Imagine Glitter SprayRust-Oleum paint review
Okay, so you saw a sparkly vase online and you want to make one. This can does that better than glue and loose glitter ever will — as long as you buy the sealer with it and know it will not cover the color underneath.
Emily painted her first room at 24, hated every minute of it, and got better. She writes the guides she wishes she had, which means defining every term and never assuming you know what a basecoat is. About the testing process →
The Fast Verdict
For indoor decorations — vases, ornaments, frames, centerpieces — yes, this is worth $9 to $13 a can. It lays down a finer, more even sparkle than glue and loose glitter, it grips glass and ceramic, and the color-shift and holographic finishes are fun. Budget for two things people forget: the separate Glitter Clear Sealer, without which the flakes rub off on your hands, and a second can, because one 10.25 oz can covers only about 8 to 12 sq ft and glitter wants two or three coats.
Vases, ornaments, and picture frames · Party and seasonal decor · Glass and ceramic thrift finds · Centerpieces that mostly sit still · Wood, wicker, and craft foam · First-time crafters
Anything that lives outdoors · Trays and pieces you wipe down · Items handled daily · You need one can to hide a dark color · You are not buying the sealer too
What it's good at
- Laying down a fine, even sparkle that glue and loose glitter never matches
- Sticking to glass and ceramic, especially after a wipe with rubbing alcohol
- Color-shift and holographic finishes that catch light in a way flat glitter does not
- A low skill floor — three thin coats, keep the can moving, and it is hard to get wrong
- Covering a lot of surface types from one can: wood, wicker, glass, ceramic, foam, paper, plastic
- Making thrift-store glass look store-bought for around $10 a can
What it's not good at
- Holding onto its flakes without the separate Glitter Clear Sealer
- Hiding anything — a dark or busy surface shows straight through the gaps
- Stretching far: about 8 to 12 sq ft a can, and glitter wants two or three coats
- Anything outdoors, where the binder gives up within a season
- Pieces you handle daily or wipe down, like a coffee-table tray
- Heavy or close spraying, which puts down shiny binder runs with no flake in them
Which Imagine Can Are You Grabbing?
Rust-Oleum sells more than one glitter under the Imagine name, and the cans look similar enough to mix up on the shelf. Here is the quick sort before you check out.
You want even, all-over sparkle on a vase, frame, or ornament that you cannot get by hand.
You want solid color, chunky texture, or anything that lives outside.
You want a thicker, more textured glitter and you are painting a small piece by hand.
You want an even coat without fuss — keeping a brush-on glitter even takes real patience.
You want a quiet pearl glow rather than party sparkle.
You actually want to see glitter flakes catching the light.
You want a smooth chrome or gold look and real color coverage.
You want sparkle. This one has no flake in it at all.
Spec Sheet
- Coverage
- About 8–12 sq ft per can in light coats
- Finish
- Glitter only — silver, gold, iridescent, color-changing, holographic
- Touch dry
- 20 minutes
- Recoat
- After 1 hour
- Handle
- About 24 hours
- Topcoat
- Glitter Clear Sealer, sold separately, to lock the flakes down
- VOC
- Solvent-based aerosol; not a low-VOC paint, so ventilate the room
- Surfaces
- Wood, metal, wicker, glass, ceramic, pottery, craft foam, paper, plastic
- Use
- Interior items only
- Sizes
- 10.25 oz spray can (an 8 oz Intense Glitter version is also sold)
- Price
- $9–13 per can
Application Settings That Work
- Primer
- No primer needed, but prep still helps. Wipe glass and ceramic with rubbing alcohol first so the surface is clean and oil-free, give anything glossy a light scuff, and basecoat in a matching color if you want the sparkle to read solid. The Glitter Clear Sealer goes on last, and on anything you will handle it is not optional.
Dry Times and the Sealer Step
Here is the timeline, because the can is faster than the project. It is touch dry in about 20 minutes and ready for another coat after an hour, and you will want two or three coats before the sparkle reads solid. Then give it roughly 24 hours before you really handle the piece. The step that catches people out is the last one: the Glitter Clear Sealer is a separate can, and until it goes on, the flakes rub off on your hands, your table, and everything the piece touches. For an ornament that hangs on a tree and never gets touched, you can skip it. For a vase, a tray, or anything a kid will pick up, the sealer is the difference between sparkly and a mess. Buy it in the same order — you do not want to be halfway through and making a second trip.
When It Goes Wrong, and How to Fix It
The glitter rubs off on your hands
Why it happens. You have not sealed it yet. Straight off the can, the flakes sit in a binder that is not built to survive handling, so anything you touch takes glitter with it. This is normal, not a bad can.
The fix. Put the Rust-Oleum Glitter Clear Sealer on top once the glitter coats are dry. It locks the flakes down and adds a little shine. On anything you will actually pick up, this is not an optional step.
The old color still shows through
Why it happens. It is not paint. It is glitter flakes suspended in a mostly-clear binder, so a dark or busy surface shows straight through the gaps between the flakes. No number of coats fixes that on its own.
The fix. Basecoat first in a matching color — silver glitter over grey or white, gold over tan or cream — let it dry, then glitter over the top. That is how you get sparkle that reads solid instead of patchy.
Shiny bare patches with no flake in them
Why it happens. You sprayed too close or too heavy, and the binder pooled into runs that dried glossy with the glitter floating out of them. It is the same mistake as a run in regular spray paint, just harder to spot until it dries.
The fix. Three thin coats, not one heavy one. Hold the can about a foot away, keep it moving, and give it the full hour between passes. Light passes are genuinely the whole trick with this can.
An outdoor piece dulled and shed within a season
Why it happens. The label says interior items only and it means it. The binder is not built for sun, rain, or freeze-thaw, so a glittered planter on the porch loses its sparkle fast.
The fix. For outdoors, basecoat with a weather-rated exterior spray, sprinkle craft glitter into a wet clear coat by hand, then lock it under an exterior-rated clear sealer. More steps, but it survives the weather this can cannot.
Honest Alternatives
The old-school method. A jar of fine craft glitter and a bottle of glue cost less than one spray can and give you total control over how thick the sparkle goes. The downside is mess and patchiness — glitter clumps where the glue pools and goes bare where it does not. Fine for one small flat thing.
The same job with a slightly chunkier, more reflective flake and a touch better flake hold straight from the can. It still wants a clear sealer on top and it is still indoor-leaning. Worth it if the Rust-Oleum finish reads too fine for the look you want.
For anything that lives outside, no craft glitter spray will hold. Basecoat with a weather-rated spray, sprinkle craft glitter into the wet clear coat by hand, then lock it under an exterior-rated clear sealer. More steps, but it survives the weather.
Imagine Glitter Spray Questions, Answered
Is Rust-Oleum Imagine Glitter Spray worth it?
For indoor decorations — vases, ornaments, frames, centerpieces — yes. It lays down a finer, more even sparkle than glue and loose glitter ever will, it grips glass and ceramic, and the color-shift and holographic finishes are genuinely fun. Budget for the separate Glitter Clear Sealer and for a second can, because one 10.25 oz can only covers about 8 to 12 sq ft and glitter wants two or three coats. It is not worth it outdoors or on anything you handle daily.
Do I really need the clear sealer?
Yes, on anything you will touch. The glitter coat alone sheds flakes the second you rub it. The Rust-Oleum Glitter Clear Sealer, sold separately, locks the flakes down and adds a little shine. For a decoration that just sits on a shelf you can skip it, but for a vase, a tray, or anything kids handle, the sealer is the difference between sparkly and a mess.
Can I use Imagine Glitter outdoors?
No. The label says interior items only, and that is honest. The binder is not built for sun, rain, or freeze-thaw, so a glittered planter on the porch will dull and shed within a season. For anything outdoors, use a regular exterior spray paint and add craft glitter by hand under a clear outdoor topcoat instead.
How many cans do I need for a project?
More than you think. One 10.25 oz can covers roughly 8 to 12 square feet in light, even coats. Glitter needs two or three passes to read solid, so a single can might only fully finish one large vase or a couple of small frames. Buy two if you are doing anything bigger than a centerpiece.
Will it cover a dark surface completely?
Not on its own. Glitter spray is mostly clear binder with flakes suspended in it, so a dark base shows through between the sparkles. If you want solid sparkle, prime or basecoat in a matching color first — silver glitter over grey or white, gold over tan or cream — let it dry, then glitter on top.
How many coats should I put on?
Two or three light ones. The trick is thin passes: hold the can about a foot away, keep it moving, and wait the hour between coats. Spray too close or too heavy and you get runs of binder that dry shiny with no flake in them, which is the one way this can goes wrong.
Does it stick to glass and ceramic?
It does, and that is one of the reasons to pick it over craft paint, which slides right off slick glass. Give the surface a quick wipe with rubbing alcohol first so it is clean and oil-free. Thrift-store glass candle holders are the classic project for this can.
How long before I can handle the piece?
Touch dry is about 20 minutes, you can recoat after an hour, and give it roughly 24 hours before handling. Then seal it. Until the Glitter Clear Sealer is on, handling is exactly what makes the flakes come off, so the wait and the sealer work together.
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