A few weeks ago I posted a project I completed by marbleizing an old soap storage can and re-purposing it as a cotton ball holder for my bathroom. I painted some more cans and this time I took photographs to show the process. These instructions will be highly simplistic but they will give one an idea of how it is done and perhaps inspire you to do it yourself. Kits are available at hardware and crafts stores but I've learned you don't really need all the fancy materials they usually provide. All you really need is a sponge (preferably a sea sponge but a kitchen sponge will do), three or four samples of paint, acrylic sealer and a feather. (For my labeled tin project you will also need library drawer label frames, prong fasteners and labels.) 

First decide on a pattern to emulate. Any search engine with show you photographs of marble patterns you can use as a guide. My first can was a Florentine Green but for the rest of my cans I went with a light and dark blue pattern since I already have a shelf & stool in my bath with these colours. The base colour for both these patterns is black so I gave all my cans a base coat of black spray paint. 

Next I prepared a pallet for the second layer of colours. I buy samples of acrylic wall paint at the hardware store in coordinating shades, in this case bright blue; baby blue and white (which is my veining colour). On a washable surface (I use a plastic plate) drizzle the two coordinating colours in swirls and crisscrosses in roughly equal amounts, first the darker colour and then the lighter colour. Top this with approximately half as much white paint using the same swirl and crisscross method. If you do not have a sea sponge, wet a dish sponge and pick irregular pieces of the edges so there are no square lines. With the wet sponge, dab onto the pallet and transfer the paint to your project. Do not be heavy handed or the paint will muddy - just dab it so you have random bits of colour overlapping the black background but leave some background paint showing through. Compare to the sample you found on your computer and judge by eye. It takes some practice but is easy once you get the hang of it. Allow this to dry while you wash your plate and sponge. 

For the veining, apply a stripe of white paint to your plate with a few drops of water in the center. Tilt the plate to make the center of your paint a little runny. Run the edge of a feather through the paint, picking up thick and thin amounts of paint on the edge. Paint veins randomly across the base coats but only in one direction. Paint off shoots from the veins like creeks off a river but make sure they flow primarily in one direction. The thick and runnier sections of paint on your pallet should make some areas of the veining look opaque and some more transparent, similar to real marble. This takes practice, too, but if you really screw up you should be able to wipe it away quickly and try again; just be careful not to make it too muddy looking. 

Allow project to dry thoroughly. Spray with a clear lacquer sealant. 

For these decorative tins, I curve the library drawer label frames to conform to where I want to attach them, mark the placement holes and drill holes into the container. (My parakeet hates that part.) Attach these with prong fasteners (rivets could be used instead but are harder to attach without denting the can) and slip a label into the holder. You're done!

They would charge some crazy amount for these at Pier One while paying someone in Bangladesh twenty cents a week to make them so feel virtuous for recycling without exploitation (but say a prayer for the Bangladeshi).