UP Grape Soda Badge Tutorial

Till further notice i will be unable to answer emails in concern to the Grape Soda IMG.

If you have or plan on sending a email i will save it for a later date when im able to fwd on the IMG.

It would also be appreciated if you add this deviation to your favourites.

Thank you

<sub>[Edit]: I love that this is so popular with people and happy that its being used, but i would be thrilled if people linked me to IMGs or left comments about the finished product.

IMG of someones badge using my tutorial [link]

Materials/Tools:

• Bottle caps/tops (Australian caps are approx 26mm in diameter)
• 57mm (2 ¼ inch) safety pin, or any safety pin that is large enough
• Permanent marker
• Hammer and nail or punch
• White Gloss spray paint
• Flat nosed beading pliers
• Waterslide transfers for polymer clay
• Scissors
• Gloss

Step 1:
Line up the bottle cap against the pin and mark inside and outside the cap, where the holes should be placed.

With the hammer and nail punch holes. If you have a friend get them to hold it in place otherwise I suggest you hammer from the inside of the cap as its easier to hold. If you do the latter you may need to file the rough edges that stick out.

Step 2:
In a well ventilated space spray the bottle caps with the white gloss enamel following instructions.

Make sure you pay special attention the sides as its easy to miss the grooves in the caps.

Step 3:
While your caps dry get your safety pins and pliers and open the head of the pin. To do this you grab the wings that hold the head to the shaft and open it up like wings. Then the head should slide off.

Step 4:
Recreate the grape soda logo. If you would like the one I made send me a note.

I used Photoshop CS3 and referenced off one of the kids activities you can find on the official UP page. There are no good IMGs available unfortunately but I suggest you download the 3D character model as it has the best, if somewhat pixilated, IMG of the badge for referencing.

Step 5:
Now with the IMG you need to print it out onto special transfer paper.

Hints n tips –
• Do a trial print on normal paper so that you know you have the right size and position settings
• Print it BACKWARDS. If you print normal view you will have to somehow peel off the transfer from the backing. It can be done but I haven’t been able to yet.
• LET THE INK DRY
• Trial and error. I used so many computer programs, trial prints and wasted so much transfer paper…gah!

Step 6:
After successfully printing onto you transfer paper cut out each logo leaving a 2mm border so that when you transfer the IMG the colored edges don’t tear.

Now thread the cap onto a pin shaft so that you determine the best placement for the transfer. If your worried you will place the transfer skewed mark the line if symmetry on the back of the transfer and, using the pin as a guide, place it on.

Now comes the tricky part. This can either go horribly wrong or come out just right. Now the first time I did it I just used a wet tissue and it was fine, however the next time I tried this method I got bleed so just to be careful I used a damp cotton tip so that I could control the amount of water using the tip also meant I could smooth out the edges.

Hints n tips –
I strongly suggest that you place the transfer onto the cap 10min after spraying it or alternately doing another light semi dry coat. This is so the transfer adheres to the surface and protects it from water getting under and bleeding the ink. Just a precaution as I wasted so much transfer on this issue.

Step 7:
Now its just a matter of applying a protective gloss to the caps.

Using a brush apply a layer concentrating on gluing down the transfer paper and smoothing out any wrinkles.

DO NOT FORGET THE SIDES. Make sure to paint the WHOLE of the caps surface.

Let it dry

Hints n tips –
• If you have issue with wrinkly or rough looking surface from the transfer paper, then add a thicker coat of gloss
• BE VERY CAREFUL as the gloss may bleed or tear the transfer as you paint it.

Step 8:
Assemble it all together remembering to secure the head back onto the shaft by closing the wings on the pin head.

Viola! You have a Grape Soda Badge.

UP is a Disney Pixar film. Featured characters and artwork in this tutorial belong to them.
Photographs by Me
Grape Soda logo recreated by myself.</sub>