How to Make Atomic Housewares Tutorial!

This white vase sits on my mantle. I decorated it myself using paint pens I bought from AC Moore! The design was inspired from my Salem North Star cup and saucer set like this one:

How did I do it? I used DecoColor paint markers. The colors I used were black, gold, and teal. Each marker retails between $2.99 and $3.10 USD. I also bought the white vase at AC Moore for $4.99. Before I decorated the vase, I practiced making starburst-like designs on paper with a pencil. When I was ready to begin, I needed to "activate" the marker.

Simply shake the marker back and forth. Remove the lid and gently press down on the marker tip itself using scratch paper, and let the paint flow towards the tip. When the paint has completely saturated the marker head, draw a faint line to ensure paint will not streak. Now you are ready to create!

Should you make a mistake or you do not like your design, use turpentine and a soft cloth to remove the marker. Once applied, the marker will not come off! It also dries quickly! I do not recommend using DecoColor for items that are intended to serve food or drink. The paint will fade and chip with repeated washing and I am sure the chemicals are not food safe. It is best to use DecoColors on decorative-only items!

DecoColor comes in many colors, finishes (creams, metallics, pearls, and glitters), and also comes in different size marker tips like extra fine, fine, broad, and bullet. I normally use fine and broad.

Here is a simple, blue glass vase I decorated using a gold marker:

So, if you want to give your vintage house a retro touch, you can do it yourself. Sure, finding atomic beauties on Etsy and at antique malls are what we prefer in most cases, but now we can also make our own Eames creations!