You can buy very nice blank cards and envelopes, pre-cut and folded, and draw designs on them. I found the Strathmore brand in an art supply shop, and I’ve seen them in office supply stores as well, or you can find Strathmore cards and envelopes on Amazon.

There are many different sizes of cards and a variety of paper types to choose from. Some have a textured surface, some are made of recycled fibers, some have “deckled” edges where the fibres hang out as if they were torn, as you can see in the photos. They all work. There are different colours too, from white to black. Some gel pens will mark on black.

I used metallic gel pens for most of these cards. They’re from an inexpensive set of gel pens I got on Amazon, though you could get them anywhere.

I added a matching design on the front and/or back of each envelope as well, making sure to leave room for the address. It was hard to draw over the deckle on the flap of the envelope, although it looks nice.

I’ve been pleased to use my cards for birthdays and thank-you’s, and they would also be suitable for sympathy cards. Even for Christmas, especially using stars. Here is an old video of mine on how to make a 5-pointed star with Spirograph. (That video now has 108,000 views and 525 likes. Wow, just wow.)

Shop Wild Gears at this link.

The post Making Cards with Spirograph or Wild Gears appeared first on SpiroGraphicArt.

These designs use gear #40 inside the #64 hole which is asymmetrically located in a bigger gear #126, and the whole is rotating inside ring #180. It gives a bilaterally symetrical pattern.

After drawing the pattern with a sequence of holes to create a ribbon-like effect (a common technique in many Spirograph/Wild Gears designs), I did the same in a different colour, starting at a point 90° away on the big ring #180.

I actually counted the teeth to find the exact spot, though I don’t show the counting in the video (180 teeth ÷ 4 = 45 teeth) and made a little mark with the pen.

I made a blooper in the second video, but decided to keep going, as I was working outside and was gradually losing my light. The direct sunlight you see in the first video had gone. A cricket started to sing as the afternoon waned and you can hear it in the second video.

These videos are real-time and all you hear is the sound of the pen and gears moving. Good for people who like relaxing videos and those who get off on ASMR (soft noises that create a pleasurable response).

I used cheap gel pens for these, the kind you can buy at a dollar store, although I got mine on Amazon when I was buying something else. There’s a link on this page to the ones I got; there are many other sets with even more pens – hundreds even. I don’t think brand name matters. They’re probably all made in China in the same factory or factories, and just given the label of the wholesaler. They work with Spirograph too, even the vintage sets (mostly) which have smaller holes.

Which colour combination do you like better? In the first, I used black for the first and last line of each ribbon, which outlines the shapes and reveals interesting patterns including a circle in the middle. In the second, I used the same colour throughout the whole ribbon.

The post Two Wheel-Within-a-Wheel Videos appeared first on SpiroGraphicArt.

I’d never heard of edible markers, but apparently they exist. And Amber Spiegel, a cookie artist in Beacon NY is not afraid to use them with Spirograph!

Here is her video. You can learn more on her website at SweetAmbs.com where she has lots of tutorials about decorating the most gorgeous cookies you’ve ever seen.

If you try making Spirograph cookies and are even halfway successful, take a picture of the best ones, and tell us what worked for you and what didn’t. If I get a few photos I’ll make a post about it.

The post Spirograph Cookies! Eat ’em if you dare. appeared first on SpiroGraphicArt.

A rainbow of InkJoy pens on a Super Spirograph design

Here’s another pen that I’ve been enjoying with both Spirograph and Wild Gears: PaperMate’s InkJoy.

They come in different qualities from the 100 series to the 700 series, with the difference more in the shape and quality of the barrel. The ink is the same, as is the ink delivery mechanism, according to the comparison chart on the Amazon page (scroll down to see).

I have the 100RT, 1.0M – the “everyday” quality, meaning cheap, and they do feel rather cheap, but the ink flows smoothly. It makes a finer line than the felt tip pens I’ve been using.

My only criticism of them is that occasionally I get a smear when the wheel passes over a clump of ink that hasn’t dried yet. Smearing is more of a problem on high-gloss paper than on regular, more absorbent paper.

These pens are very inexpensive, so it’s worth giving them a try.

The post More Spirograph Pens: PaperMate InkJoy appeared first on SpiroGraphicArt.

Here’s another brand of pen that I am enjoying using with Spirograph and Wild Gears.

The ink flows smoothly, and there is no problem with the size of the holes, even on the old Spirograph with its smaller holes.

This pen doesn’t come in as many colors as the fine-tip felt pens I’ve recommended for Spirograph before. But there is a package with 10 different colors.

It gives a 0.7 mm line, thicker than the fine-tip felt pens. Sometimes you want that.

This pen feels solid and is pleasant to use.

If you try them, or other pens, please let the rest of us know how you liked them by leaving a comment.

(Updated Nov. 18, 2023)

The post More Spirograph Pens: Uni-Ball Vision appeared first on SpiroGraphicArt.

Are you old enough to remember the ballpoint pens that came with the original Spirograph sets in the 1960s and 70s? There were four colors: red, green, blue and black.

The frustrating thing about those pens, besides the limited colors, is that they would gradually wear holes in the paper, especially in designs where the lines cross over each other many, many times.

Most other pens didn’t work in Spirograph then. The tips were either too thick for the holes, not long enough, or both.

Two things have changed!

1. In the 21st century, we have wonderful fine-tip felt pens available. They come in many more colors, and they don’t wear out the paper!
2. The new (since 2013) Spirograph sets sold by Kahootz are designed to accommodate thicker pen tips, with larger holes located closer to the paper.

Here are some brands of fine-tip felt pens that I’ve enjoyed using.

Please note: these are Amazon affiliate links. If you buy something after clicking on them, I may receive a commission for sending you there. However, I was enjoying and endorsing these pens for Spirograph well before I became an Amazon affiliate!

Stabilo Point 88

The Stabilo Point 88 are a great choice. They produce a line 0.4 mm thick. The tip is fine enough to fit even through the small holes in the vintage Spirograph gears, with a metal sleeve over the felt where the pen touches the gear.

Stabilo pens are made in Germany, and they’re good quality. I’ve also bought cheap knockoffs of these pens, but they just don’t have the same feel and vividness. They come in a variety of package sizes and container types with up to 65 different colors.

Staedtler Triplus Fineliner

The Staedtler Triplus Fineliner pens produce a finer line than the Stabilo, with a thickness of 0.3 mm rather than Stabilo’s 0.4 mm, and also come in packs of up to 60 different colors. My 12-year-old self would have been ecstatic! Find them on Amazon here (affiliate link).

You may also find them at your local stationery or office supply store.

I’ve also used some gel pens, which can give beautiful results. But if the ink doesn’t dry fast enough, it can smear. It depends partly on the paper you’re using. Some papers absorb the ink more quickly than others.

More colors make Spirograph even more fun!

The new (2013) version of the Spirograph Deluxe Set and the new Super Spirograph [affiliate links] come with 3 ballpoint pens: red, green and blue. But you can use almost any pens with them.

Add a comment and let us know what Spirograph pens you are using and how you like them.

Many other pens work, including Uni-Ball Vision pens, [affiliate link] which I like. See “Spirograph Pens” in the menu for all my pen reviews.

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