Best Alcohol Markers

Finding the Best Alcohol Markers: Tips & Advice

Alcohol markers are great for art projects since they are quick drying—that means less of a chance of smudging.

Excellent for scrapbooking, alcohol markers are acid free and resist fading. Also nice: alcohol markers have slightly opaque ink, so you can layer them or create color overlays . . . that helps create blends or highlights.

We asked our crafty readers for their tips on buying alcohol markers. And then we tried out several brands to find recommendations for this article. Here are some buying tips:

• Many markers tend to bleed. So it’s best to put a piece of card stock or thick paper behind what you are coloring.

• Store alcohol markers on their side so the ink stays evenly distributed in the pen.

• Use a feather light touch on the paper to get the best results.

• Colorless pens (included in many sets we researched) are great for blending.

Here are our favorite alcohol markers:

Why Trust Us

We’ve been rating and reviewing products for the home and families since 1994. We do hands-on testing—we buy the products with our own money and evaluate with an eye toward quality, ease of use and affordability.

Here’s another key point: we don’t take money from the brands we review. No free samples, no sponsors, no “partnerships.” Our work is 100% reader-supported!

Last Updated: Oct 15, 2021 @ 11:25 am.

The Secrets To Great Popcorn

Here at the home office, we take our popcorn seriously.

We’ve tried all the standard ways of making popcorn—stovetop, air-popped, microwave and more. 

Along the way, we’ve learned these key secrets to amazing popcorn:

• Toppings are essential. The butter toppings reviewed below are essential for great air-popcorn . . . that’s because salt won’t stick as well.

• Not any salt will do. The best popcorn salt is FINELY ground. Forget Kosher salt or other coarsely ground salt—it won’t stick. Later in this article, we’ll recommend a salt plus topping combo that is a fave.

• Topping or popping? All the top popcorn butters in this article can either be used topping or popping—that is, oil to pop kernels!

Here are our top popcorn butter options:

Why Trust Us

We’ve been rating and reviewing products for the home and families since 1994. We do hands-on testing—we buy the products with our own money and evaluate with an eye toward quality, ease of use and affordability.

Here’s another key point: we don’t take money from the brands we review. No free samples, no sponsors, no “partnerships.” Our work is 100% reader-supported!