR RESIN TUMBLER ONCE THE SURFACE IS SMOOTH.

Basic Glitter Decal Tumbler

For a glitter tumbler with a decal, the steps are pretty similar.  In fact you’ll use some of the same steps for a basic glitter decal tumbler.

1.  Perform steps 1-6 found above under the plain glitter tumbler.

2. Sand your tumbler and wipe it down with alcohol.  

3. Apply your vinyl decal.  This could be a decal you made yourself with a cutting machine, or one you bought from someone else.

4. Apply a few coats of epoxy to your tumbler, letting it dry completely and sanding between each layer (except the last one).

Pro tip: If you are going to be making lots of tumblers, I recommend a cutting machine.  I have had mine for years and it has more than paid for itself.

Basic Temporary Tattoo Tumbler

As you’ve probably realized by now, there’s not much difference between these types of tumblers.  Once you’ve done a few, the steps become second nature.  There are a few additional steps to a temporary tattoo tumbler.

You’ll do all of the basic steps for a temporary tattoo tumbler.  Paint it, glitter it if you want, then add some epoxy and sand it once it’s dry.  After this, however, instead of adding a decal you’ll add your temporary tattoo.  You do this in the same manner you would add it to your body.  Get the surface of your tumbler a little wet, add your temp tattoo and then wet the backing.  

Use a towel to add some light pressure to the tattoo to help it stick and dry some of the extra water.  Once it’s been placed for about a minute, you’ll slide the backing off of the tattoo and the tattoo should remain on the surface of the tumbler cup.  Add a coat of resin or two and BOOM.

Alcohol Ink Epoxy Tumbler

Alcohol ink is a fickle beast.  I’m just warning you up front.  While it can make some beautiful designs, it almost never turns out the way you invision it in your head.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

To make a basic alcohol ink tumbler, the beginning is much more of the same as with other types of tumblers.  Paint, epoxy, glitter if you choose. More epoxy.  However, once you’re done with the first layer of epoxy and it’s fully dry, the game changes.  When you add your second layer of epoxy, you’ll want to immediately add your alcohol inks to the wet epoxy.  Then you want to use your heat gun to warm the epoxy up so it starts to move around and swirl.

 You can use a lot of alchol ink or a little.  Just make sure you don’t use too much heat on the epoxy because it dries kind of wonky.  It’s never ruined a cup for me, but overheated epoxy can do some funny things.  Once your swirls look the way you want them to, just let the cup dry like normal.  Add two more layers of epoxy and you’re good to go.

Well, there you have it.  That’s the best simple way I can explain some easy epoxy tumbler ideas that you can make as a beginner.  Hopefully, you’ll make some beautiful tumbler projects