split and rainbow cakes- make or buy?

I have an issue...I will be in the market to buy a few more paints hopefully soon. I am seeing the need to have split and rainbow cakes. I don't have any now, and some people seem to use those more than just regular colors.
MY PROBLEM: Should I go BUY premade? Or make my own. Because I'm thinking if I make my own, I'll need to buy double of every color! If I cut up all my red, for example, I won't have any just plain red to use when I need it! Does this make sense?? So, would it be a good start for me to just buy them now, then make and refill later?

Hi Alicia, I like to make my own. I buy the whole cakes and cut them in half, one half is to play with and the other half I place it in a container. For example, I pair 1/2 of a light green cake with half of a dark green one in the same container, it saves you space too

Good luck!

Yes I agree with Maggie. Although my favorite small splits are made out of the small wolfe palettes. They are very affordable and the square containers make it really easy to cut it up and place things back in. But even if you don't do that, it's always cheaper to make them. And you haven't used them before so you have no idea how much you will use them. Many people love them, but I don't. I have some that I use on occasion, but they are in no way my go to paint.

The very first rainbow that I made I put in an empty eyeshadow compact. I scooped a little of each color out of the pot with a plastic butter knife and rolled it into a snake between some saran wrap. I layed the snakes in the order that I wanted in the compact and pressed it all down. It didn't take much paint at all. I still do it this way, but use a different container.

I guess it just seems so scary to me to cut up my paints for the first time!! haha. But a little out of each color doesn't sound too bad.
Eyeshadow container!! Gonna look for one right now!!! I'm sooooooo gonna do this TONIGHT!
ok, here it goes............!

ok- now, I need to figure out what colors. I only have one case to fill.....so, what's your most used color combo? I started it with white and I have room for two more. suggestions??

It is def. a money saver to make your own, but it is so nice to just order it premade.

What I did before I started cutting up my paint is to buy the premade ones to figure out which ones I loved. Then I bought the paint and made my own since I knew I could make several and were sure to go through them.

I go through about 5 neon rainbows every spring and summer, so before I sold them, I bought the 5 colors and made 5 rainbows.

Freeze the cakes for a while before cutting as this makes them easier.

-Metina

watch out for the yellow its hard and cracks and crumbless dfx paints

ok-YAY! so I TOTALLY did it! make two, actually. Sooooo kewl!!
ps-I don't like Ben Nye anmore, it crumbled to bits....Paradise worked great!

YEY! Can we see pics?

Woo hoo! I can't wait to see how your project turned out! Once you see how much you love them (or don't- some people don't) then you can decide what makes sense for you to invest.

let's see if this pic works...not totally sure how to get it on here.
Geekophile, your idea really helped me, thanks a ton!
they aren't pretty, and they're small, but they do the job! already did a fantastic rose with the pink one (no pic though)

YAY! it went through

Yeah, they don't look as pretty as the "cut the whole cake up" method, but they work the same- and for trying out I think it's the best way. So you made a rose and a red/white/blue? I love the middle pink color, what is that?

Awesome job! So do you think you're gonna like using them?

I've only tried making the rose so far... it's a Paradise white, light pink (Ben Nye-which I did NOT like because it just crumbled!), and a darker pink by Paradise. The other is actually a white,red, and black!! I thought that would be good for boys to do dragons, and probably lots of other "tough" things.
I think these are gonna work GREAT! Can't wait to do more. Yep, I think I'm hooked. I'm actually heading to my local facepaint shop today to get a couple things. Hopefully I'll be able to buy alot more sooon!

I always make my own split cakes. If you can't decide on a color combo, look at the ones premade for sale. You may not have the exact colors, but it gives you great ideas for color combos! Good job on the ones you made.

oh, and I've found it best to stick with one brand of paint on one split cake. Then the paints wear down the same.

Good tip, thanks!

You have a local face paint shop?!

Congratulations on the making of your 1st splits! They looks great. Bet you can't stop now LOL

I really like the idea of a shadow container, I don't think I have any that size.

that was a little square one I got from my local Dollar Tree. Just a single purple shadow that I've never used.

Yes we have a store in Fort Worth that has EVERYTHING for entertainers. Although, they DON'T carry split cakes. and NO Diamond FX which I would looooove to try. They are limited, but it helps I suppose! it's at. www.magicetconline.com

Thanks for the dollar store idea, just bought a great eye shadow box, big enough to use with a sponge and small enough to use with a brush. It is amazing how now every time I am at a store I look at everything with face painting in mind LOL
I am waiting to place an order and then I'll make one for this little box, in the mean time here are a few I made last month during our snow storm

glad I could....help?! haha.
LOVE all the pearly colors! I have been thinking those cases would be good to use since I've been seeing them on the forum, but you mentioned sponges; that's what I've been wondering about. I could fit the sponge into it with the small edge but not the long side. What would you do then?

These cases shown are perfect to use with brush and not sponges. The new eyeshadow I bought at the dollar store is like the one you used for your rose split but a little bigger so you can use a brush or a sponge. HTH