Apply glitter to acrylic paint as if it were glue. Artists sometimes take advantage of this by sprinkling glitter over acrylic paintings while they are still wet. One effective way of doing this is to paint only the part of the painting that you want to sparkle. For example, this could be the moon in a night sky. Paint your picture with the exception of the moon and let it dry completely. Once the paint has dried, paint your moon and sprinkle glitter over it. After the glittered paint dries, remove any excess glitter. This technique can be used wherever acrylic paint is used.
Glitter glue is usually sold in tubes or small bottles and has a small opening through which you squeeze the medium to create lines. Use glitter glue to draw designs on many different materials, such as glass, wood, metal, fabric or paper. It comes in a wide variety of colors and is made of clear glue in which glitter has been suspended. Once the glue dries, all you can readily see is the lines of glitter. An example of a glitter glue technique is to use it to draw on a plain glass Christmas ornament.
Glitter will adhere to nail polish in the same way that it sticks to acrylic paint. Nail polish is also readily available and inexpensive. Moreover, it is available in many colors, as well as clear. The main problem with using nail polish, however, is that because it comes in such small quantities it is only useful for small projects. Pour glitter into a bottle of nail polish and then apply it to almost any surface to make it sparkle. You can also spread glitter over wet nail polish for a decorative touch.
Fix loose glitter to paper for visual interest. To do this, thin white glue with water until it can be easily applied with a paint brush. Using the glue, paint the area that you want to cover with glitter. When this is done, completely cover the glue with glitter. Let the glue dry, at which time it will become transparent. Once this happens, brush any excess glitter from your work. This technique can be particularly effective for making cards.