How to Paint Alcohol Inks on Switch Plates and Outlet Covers

Add a Super Cool Pop of Color to Your Home Decor with these Decorative Switch Plates and Outlet Covers painted with Alcohol Ink

This may have been my alltime favorite craft project so far! I had so much fun making these colorful switch plates and now I am going to show you how easy it is to paint your home’s outlet covers with vibrant Adirondack Alcohol Inks by Tim Holtz.

Last fall, I decided to repaint my entire house. Big job but I was sick and tired of the ‘builder beige’ walls so it was totally worth it!

Now, my soft gray walls with fresh white trim look so much better. While I love my walls, I did notice they needed a little something…. some pop of color. So, I thought … why not try painting the outlets and switch plates?

Table of Contents

• What are Alcohol Inks?
• Alcohol Ink Supplies
• Prep the Outlet Covers and Switch Plates
• Apply the Alcohol Inks
• Seal the Painted Outlet Covers

In the past, I have decorated my light switch covers with fabric and wallpaper but this time I wanted something a little different. Something more modern and cool. And then I ran across the Adirondack Ranger Alcohol Inks!

Plain white switch covers are just so boring and dull, aren’t they? And we can’t get rid of them so why not do something fun? And while I love supporting my local artist community, I could not afford to buy custom, artist painted or ceramic covers for the whole house.

What are Alcohol Inks?

If I understand it correctly, Alcohol Inks are a blend of pigment and a form of rubbing alcohol with a consistency of watercolor paints. The colors are translucent and very fast drying.

Alcohol Inks are especially designed to work on hard surfaces such as metal and glass however, they can also me used on canvas and paper.

When I discovered alcohol inks at Michaels, I couldn’t wait to try them out and I absolutely fell in love with the unique watercolor effects you can achieve.

Plus, they are super easy even for beginners to use. So, let me show you how to add a pop of color to your home switches.

Related: Look how I made Alcohol Ink Christmas Ornaments
Related: You may like DIY Glass Garden Art Totem

Prep the Outlet and Switch Plate Covers:

Cover your table with a plastic table cloth. Trust me, you don’t want alcohol inks on your table.

The first thing you want to do is give your switch plates a good cleaning. Any fingerprints or stains can keep the inks from adhering to them.

Next, pour about 1/2 cup or so of rubbing alcohol in your disposable cup. ow, place one of your outlet covers on the piece of paper and open all of your bottles of alcohol ink. This paint dries very quickly so I have found it is best to go ahead and open all of the bottles ahead of time.

Apply the Alcohol Inks:

There are many different ways to use alcohol inks, this is just what I did:

Dip your paint brush in the rubbing alcohol and completely cover one of the switch plates or outlet covers. Make sure it’s totally wet.

Now, drip some alcohol ink onto the rubbing alcohol and watch it flow. You can move the ink around with a brush or blow it with the straw.

Add more ink colors slowly, one drop at a time. And don’t forget the edges and the tops of the screws. You will want those to match.

Seal the Painted Switch Covers:

Let your painted plates dry overnight. Now, carefully carry the plates outside (on the paper) and spray them with a thin coat of acrylic sealer. Hold the can of spray as far away as you can.

The pressure from the spray will move the dried inks a little bit but the paint will blend back together before it dries. Wait the recommended time on the spray and add a second coat.

Let dry completely and you’re ready to install your beautiful DIY switch plates.

Don’t you just love the bright colors? Why live with plain, ugly light switch covers when you can have little works of art instead? I get compliments on my light switch covers all the time.

They are so lively and colorful on my neutral gray walls without being overpowering or gawdy.

Now that you know how to use alcohol inks, why not paint some fun and funky coasters? Great Gift idea! Just make sure to use an extra strong sealer if the piece will get used a lot.

My switch plates have held up amazingly well. The only one showing some scratches is the outlet we use to charge our cell phones all the time. The rest of the switches and outlets are not showing any wear at all.

Check out my Alcohol Ink Christmas Ornaments!

Enjoy!
Annette
FiberArtsy

Related Home Decor Articles

How to Make a Glass Garden Totem
Christmas Ornaments Painted with Alcohol Inks

How to Paint Alcohol Inks on Switch Plates