Versatile Gel Medium for Everyday Crafting
This product is part of Part 2 of the Playing with Gels & Pastes series, where I explore the individual gels and pastes included in my experiments.
Dala Acrylic Gel Medium is a versatile product that can be used for many different art and craft applications.
According to the product information, it can be used to thicken acrylic paint, bind paper mâché and powder paint, create a protective coating similar to podge and as an image transfer medium.
I included this product in my Getting to Know Your Gels & Pastes experiments to find out how it behaves and explore some of the different ways it can be used in crafting.
Of the three gel mediums I tested, this is the one I use most often.
Characteristics
Dala Gel Medium has a soft gel consistency. It is thicker than the Little Birdie Soft Gel Medium but considerably less thick than the Heavy Gel Medium.
It dries clear and matte, with a smooth finish. Once dry, it remains flexible, making it suitable for projects such as journals where the finished surface needs to bend.
Ways to Use Dala Gel Medium
Stencilling
Gel Medium works very well through a stencil and creates a clear dimensional design once dry.
Create an Ink Resist
It also creates an excellent ink resist, allowing inks blended over the surface to be resisted by the areas covered with Gel Medium.
Both Distress Ink and Distress Oxide Ink could be blended over the dried gel, with the gel covered areas resisting the ink and allowing the stencilled design to show through.
Paint Over It
Dala Gel Medium performed very well when painted over, giving you another option for adding layers of colour to a project.
Use It as an Adhesive
This is one of the areas where Dala Gel Medium performed particularly well. In my experiments, it successfully adhered both sand and a button to cardstock.
Its adhesive properties also opened up some other interesting possibilities.
Heat Embossing and Foiling
The adhesive properties of the wet Gel Medium also make it useful for heat embossing. Embossing powder adhered well to the medium and could then be heat embossed as usual.
It also worked perfectly for adhering foil, giving you another way to add shine and interest to your projects.
Tint the Gel
Dala Gel Medium is easy to tint with ink, allowing you to create your own custom-coloured gel medium.
Silicone Moulds
This was one technique where Dala Gel Medium did not perform well.
The medium almost completely disappeared as it dried, leaving only a small rim behind. I therefore would not use it to create dimensional embellishments in silicone moulds.
My Favourite Uses
Dala Gel Medium is the gel medium I reach for most often. It is easy for me to find locally, relatively inexpensive and suits the techniques I use most in my own crafting.
Dala Gel Medium
- Decoupage with paper napkins
- Sealing ink techniques in journals
- Ink resist
- Adhesive
- Creating customised gel mediums by adding colour, glitter or other ingredients
Not my first choice for: Silicone moulds
I would reach for this when: I need a versatile everyday gel medium for decoupage, adhering, sealing or adding another medium to create a customised effect.
Explore More
- Getting to Know Your Gels & Pastes
See how I tested the different gels and pastes in my stash and what I wanted to discover. - Ways to Use Gels & Pastes
Explore which gels and pastes worked for stencilling, ink resist, adhesives, moulds, heat embossing, foiling and more. - Comparing 3 Gel Mediums: Which Should You Use?
See how Dala Gel Medium, Little Birdie Soft Gel Medium(gloss) and Little Birdie Heavy Gel Medium(matte) compare and when I would choose one over the other.
PLEASE NOTE: All the opinions are my own. None of the products have been sponsored.