Combs make such interesting patterns in Gel prints! Watch this video to see how easy it is to make your own combs from everyday materials!
Using combs ranks among my favorite methods for creating patterns and mark-making in
monoprinting. In fact, I’ve included several examples in my new book, Gelli® Plate Printing, demonstrating how to make your own combs.
The comb is an effective tool for creating dynamic lined patterns. There are many durable
materials that you can easily cut teeth into to create a comb tool. The fun is in making a bunch of custom combs that can produce an assortment of different lines and widths.
Among my favorite combs are those made from eraser caps! Placing the eraser cap on a
pencil first makes it easier to handle while cutting. Work on a cutting surface, and use a craft knife to cut tiny V-shaped notches in the tip of the eraser. This creates a versatile mini-comb! Try using it for making cross-hatch marks… and all kinds of gestural swipes! Gotta love those tiny lines! Great for making gestural lines and marks!
TIP: It’s best to avoid letting acrylic paint dry on this tool, but if it does, use your craft knife to carve out any dried paint that may become clogged between the comb’s teeth.
Erasers are perfect for turning into combs! Simply cut notches out of the edge of an eraser
with a craft knife—and you’re good to go! If you carve your own stamps, you may have some left-over carving material. That’s perfect for making combs too!
Old credit cards, hotel keys and other laminated plastic cards are great for making into combs and scrapers! Sharp scissors are a good choice for making your cuts. But avoid making pointy teeth, as they could scratch the surface of the Gelli® plate.
Another fun method for making combs is to use decorative edge scissors on a piece of cardboard (like cereal boxes) or craft foam. Simply cut straight across with wavy or zigzag scissors for an instant comb!
There are so many materials you can use to make your own collection of combs! And they’re fast and easy to make! Try a few and have fun making fabulous combed prints! To create monotypes with your DIY combs, simply swipe the combs through the wet paint on a Gelli® plate, cover with paper, rub to transfer the paint and pull your print. Have fun exploring different ways to create lined patterns! (For more combing ideas, see blog: “Wipe Out Monoprinting“)
FYI– Materials used to create the prints in the video:
- DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics
- 8″ Round Gelli Arts® Gel Printing Plate
- Speedball 4″ Soft Rubber Pop-in Brayer
- 12″x12″ scrapbooking card stock (white and black)
- Assorted DIY comb tools
This Contest is officially CLOSED
And we have a SPECIAL GIVEAWAY!!! Including an autographed copy of my new book, Gelli Plate Printing!
- 1- 8″ Round Gelli Arts® Gel Printing Plate
- 1- Gelli Plate Printing — book, by Joan Bess
- 15- DecoArt Media® Fluid Acrylics in 1 oz. bottles
Leave us a comment below and let us know your thoughts on the blog – we love hearing your feedback.
To enter the giveaway, click on the red “ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE” button below! (This will ensure that we can contact the winner and that entries are limited to one per person. One winner will be selected from all the entries via a random number generator to receive this fabulous giveaway!)
Entries will be accepted until Monday, Sept. 22nd at 12 noon. Our lucky winner will be contacted by email and announced here on the blog and on our Facebook page no later than Sept. 22nd at 5 pm!
This Contest is officially CLOSED
And a special thanks to our friends at DecoArt® for generously donating the paint for this
giveaway!
Good Luck and Happy Printing!
This blog is always so much fun! Thanks for the chance to win goodies….
So, so many great ideas! I have to set aside some time to play with my gelli plate again soon! Thanks for the opportunity to win goodies!
Having just jumped on the Gelli train, I love your blog! Great tips and inspiration.
Great ideas and now I know what I will be doing …. I have a whole set of decorative edging scissors with lots of different designs, so I will be cutting some cardboard. Thanks once again for the awesome inspiration.
Awesome blog! I love all the ideas. They are quite inspiring.
Love everything, lots of good ideas too
This is one of the most useful blogs I read regularly. You always manage to come up with some new technique or method for using the Gelli Plate that's creative and gives very nice results. Every new one is like getting the Gelli Plate brand new all over again!
Just love these blog posts and the constant new ways of playing with the Gelli plate – and the addiction grows…………….
great idea!! I will make some right away 🙂
Gelli addicted!
The simplist ideas are the best! Wish I would have thought of these myself!
Love those Gelli prints ^_^
I'll have to make those combs. They make such a great tool for the Gelli plate. Thanks for sharing.
Love the blog! Just when I thought I knew it all (well, really, I didn't). Great video, great inspiration, great fun. I'm setting up to teach another Gelli class at my local shop. I can add these tips to my arsenal! Fondly, Tami
Don´t know if my comment got to you 🙂 so I´m commenting again. I love this idea of making and using combs, that´s fantastic. I love the videos and how you all make this seam so easy LOL I kind of have a hard time with mixing colors to make something awesome LOL LOL. Thank´s for sharing this video and all the others. And thank´s for giving me this opportunity to WIN
I made a comb recently to make a five-lined swish on a music-themed print for a friend's birthday present. It worked really well!
Unfortunately I can't watch the video because the Flash Player is crashing all the time, but I want to thank you for showing the combs you made in the photo's as well.
I find the commercial combs rather expensive, but this are great ideas to make your own!
I would have thought shop cards would be too sharp to use to make combs.
love video's, ideas, and the helpful hints
Ohhh I love my gelli's I have the 8 x10 and the 3×5 the round would be the perfect addition. I have made the eraser combs and one of the cards. The videos, ideas and all the helpful tips and tricks are very much appreciated.Thank you so much
I love the blog and Facebook page! So inspiring and teaches a lot of great techniques. Have been art journaling and doing some mixed media for a few years on my own. I am now taking a Gelli Printing class at my local art museum and am new to Gelli arts. Would LOVE to win this as I do not yet have my own to practice at home. I want to teach my little boy how to use it as well – he has sensory issues and art is a great way to work with him!
i love that i can pop over to your page and fined ideas on how to use the Gelli plate, of to fined things to use on my plate
This looks line so much fun. I love the colors and patterns achieved. My favorite DIY comb is the eraser cap, so cute!
Elaine Allen
love the effect of the combs and the patterns they create. Thanks for sharing, the erasers are a great idea. More fun coming up and would love to win this giveaway to expand my supply, but congratulations to whoever gets it. They will have fun!!!
Love the ideas for making the combs. Can't wait to try some!
What a wonderful giveaway! Thank you DecoArt for your contribution of lovely paints. I would love to win.
would soooooo LOVE to win this, as i cant afford a gelli plate or paints and feel so left out, lol 🙂 i love the blog and seeing all the tips, ideas and creations and really want to join in!! keep up the good work. thanks
WOW what prizes! I think my security part took but I didn't get a confirmation so I hope it doesn't cancel me from these fabulous gifts. What do I love about the gelli plate and this blog? everything! Making backgrounds on the gelli plate with all the ideas and techniques you share with us is so much fun. I wish you had more tutorials.
Your blog never fails to provide useful, creative tips to make using the gelli plate more fun. Thank you for your continuing inspiration.
Thankyou for the opportunity to win this fabulous giveaway! I always look forward to your blog popping up in my feed! Lots of inspiration to be found!
Thanks for the ideas – much needed for a new Gelli print learner.
Love the interference paint on black. Very cool!
So much inspiration to be found on the Gelli Arts blog! I just wish I had time to try more of the great ideas!
Love all the comb ideas. Thank you for sharing. . . and thank you for the awesome giveaway!!
I'm only three weeks in to owning my first Gelli plate. I have a plate, Joan's book and I watch the videos and read the blog over and over. But more than that, I'm having so much fun producing gorgeous prints. I'm an addict!
Thanks for continuing to provide great ideas on the use of Gelli Plates. So many options.
Always get the creative juices flowing! Suepompetti@verizon.net
I am SO appreciative of your blog as you not only provide tips and videos on so many ideas with the gelli plate but it's FREE and who couldn't love that? THANK YOU!
Oh wow I'm wondering what I can do with it…. just lovely
Eraser caps are such a great idea! Love the blog and the youtube channel. I'm always learning goid tips.
Hello Joan,
Eraser cap combs are so cute and very useful.
Love all of the ideas that you come up with and watching the videos make me get excited to print again!
Every time I read your blog I have to pull my Gelli plates and start playing.
Love all the great techniques and videos you share. After tonight I probably
won't have one normal looking eraser in the house. All those reward cards
and used up gift cards are going to be an endangered species in my house.
Great tips! I would love to get my hands on that Gelli Plate Printing book ♥
Thanks for sharing your artistic inspiration! Just bought an 8 by 10 Gelli Plate and can't wait to play!
Excited to see your book!
All the photos, videos and blogs are fabulous. This is a new artistic endeavor for me.
Thanks for inspiring us! I'd be thrilled to get your book! 😀
Thanks for the chance to win. I'd be thrilled with this prize. I love the assorted projects created.
I enjoy making my own "tools" for the Gelli Plate. I've used the cardboard idea and have cut "teeth" into the lids of deli containers; I've never thought of the small erasers and I cannot wait to try them. Thanks for this video. Barbara in SC
Thanks for sharing creative ways to make combs for use on the gelli plate. Sometimes the obvious choices can be invisible. I've been wanting the round gelli plate since it came out and your book- thankful for a chance to win. I live in Hawaii- which can be very nice- but variety of craft supplies is lacking and we get hit with higher shipping prices. This is truly a fantastic prize. Thankful to learn from your blog/videos.
This is the neatest idea to date, I have so many expired credit cards and gift cards and I never throw them away, and $Tree here I come for erasers.
Thanks so much for sharing this with us, I can't wait to make my own texture combs for my gelli plate.