Give A Dollar Tree Soap Holder A High-End Upgrade With This DIY Idea

You've been admiring marble bathroom accessories for a long time, but you don't want to break the bank with a single purchase. What should you do to satisfy the craving on a budget? If you're even just a little crafty, you can create a marble-themed bathroom one accessory at a time with this simple DIY decorative technique. Here's a project that turns a Dollar Tree soap dish into luxe yet easy-care faux marble bathroom décor. Try this project, and you'll give this plain, affordable bar soap holder a natural stone grain pattern using hydro-dipping.

Hydro-dipping may sound complex, but it's actually a pretty straightforward and versatile paint technique you need to try. Simply put, you transfer paint — acrylic, spray, enamel, or oil-based — onto an object using water in place of a brush or spray nozzle. It helps you add unique marbled patterns to any boring accessory. To begin this DIY project, pick up a Solid Color Bathroom Accessories set in any color from Dollar Tree. You'll also need a large plastic tub, a can of silver acrylic spray paint, like Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch 2X Ultra Cover in Metallic Aluminium, and a pair of plastic gloves to protect your hands. Fill the tub with enough water to completely submerge the object you're painting — in this case, the soap dish.

First, clean the Dollar Tree soap dish with dish detergent and a slightly abrasive sponge. Even if it's new, it could be covered in smudges from fingerprints or dust. Leave it to dry completely. In a well-ventilated space, fill your container with water to prepare a water bath. It should be deep enough to completely submerge the soap dish. After that, aim the nozzle of the spray paint can toward the center of the water's surface and start spraying. You can spritz the paint onto the surface in bursts or at different spots, or apply it all at once in one large splotch. There's no one right or wrong way to apply the paint because every layer will produce a unique pattern.

Next, immerse your Dollar Tree soap holder by slowly pushing it straight down into the water, through the surface layer of paint, until it's completely submerged. Pull it out of the water in one swift motion, and voilà! The paint should have adhered to the soap holder, giving it the appearance of veined marble. Leave the painted soap dish to air dry, then place it next to your bathroom sink to elevate the ambience. You'll be happy to know that, unlike real marble that can etch or stain easily with use, this DIY Dollar Tree soap holder is far less fragile and more low-maintenance. It's definitely an underrated Dollar Tree item you should stop overlooking.

This Dollar Tree hack is an easy DIY paint project that takes less than an hour. It shouldn't be a problem to find extra time to customize the piece to your existing bathroom design or make it more interesting. For one, you could play around with paint colors. While there's nothing wrong with using a single color, like silver, blending two or three colors can produce a more elaborate or contemporary marbling that will really make your soap dish stand out on the vanity countertop.

Remember, too, that hydro-dipping is considered by some as an art form, not just a paint application technique. Even if you don't see it that way, there's no denying that it takes practice to get really great at it. Playing around with other cheap Dollar Tree accessories is a good way to improve the tricky dipping maneuver. Then, when you really get the hang of the process, move on to your soap dish. Finally, to protect the marbled finish, you can apply a coat of clear sealant, like Krylon Triple Thick High Gloss Clear Glaze Aerosol Spray, after the paint has dried. This reduces the chance of scratches and, at the same time, gives your DIY bathroom accessory a luxe glossy finish.