About

Cost
$ $ $ $ $
Difficulty
• • • • •
Time
40 mins

Fun!!
You can make these as simple or as elaborate as you want and then either sell them for $2 a pop or give em to friends.

Posted by Geneva I. Published See Geneva I.'s 5 projects »
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  • How to make a lighter. Custom Lighters - Step 1
    Step 1

    Gather your supplies.

  • How to make a lighter. Custom Lighters - Step 2
    Step 2

    Find images in your ephemera pile that go together nicely and fit on your lighter. I chose a beautiful Cambodian dancer threatening a distressed business man with The Shocker.

  • How to make a lighter. Custom Lighters - Step 3
    Step 3

    Find some colors of tissue paper that compliment the images.

  • How to make a lighter. Custom Lighters - Step 4
    Step 4

    Slather your tissue paper with a glue stick and press it down all around the lighter. Experiment with layering and tearing and don't be afraid of some wrinkling. (This is the first time that I've covered the bottom)

  • How to make a lighter. Custom Lighters - Step 5
    Step 5

    Glue on your images. I find that smaller pieces are easier to put glue on if I drag them over the glue stick.

  • How to make a lighter. Custom Lighters - Step 6
    Step 6

    I added details with white out, permanent markers, and a little colored pencil.

  • How to make a lighter. Custom Lighters - Step 7
    Step 7

    On the other side, I painted smears of white out over the tissue paper and then did a "Sharpie VanGogh" with lots of colors and little dashes. I added more white out in celestial shapes on top of that and colored them with a yellow marker.

  • How to make a lighter. Custom Lighters - Step 8
    Step 8

    Finally, seal your lighter. Mod Podge is definitely the easiest method, but I don't have any, so I have used packaging tape. I apply the tape vertically and to one side at a time so that the seams are on the edges. I put one more piece on the bottom and trimmed off the excess with my exacto blade.

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Comments

meekz m.
meekz m.
Yup,yup this was a really good idea... =>
Reply
JesJesBaby
JesJesBaby · New Zealand, Prince Edward Island, CA
<3
Reply
ashl33
ashl33 · West Covina, California, US
this is a great idea.
people are always stealing my lighters because everyone's always look the same.
i just made one with sailor jerry tissue paper.
it's so great.
<3
Reply
Geneva I.
Geneva I. · 5 projects
...if you're using them to light cigarettes, but then I guess it would just be doubly ironic.
Reply
Cat Morley
Cat Morley · London, GB · 1432 projects
I want to make one of these but use the warning messages that you get on a pack of cigarettes to decorate it with. I think that would be suitably ironic!
Reply
Geneva I.
Geneva I. · 5 projects
yay for decorating with nail polish! always makes me think of high school and Tammy Faye Bakker. Yeah, it's definitely deterrent to stealing lighters, unless you know you'd never see that person again...
Reply
jme2shoes.
jme2shoes.
we used to do this so no one would steal out lighters. we used finger nail polish in every color and used clear to stick pictures or gems on them.
Reply
Brandy G.
Brandy G.
OMG, I nearly burst a seam laughing at your description of your ephemera!!!! Poor businessman!!

Plus your description is awesome, I think I can do this one. Thanks!!
Reply
Lipthink
Lipthink · Austin, Texas, US · 11 projects
What a nifty idea! Great way for a quick gift to a smoker.
I like the way you made it comic and personal with the white out message.
Reply
tarrah.
tarrah. · California, California, US · 8 projects
i love this...lol i am not a smoker but i think ill make one because its super cute!
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