Plastic Wrap Alcohol Ink on Small Ceramic Bowl


A while back I picked up some small white bowls from Big Lots (these look similar) with a nice satin finish. I already inked one bowl using the flame method, but I still have a few bowls left, so I decided to give one the plastic wrap treatment.


I got out my craft mat and some alcohol inks. Then I cleaned my bowl with rubbing alcohol on a paper towel and removed the sale sticker from the bottom. I tore a piece of plastic wrap off the roll that was large enough to cover my bowl, and I set it down on my craft mat, being sure not to smooth it out.


Then I dripped ink on the plastic wrap until I liked the combination of colors and the plastic was mostly full of color.


Then I placed my bowl in the center of the plastic wrap and carefully applied the plastic wrap to the sides without smoothing it out too much (so it keeps the wrinkled pattern). Then I flipped it over to dry.


I ended up using 7 colors on the bowl. I wanted something bright and fun so I went with Purple Twilight and Sunshine Yellow, Sailboat Blue and Watermelon Red, Clover and Raspberry, and Limeade.


I left the inked bowl to dry for 2 days, but 1 would have been enough. Just poke at the plastic and if none of the ink seems squishy and wet, you're probably good to go. It will take at least over night for it to dry.


I carefully unwrapped the bowl. I got a little ink on the inside of the bowl. I wiped that excess ink off with a napkin and some rubbing alcohol.


Once all of the plastic was off, I could see the pattern left behind and how the colors mixed in places. It turned out really pretty! I love this method of inking, it's so easy and gets such interesting results!


To seal this project to use as a bits bowl or jewelry bowl, apply a few thin coats of Kamar Varnish. To be able to do a light hand wash, follow the Kamar Varnish with a sealer of your choice (like a spray sealer or mod podge).

Comments

  1. Hi ! I would like to know do you use a varnish to proyect your bowl ? Thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I spray almost all of my projects with Kamar Varnish. It sets/seals the ink and it won't yellow. Some projects need additional sealers (like dishwasher safe mod podge over top if you want to use it as a snack bowl), but usually I use the Kamar Varnish first so that whatever sealer I use won't interact with the alcohol ink. I plan to use this one as a jewelry bowl, so the Kamar Varnish should be adequate.

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  2. Wow, it's so groovy looking. I have to try this.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! It's so easy, so it's a really addicting alcohol ink method.

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  3. Just saw your post coming by on Pinterest.
    Thnx for sharing, it looks great and rather easy to do. ❤️
    Think I am going to give it a try, I have enough white stuff in the house 😂😂.
    Time for some colour!!
    Have a nice day.
    Gery ❤️

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  4. Beautiful....can you do it with other stains?

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    Replies
    1. I don't think it would work with anything other than alcohol based dyes since it has to dry under the plastic wrap to work.

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  5. I just make sure the plastic is good and crinkled before applying--otherwise it's mostly luck. The patterns turn out different each time.

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  6. Hi! I did a couple of little bowls and love them, but one question. Is it normal for the dried ink to be sticky?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It can be--especially in areas where there was a lot ink. It should dry out after the plastic wrap has been removed, but be careful not to pull the plastic wrap off if lots of areas appear wet.

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  7. I wonder if this can be used with the bright colored permanent marker method? I'll have to give it a try.
    Beautiful pattern.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've never tried Sharpies with plastic wrap. Let me know how it goes!

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  8. If I made this on glass items, could I put it outside or would it get wrecked?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you seal it, it should be ok outside in the shade. But it will eventually fade--alcohol inks fade in sunshine.

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  9. Hi Sarah, I love this decoration but I don't understand where the leaf pattern comes from? Do you have a resist on your bowl or is it in the plastic?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's just the wrinkles in the plastic wrap that create the pattern.

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  10. So beautiful, I sure want to try this tecnic, thanks

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  11. I can’t find a definitive answer so I’m hoping you can tell me. If I decorate the inside of the bowl, as well as the outside and seal with the krylon kamar then coat they with dishwasher safe mod podge, is it safe to use as a salt punch bowl? I love making these! Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You can definitely seal it with that combo, but I don't know how food safe it would be (the dishwasher safe mod podge is recommended for non-food contact surfaces). It's also my experience that the dishwasher safe mod podge is really just hand wash safe.

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  12. Any finish you use would have to be food safe and I've read that the finish peels off in the dishwasher if not sealed with a varnish or resin of some sort but I don't know from personal experience.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, finding a sealant that works for dishes is really hard. The dishwasher safe mod podge sort of works if you're just decorating the outside.

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  13. I love this look and have tried 4 or 5 times. Each time, however, when I remove the plastic wrap from the bowl, the ink pulls away with the plastic and doesn't stay with the bowl.. Can you advise me on what I'm doing wrong?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If the ink is still wet, it won't stick. So make sure to let it dry all the way.

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  14. A few weeks ago my husband gave me a gift....20 alcohol inks!!! I am anxious to try your method!!!

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  15. OMG! I just did this last night to 2 beautiful serving bowls...1 i took the plastic wrap off too soon so its a bit dull...the 2nd one though...OMG! I LOVE IT! GORGEOUS!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Awesome! I have totally fallen victim to taking the plastic off before it's completely dry, too. :)

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  16. I'm just doing a small ring bowl. My question is do you have to seal it at all?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's usually a good idea. I've had some ink flake off of very smooth surfaces and if it comes into contact with any alcohol based liquids (perfume, hairspray, etc...), it will run.

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  17. Did you brush the AI on so that it was not runny?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nope, I just squeezed a drop at a time onto the plastic wrap and let it spread a bit. Once the plastic was covered with ink, I set the bowl onto it while it was wet and wrapped the plastic around the bowl.

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  18. Beautiful effect, cling wrap is also one of my favourite techniques

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! It's so much fun when the colors come out the way you want them to!

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  19. I tried this on a little ring bowl. It sat with the plastic on for 2 days. When I removed it, it was still sticky. After a week or more it's still sticky! Any ideas? I think I didn't wipe it down with alcohol ahead of time? Could that be it?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Too much ink, maybe? Or if it's really damp/humid and just doesn't dry.

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    2. Hi, Donna! I just read your comment about the sticky ink. I, too, had a project that I used alcohol ink. It was on yupo paper and never dried (well, actually it took 2 months). It turns out that my alcohol ink was old. Apparently, it has an actual shelf life. I bought new inks and they worked just fine. For what it's worth now, I hope that helps. Cheers!

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    3. I've never had a problem with old ink (I've had some for several years--but maybe it depends on the brand), but that's something to watch out for. I have heard of issues with the plastic wrap method with the cheaper thinner inks, though.

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