Repurposing and customizing an ice cream container.
Marbling, like hydro dipping, is a creative way to add a marbled effect to something. Recently, I customized a plastic ice cream container.
Supplies and Stuff
These are the items I used to complete this marbled craft project:
Plastic cup
Painter's tape
Paint and primer
Bucket filled with water
Marble paint
Scrap paper
Paper towel
Rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol
IMPORTANT NOTE: I also highly recommend wearing gloves. I didn't wear gloves and stained my hands. Hopefully I'm not allergic to the paints.
Prepping the Cup and Lid
I had a Magnum ice cream container I saved. Unlike most ice cream containers, this is a sturdy plastic great for repurposing for use around the home.
I cleaned the plastic cup and lid with rubbing alcohol and paper towel. It's important for the item to be clean of dust, dirt, grime, and other residue to allow paint to adhere to it properly.
Once the cup and lid were dry, I masked the areas I didn't want to get paint onto. In my case, I masked the inside of the cup and lid with painter's tape. I burnished the tape onto the surfaces well to prevent water and paint from accidentally seeping under the tape.
I used a white paint and primer spray to coat the cup and lid. Brushing gesso onto the surfaces would've worked as well, but spraying is quicker to apply and dry. I only applied one coat since the marble paint would cover much of it later.
I left the cup and lid sit for a couple hours before marbling.
Prepping to Marble
Once the paint and primer I applied dried, I prepared everything I needed to create a marbled effect.
My craft cabinet is right next to my back door which I opened for ventilation. The paints used for marbling/hydro dipping emits fumes that may be harmful to one's health. Make sure there's plenty of ventilation if you attempt to marble/hydro dip. Wear a mask for added protection.
I used Marabu Easy Marble paints I bought from Hobby Lobby years ago. A little paint goes a long way. I bought it for $20 USD once upon a time, but I've noticed online that the retail price for the same starter set I have costs less nowadays. You may be able to find it for as low as $12 USD from some stores.
I filled an old trash bucket with cold water. I set aside some paper towels, a bottle of rubbing alcohol, and scrap cardstock paper.
After I selected the colors I wanted to use, I shook the bottles well. The chemicals/ingredients separate when the paint bottle sits untouched for some time, so shaking is essential to mix everything together for creating a great marbled effect.
Personally, I like to remove the caps from the paint bottles before I begin. Paints used for marbling/hydro dipping would eventually thicken on the water's surface. Spray paint thickens faster than the marble paints I used. It's important to work quickly, or at least not waste time with trivial decisions and actions after the first drops of paint hits the water. Thick paint adds texture to the item's surface which is often unwanted by many who practice this craft.
At this point I made a HUGE MISTAKE. I forgot to wear gloves. As I noted earlier, I highly recommend wearing gloves, especially if you use this brand of marble paints. Unlike many spray paints, these marble paints will stain your hands. It's tougher to remove from your skin than other paints.
Dipping for the Marble Effect
I dripped several drops of each color over the water. If I wanted to, I could've used a skewer to swirl the paint pattern before dipping the cup or lid. Since I considered this a quick, fun customization project, I didn't concern myself with swirling a pattern.
For my first go-round, I slowly dipped the lid through the layer of paint. Professionals recommend dipping an item at an angle. Unfortunately, I keep forgetting about this recommendation, but I figured I'd share it with you. Angling the item ideally ensures better paint coverage.
Before removing the lid from the water, I ensured there was no excess paint surrounding it. There wasn't any excess paint right around the lid, so I went ahead and pulled it out.
I wasn't satisfied with how it looked. Professionals don't recommend double-dipping to avoid a disastrous effect and added texture from where paint overlaps, but I went ahead and dipped it again. I used scrap paper to collect the excess paint from the water's surface before lifting the lid.
Sure enough, there was some added texture where paint colors overlapped from double-dipping, but it didn't bother me. Of course, this meant the surface wasn't entirely flat and smooth to the touch once dried.
I made sure the water's surface was clear of paint before repeating the steps for the cup. I dried the pieces and removed the masking after letting the paint set on the surface for several minutes.
My Dumb Mistakes
While dipping the cup, I lost focus of what I was doing and made several mistakes. My Dad loves to mess with me while I'm focused on a project. He knew one of my cameras was voice activated and got it to stop recording.
I should've ignored what happened since I had another camera that wasn't voice activated recording a different angle. However, I stupidly decided to restart recording on that one camera. When it didn't recognize my voice command, I used my left hand to press the recording button. In doing so, I accidentally shoved my right hand into the water.
Surprised at what I've done, I quickly lifted my hand and the cup out the water. Some of the water and paint splashed onto my epoxy resin tabletop. The cup had added texture because it was double dipped (I didn't push the paint away from the cup before lifting it out of the water). I also stained my hand with marble paint.
Fortunately, I had rubbing alcohol and paper towels nearby. I was able to clean up the mess from my tabletop with some extra rubbing. Unfortunately, I couldn’t remove all of the paint from my hand.
I tried using rubbing alcohol and acetone (nail polish remover). Both liquids removed only a little bit of paint from my hand. Washing with soap and water worked best, but the black and some red paint remained. My hand looked bruised, but at least my Dad got a good laugh from my flub.
My Thoughts
I made dumb mistakes. It's been over a day since I stained my hand. Most of the paint washed off, but there's still some black paint on one side that's yet to go away. At least it no longer looks bruised.
Despite my mistakes, the marbled effect turned out alright. The intentional and accidental double-dipping caused the paint to overlap and create an added texture, but it didn't bother me. It could've looked worse. I considered myself lucky with this project.
With the proper steps taken to prepare for a marble/hydro dip (i.e., gloves!), this is a quick way to customize an item with a random marble effect. Don't forget to protect it with varnish or other finishing.
What's Next?
Even though it's Procrastination Week, I will continue to complete fun, creative projects to share with you.
Comment below to share your experience and tips marbling/hydro dipping items to customize. I'd love to hear from you!
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Thanks, and have a great day!
Simply Jelly Jam
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