One of my (too many?) new year’s resolutions was to try not to use gold/copper/something shiny in every craft project. In an attempt to curb my obsession I’ve been looking at new trends, like marble. Granted, my inspiration for this DIY was Julia Kostreva’s gold flecked marble iPhone case, but I still feel it was the right direction!
.
Nail polish marbling takes a couple tries to get perfected, but once you get the hang of it, it’s difficult to resist dipping EVERYTHING in.
.
SUPPLIES
nail polish (I used essie in blanc)
warm water
shallow disposable container
mixing stick (like a chopstick or a toothpick)
helpful holding suction cup tool (the one I used was borrowed from our shower caddy)
nail polish remover (for corrections)
.
TO MAKE
Fill the container with enough water to allow the case to submerge. You want the water slightly warmer than room temp so the nail polish doesn’t dry too fast. Secure your helpful suction cup tool to the case and get ready to work quickly.
Pour a small bit of the polish in. It will dissipate into a film. Then add more polish on top of the film in a swirl. Working quickly, stir the polish with your mixing stick into a marble swirl pattern. Submerge the case into the pattern. I felt that about a ‘half way up the side of the case’ submersion was ideal for keeping the paint out of the inside of the case while still maintaining full coverage on the back of the case. Remove and let the case dry.
Use the nail polish remover to touch up your design or remove the pattern completely and start over till your happy with the design.
EDIT: After some in-the-field testing, I realized that, of course, a protective coat is necessary to keep your final design pristine. I applied a few coats of gloss Mod Podge spray but clear Minwax or Krylon Crystal Clear would work, too. Alternatively, you could create your design on the inside of the case. Happy crafting!
.
