Drip Paint Container

The drip paint effect is a fun way to make a drip paint container and bring a potential pop of color to home décor!

I recently came across a discount container that I really liked but I was not thrilled about the container. It needed something more. Something else. The texture on the lid was great but the color was just lacking. So, I was curious. What would happen if I did a pain pour on the lid and made it look like paint was dripping down the side.

It is a messy on purpose type of art. I have seen the paint drip so much in the realm of cakes. But not actually with paint. And I thought having an on-purpose paint drip could be fun. Plus, I have always loved the look of paint cans. Since my container was circular, I felt like I was really leaning into the paint can vibe.

Check out the Craft section of MCG for more fun patterns in strings and things or more unlimited ideas.

Supplies

For this project, I pulled together:

• 1 Circular Container, with separate lid and base
• Spray Paint, black
• Floetrol
• Acrylic Paint, light blue, dark blue, purple (glitter), black (glitter)
• Lubricant
• 4 Popsicle Sticks
• 9 Paper Cups, for mixing and for elevating the container
• 1 Crafting Blow Torch

Process

Spraying on the Base

The first step in my process was spray painting the container. I wanted the container to have a base that would fit into my décor scheme. And black is a color that blends in. More so than the tan that the container was originally.

So, I spray painted the whole thing black. But just outside. I did not really mind the inside being tan. I like the brightness on the inside to help see what was inside. But I did debate spraying the whole thing to make a more uniform look.

The container took to the spray paint well. Perfect for a drip paint container. There were a few pockets that needed several coats before the black really stuck. But, for the most part, the container did not give me too much grief.

Mixing the Paint

With the container dried, I was really to add the more decorative paint. I decided to prep the paint in a way similar to when I did a dirty paint pour. I started with four cups. The floetrol was poured evenly into each cup. I poured too much but I am very bad at restraint.

Then I added a bit of acrylic paint into the cups (one cup for each color). Just a squirt should be enough to tint the color. More can always be used. I used popsicle sticks to mix the paint together. I also added a bit of lubricant into each cup.

The lubricant adds a cool effect to the finished product. It allows the paint to spread in interesting ways that let the colors alternate in a gorgeous pattern. I wanted to add a dynamic effect to the top of the drip paint container.

The Top

For the top of the container, I poured the different paints into one cup. I wanted to use enough paint to cover the lid top and sides. Since the base was black, missed spots should not be that noticeable.

Before pouring the paint, I propped up the lid with the paper cups. This is so the drip paint container lid did not get stuck to the paper that I was using to protect the area.

Then it was time to pour! I love pouring the paint, I like to see how the colors spread and move and change. The danger of a paint pour is that you might see a state that you love but the paint continues to flow. There is not really a way to control this process. It is a very much “go with the flow” type craft.

I did tilt the lid around a bit to ensure that the paint would spread out and cover all of the lid’s surface. Then I set it aside to dry.

The Bottom

For the bottom of the drip paint container, I wanted to have a bit more control of the paint and how it dripped. I decided to put the paint into a squeeze bottle to help direct the paint flow. Then I slowly dripped the paint around the top of the container.

The paint flowed a lot. It went all the way to the bottom of the container. As you would expect of paint. I did notice that the paint lines got a little faint. The majority of the paint rolled off the container. But the streaks that I wanted were still there!

Reflections

This paint drip container project was interesting because there were a couple of things that did not go as planned. I probably should have spray-painted the inside of the container as well as the outside. I did get glimpses of the lighter color where the top and bottom meet.

I was pleasantly surprised by the top of the container. I thought that the detailing was going to disappear under the paint. I figured the paint would pool in each little crevasse and get rid of the detailing. But it did not! Which was awesome!

Lessons

The Viscosity of Paint

Because I used floetrol, the paint thinned out and made small streaks flow down the sides. I am not sure how to thicken paint… I know how to thicken batter! But not paint. This viscosity (or the thickness) of the paint will matter when making drips because it dictates how far the paint with drip and how much the paint will resist (or give into) gravity.

Quick Recipe