DIY fish vase with Marabu Do it Colorspray

Colourful designer vases in strawberry, lemon and even fish shapes are everywhere these days. But why spend a lot of money on them when you can make them yourself with a little skill? The perfect base for the popular fish vase is an empty detergent bottle with a handle, covered in air-drying clay. And DO IT color spray gives it a vibrant colour.

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Marabu products you need...

Marabu do it Colorspray Satin Matt, gentian 142, 150 ml

Marabu sponge for painting

Marabu Clear varnish, 150 ml

…additionaly things you need

empty detergent bottle with handle

approx. 1 kg air-drying clay

tools for air-drying clay

rolling pin

water

coated work surface, e.g. baking paper

paper, foil, cardboard

Tips and Tricks

To prevent cracking as the clay dries, the vase can be sprayed with water from time to time. This will slow down the drying process and allow the clay to dry evenly from the inside out.
After drying, any irregularities can be worked on and evened out with fine sandpaper.

How it is done:

Rinse, clean and dry the detergent bottle. It should be clean and dry. Cover the work area with baking paper and prepare your tools. Roll out about 1/3 of the clay evenly to a thickness of about 3mm.
Place the clay plate over the detergent bottle from one side and press down gently. Repeat the process on the other side to cover the detergent bottle completely.
The overlaps between the two sides can be roughly smoothed with a wooden tool.
Smooth the surface of the clay with a flat wooden tool.
A sponge with a little water will help to remove small cracks and last imperfections on the clay surface.
The rest of the clay can be used to make the mouth, gills and fins of the fish. To prepare the clay pieces, roughly shape them.
To ensure that the clay on the detergent bottle bonds with the newly modelled clay pieces, scrape both surfaces slightly with a fork and moisten lightly. Then press on the clay pieces and distribute and mix the clay well.
Finally, use a pointed tool to scratch details into the clay. For example, scales, gills or the eye. A little water can be used for this if the clay is already crumbly from surface drying.
Allow the clay to dry completely (approximately 24 to 48 hours).
Next spray the dried vase with DO IT Colorspray. Cover the working area well and protect the working environment from the DO IT spray mist. It is best to spray outdoors or ensure adequate ventilation.
Carefully remove the actuators from the cans and remove the red safety valve. Replace the actuators and caps and shake the cans for 2-3 minutes. Spray the cans on newspaper first to check that there are no solids in the actuator.
Spray all sides of the vase with the colour spray and allow to dry thoroughly. Optionally apply a glossy clear coat to achieve a glazed ceramic effect.