Hydro Dipping

For me, this was a very experimental process. I have more work to do to successfully master the hydro dipping technique.

Hydro Dipping Fail .jpg

Materials Process My Experience

  • Bucket

  • Water

  • Spray Paint

  • Item to dip (we used plastic Christmas ornaments)

  • Gloves, apron, mask

  • craft paper

  1. Paint base layer (white acrylic) on ornaments. Let sit to dry.

  2. Fill bucket 3/4 full with water

  3. Shake spray paint, Wearing mask, apron and gloves, test spray paint on large craft paper.

  4. Alternating 2-3 colors, spray paint into water.

  5. Dip ornament into the paint/water and pull out

I did not find success in my experiment with hydro dipping. When I dipped the ornaments, the spray paint clung to the ornament in goopy strands rather than a smooth coat.

Part of the problem may have been the spherical shape of the ornaments. Dipping a square shape would possibly work better because it could be dipped at angle, allowing the paint to slowly coat the item and for the paint to attach to an edge right away.

Classroom Application

This has been a trendy art activity for pre-teen and teenage students. There are you tube videos, tik toks, reels, etc. on how to hydro dip anything from your phone case to your Nike shoes. That being said, this would be a great lesson for middle to high school aged students because they can personalize their items, handle the technical aspects. Using spray paint is also a technical skill to learn, and an exciting thing for students to do.

A valuable aspect of hydro dipping is the fact that materials that we would dip can be reused or upcycled, and it can be practiced on anything. It would be a good lesson for students to learn how to experiment and find ways to succeed.