Dip Dye Knick Knack Makeover: Turn kitsch into chic decor

Thrift stores and yard sales are chock full of abandoned and, dare-I-say, ugly knick knacks that even Aunt Bessie wouldn’t display in her china cabinet. You know the kind… mod-podged ceramics, brassy chotskies, grade-school art projects.

The good news is you can bring new life to these destined-for-destruction items by giving them the dip dye makeover treatment! It’s a great way to bring decor to your nooks, floating shelves, and mantles on a budget.

I’m calling it “dip dye,” but in reality you will be hand painting to give the effect of dip dyeing. If you can afford to use a significant amount of paint, go ahead and dip your items, but the method described below will be much more resource-effective.

Dip Dye Knick Knack Makeover: Turn kitsch into chic decor

Look for items with clean lines and relatively smooth surfaces. Before painting the “LOVE” sign above, for example, I made sure I could scrape off the glitter so that the paint would adhere.

Lay out your clean items on newspaper and spray paint them white for the base coat. You will probably need two coats on lighter objects, more on darker ones.

Dip Dye Knick Knack Makeover: Turn kitsch into chic decor

Once dry, mix up a blend of craft paint for the lighter version of the color you wish to use. I wanted to bring a springy coral into my decor, so I purchased a small container of coral paint and added some white to it for the middle block, and red to it for the base block. (You really only need to tint one block or the other, however I found that I hadn’t added enough white to my middle block to make enough of a contrast with the base block.)

Hand paint your middle block at a desirable height. Try to keep your top line relatively smooth and straight. The bottom edge can be uneven. Don’t paint all the way to the bottom — just low enough so that your base block will overlap it a bit.

After two coats of your middle block have dried, add the base block, maintaining a clean line along the top edge, and painting right down to the bottom edge of the object. Allow to dry and paint a second coat on the base.

Dip Dye Knick Knack Makeover: Turn kitsch into chic decor

Like it? Make sure you scroll to the bottom of the post for a great before-and-after shot to pin.

Dip Dye Knick Knack Makeover: Turn kitsch into chic decor

Dip dyed and ombre effects are super trendy finishes right now. This is a quick and inexpensive way to bring a chic feel to otherwise not-so-chic items.

Dip Dye Knick Knack Makeover: Turn kitsch into chic decor