Dollar Tree Hydro-Dipped Coffee Mug - DIY with Cly Ep. 6

I had a lot of fun with the hydro-dipping video last week, so I decided to try out another technique a few people told me about in the comment section. Turns out you can get the same marbleizing effect by using nail polish instead of spray paint.
I decided to do yet another Dollar Tree DIY challenge, and this time everything I used in the video was sourced from there. Well, everything but the water. We'll just say it came from there to appease the purists though. ;)
Instead of dipping another spinner I've decided to go for a coffee mug because I love coffee and tea (the mango strawberry tea from Dollar Tree is delicious FYI). This would also be a great homemade gift idea for Father's Day.
Also, nearly to 8000 subscribers. This is unadulterated insanity.
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Welcome to DIY with Cly. In this series I'll be making pretty much anything the catches my fancy, though I may be open to suggestions in the near future.
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/ cly_faker
/ cly_faker

[@alexharshman7025]

When your old lady goes to paint her nails and all the bottles are empty but my fishin lures look great lol

[@kalamckittrick13]

Its because u didnt knock paint out of the way before you pull

[@jackielambert7980]

lol

[@buckJuddson]

never lift straight up when taking item back out of paint . Use finger or what ever to push extra paint away from dipped item and then slowly pull item out at the same angle !

[@DeathxStrike18]

When you water dip you need to break the paint film before pulling the object up this will prevent the paint from grabbing on as you pull up causing the globs also swirl the object under the water after breaking up the film/skin to cause the paint to even and smooth for a consistant layering instead of a rough texture.

[@thomasanderson3892]

Wow... I'm in awe. Amazing work.

[@andreascott3936]

I have watched so many clips and you are the only one who explains the maintenance after dipping. Cheers for that 👍

[@joycewilliams9704]

Hi Cly, I was amazed at the cup dipping after I stopped laughing at a memory that would like to share. About 29 yrs ago I had a 2 yr old and a new born, giving them a bath. I put my active 2 yr old in his ring thing he sat in the tub, bring newborn in and bathed her too. When I took her into the room 3 feet away mindyou and put a diaper on her. Turned around to get my son, omg he had gotten out of the tub and on top of the toilet into the cabinet and got my red nail polish and brought it into the tub. You guessed it--- poured the polish into the water, he turned out like your cup the second he stood up. Thank you for this demo and the memory. I've done pour painting on cups but never thought of floating nail polish. Looks new edge keep up the creative flow. One thing how did you dispose of the watr/nail bag? P.S. The Polish will take a beating in the dishwasher just do NOT let the cup the soak in a sink of water, it softens it, (useful for getting it off porcelain tubs). Still laughing.

[@ClyFaker]

I skimmed the polish off the top of the water using a popsicle stick, and then I just poured the water out in my yard. As for putting the mug in the dishwasher, I covered the mug with a coat of clear nail polish which seems to have done the trick protecting the design. Also, I'm glad my little project could bring back such a wonderful memory. 😁

[@juliea.caswellakajules3090]

Cannot wait to try this method. Thank you!!

[@casandrarobinson4941]

Super cool! i think it would look awesome to dip the handle too. But cool mug and easy to follow directions. Thanks for the vid.

[@dollrescuer]

That looks REALLLLY awesome! I never thought about doing a mug with the polish. You gave me a really great idea for making some side money! THANKS!

[@ClyFaker]

+dollrescuer No problem. I wonder if my problem with the full coating was the air bubble that was getting trapped under the mug. If I lead in at an angle and then correct it mid dip...

[@donnaedwards503]

Nice, Love the coloring! Good Job!

[@donnabeem3036]

Love it can't wait to try it I've always been afraid to try that but now that I see you do it oh I got to do it

[@MeganLivingston]

Just love this! So many different options to choose from and such a great idea for Father's day. You could even add monograming for a more personalized mug!

[@ClyFaker]

+Megan Livingston Hmmm... I wonder how the polish would behave if you placed some letter decals/cutouts on the mug before dipping and then removed them after it dries a bit. That way you could monogram using negative space.

[@lindamorris7572]

That is REALLY cool! Why am I just seeing this? I hope you do more like this.

[@up2me810]

Really like the dip method, I have done a half motorcycle helmet that my son use for his skateboarding and it turned out fantastic and obviously very unique... well done on the mug thought!

[@elealehblue6429]

Love it! You just put hydrodipping within my price range! God bless and Merry Christmas!

[@robira1313]

You can't afford spray paint?

[@jokerkenny1801]

@@robira1313 are you going to buy him some?

[@robira1313]

@@jokerkenny1801 now I see why they call you joker. 😀

[@TheWoodWerker]

Thumbs Up!👍 Thanks for Sharing! I enjoyed the entire process! Have A Super Week!.....Gus

[@layal367]

Wooow this is the best nail polish art i've ever seen😍💖💖💖💖💖💖

[@ClyFaker]

Thanks! 😁

[@damondavis767]

Great video...kickass work keep it up bro ....

[@okeezy_yt4565]

Bro thats sick! Took me this long to know that this was called Hydro Dipping thank you! I will try this one day man awesome stuff you have my sub 👍

[@coolcat8947]

this is awesome😀, and keep up the good work

[@ClyFaker]

+coolcat89 Thanks. 😁

[@jackdunne6152]

I’m actually getting ready to try this today on a Hotwheels VW “slugbug.” I just happened to have also grabbed some Dollar Tree nail polish, so it was good to see what I can expect from that brand.

[@9mccloud]

Nice!! Thank you for sharing 🙏🏿💕🙏🏿🙌🏾

[@audiemcm7132]

Thank you for the diy hydro dipping

[@ClyFaker]

+Audrin Mcelvain You're welcome. 😀

[@KrissyOconnell-ge1bc]

I really like the dipped coffee cup im going to try hydro dipping for the first time this weekend

[@wind-upshroom9857]

Man, that is awesome!

[@ClyFaker]

+Super J Thanks. 😁

[@FleaOnMyWiener]

This is very interesting, I may do this in the future!

[@ClyFaker]

+N Here's hoping you have better luck on your first try than I did. Fortunately I didn't waste much money practicing. 😝

[@MrSnipes1987]

Sweet mug. All I would say as a painter is if you scuff sanded the whole mug, dipped it, then spray bomb cleared the whole thing it may last a lot longer. That way it has some mechanical adhesion! 👌👍

[@ClyFaker]

+Daniel Green That's very true. I tend to scuff most of the materials I paint, but I didn't want to muck with the glaze on the ceramic. The last time I sanded ceramic it was like nails on a chalkboard. 😜

[@leecrawford6560]

Love the video I'll watch more 😎😎

[@ClyFaker]

+Lee Crawford Glad you liked it. 😁

[@georgiettapatterson7526]

Do you paint the design only with clear nail polish? Do you have to seal it with modge podge?

[@alexandergirl78]

I like it!😊

[@Tracks777]

Excellent video. Keep it up!

[@ClyFaker]

+MisterBassBoost Thanks, and will do. 😁

[@thinface14]

Can not wait to try it myself, plans for tomorrow...pound land hahaha

[@ClyFaker]

+Buzz Lightyear It'll be interesting to see what you end up with. Something tells me Pound Land has a better selection of mugs and polishes.

[@thinface14]

Cly Faker Pound Land is more or less the same as a dollar store, I'm going to have a go and will send you a pic once I've tried it, wish me luck lol

[@ClyFaker]

+Buzz Lightyear Good luck. 👍 From what I've been seeing on Ashens' channel there's definitely a bit more variety (especially in tech) than at Dollar Tree.

[@Acidmix17]

Great job

[@ASMRyouVEGANyet]

Awesome. I'm doing this with boring flower pots!

[@ClyFaker]

That seems like a really neat idea. 😁

[@petal979]

I know this vid is old, so you probably have workd this out already but in case you havent, when you dip your cup instead of puling it up out of the water, while it is semi submerged in the water take a toothpick and drag away the polish thats been left on the water that hasnt adhered to the cup, that way when you remove cup from water it should be minus the bbbles/lumps etc :)

[@Deodoto]

I’ve seen this done & I bong think you have to use so much. Drops will work.

[@rickjr111589]

Neat! could do a cammo group of colors and maybe a matte finish would be cool for fathers day!

[@ClyFaker]

+Rick Fravor Not a bad idea. I have some spray paint in that combo, including the matte clear coat.

[@thenapperfamily]

I had to sub after Reddit chat and seeing all the content on your channel! I'm have try some of these.

[@ClyFaker]

+thenapperfamily Glad you like the content. 😁 I really need to get more DIYs uploaded (I have one on glass etching coming up). They do much better than my normal thrifting content. 😜

[@RcNerd]

Ive used varnish on model cars. This is brilliant

[@ClyFaker]

+Rc-Nerd Thanks. 😁 It's definitely useful to have around, and Ice since used it in other projects. It's great for coloring inlays in metal.

[@karamdeepkaurdevgun9198]

lovely

[@jaynamalinas7235]

Love it

[@HeiderosesPhotograph]

IT CAME OUT VERY NICE...:)

[@vijay-lu1wk]

Hello dude.. This is awesome!!

[@ClyFaker]

+vijay ram sri ram Hello. 👋 Also, thanks. 😀

[@mr.tarlos6624]

This was definitely sponsored by Razer :) I really like the end result !

[@ClyFaker]

+Mr. Tarlos lol I actually have some Razer gaming gear (though I prefer Logitech) thanks to my local thrift stores. $4 total got me a Copperhead mouse and an Anansi keyboard. 😆 Also, I need to figure out a project that I can use a purple shade of nail polish on. Dollar Tree has one called either Doom or Doomed (I can't quite remember) that I need to use out of principle.

[@Rondo3rd420]

Dope 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@andrielianenez8288]

I like how you used the toothpick to make swirls.

[@aprilroseli9902]

Would look cool w some vinyl lettering along the diagonal line. Cute nickname or phrase to customize it ..

[@katglasier356]

How did you apply the top coat? Did you brush it on with something or did you dip the mug with top coat ? I'm very interested in knowing this. And thank you so much for the tutorial 💜

[@Robocoppat]

Thank God For Dollar stores

[@vathouisk]

very cool

[@ClyFaker]

+jr harper Thanks. 😀

[@markgaither5635]

Great video. I never thought of nail polish. I wish you would have explained some of the mistakes you made so I dont make them. I wonder if you could put tape or stickers on before dipping then peel them off for a reverse effect?

[@JakeGuest-fi7sj]

When you say you hit ir with the clear coat, how are you applying that? Is it another dip or hand painting the mug?

[@lindagatchell8079]

Hi there, nice video. I tried with dollar store green and didnt work well, faded out. What brand green fingernail polish did you use? TIA

[@Punkichu]

very cool :) ive heard about this technique but had some tell me that it doesnt work so i never attempted.. seeing this i want to pull out my nail polish i dont use (only use "circuits" haha) def going to try this with something i have on my desk thats fairly bland :) ty! nice video. i'll hit you up with a sub, i look forward to checking out more of your content and great commentary btw!

[@ClyFaker]

+Gamers therapy Unit No problem. 😁 I definitely suggest trying this technique a couple times using something you don't mind ruining first since it can be a bit persnickety. Since I was using cheap polish things started to set up quick. Fortunately I bought a couple of spare mugs just In case. 😁

[@Punkichu]

haha well i have a LOT of mugs laying around and other random things for practice. i did have a question, i was watching through a 2nd time.. as you went from your first try to about this video, how did the "lumpiness" fair for you.. meaning will it smooth out with practice? is there a technique that you might have been pondering on how to get it as smooth as you can? either way its a great idea even for a gift, i dont mind that mild lumpy bits to it as it reminds me of an oil painting and your going to have texture with that sort of medium. the two are paint types are very similar anyway!,... i think that gives it a pretty nice "home made" feel to it which i think is better than screen on fake print on any other thing you would order or buy from the store! i use to paint on blown out egg shells.. i think that would look neat and maybe something to try? can grab yourself a candle stand for those long thin ones. they come in different heights , that would make for a super cool decoration, short-medium-tall & just hot glue the eggs on each one so they dont fall and make yourself a neat conversation piece! and call it an "ancient Chinese secret" haha --i have a feeling i might be trying this very soon :)

[@ClyFaker]

+Gamers therapy Unit The lumpy texture evened out a little bit after sitting for a couple of days, and now it's definitely more on the oil painting texture. It is practically invisible now that I have a clear coat on it as well, though you can still feel it when you're holding the mug. I really like it actually. As for getting smoother results with practice, I don't think it'll get much smoother using this method. Of course, don't do what I did and try drying out faster using a hair dryer. It caused a little extra bubbling, but I was able to hide most of it in the video. 😛 Also, your egg idea reminded me of something I've been meaning to try. If you take foam eggs and cover them in overlapping rows of thumb tacks you end up with a scaled dragon egg look. That would be neat in the candlesticks. 🐉

[@Punkichu]

i might have to try the dragon egg thing that sounds cool ! and yes blowdrying no. lol thats how i use to try to rush my oil paintings to dry, although the paint is more durable and can withstand the heat and WILL dry quicker in order to add another color.. otherwise you'll be waiting a bit hehe, im patient tho for waiting for paint to dry as they say haha, im always busy so i more than likely will forget about it like i forget my coffee in the microwave on reheat 1000x a day LOL but i agree with that lump like texture, when i first started typing about it i thought about the oil paintings and sometimes having some texture is a good thing. gives it a real feel to it rather a "printed on fakeness to it if you will. def gotta check out this dragon scale look idea. love dragons. :)

[@chrisaoropeza6475]

Thank u for sharing

[@ClyFaker]

+Chris Oropeza No problem. 😁

[@jessiebella6768]

When u top coat it do u only go over the nail polish or the whole face of cups

[@saraann7972]

I was wondering g if you put the clear polish on by just brushing?

[@kelliepayne5888]

Do you need to do the clear coat or will the polish be ok with it?

[@Pardesiah]

Even I do love coffee

[@rajeshgurung9048]

Nice

[@barryallenflash1]

Wow! All from the Dollar Tree! If YOU were to sell this, what do you think you sell it for? Thinking of ideas for a side business and this is a great and inexpensive idea. Thanks!

[@rebeccaloney8498]

Love this! Has anyone tried this on a glass mug? If so, how well did it work?

[@ClyFaker]

+Rebecca Loney I never even thought of using this technique on glass. If it worked that would look so awesome. I have a few shot glasses that I bought to practice etching glass by hand, and I could always sacrifice one to test this out. Maybe when I'm done getting my podcast up and running.

[@moulisreebose6445]

@@ClyFaker did you manage to get this technique work on transparent glass products too? Would love to see that. Please share a link in Reply, if you did it successfully.

[@kennethmorris5902]

So I do tattoos and I didn't dip my tattoo machine in but I did used the same colors on all my tattoo machines, they look awesome

[@ClyFaker]

+Kenneth Morris Definitely my all time favorite color combo. I used it on my mic stand recently. 😁

[@sharleneplescia1473]

I have bee doing this with glass cabochans for years. Pretty cool. But be sure and use a toothpick or such to pull the excess polish/water away from the cup before you lift it.

[@johnjamyt]

Hi keep it up

[@ClyFaker]

+Gamerj j117 Hello, and will do. 😁

[@LongIslandP8ntball]

Pretty cool. You should have went with red orange and yellow.....it would have looked like true fire pattern

[@ClyFaker]

+LongIslandP8ntball I'm actually planning on using that combo on a tea light candle holder. I'm testing out both nail polish and homemade alcohol inks.

[@LongIslandP8ntball]

Cly Faker cool cant wait to see it

[@SendaRoni]

What Kind Of Oven Do You Need Too Fuse Paint onTo A Glass Cup ?

[@DyamondRenae]

What did u seal it with?

[@uneeqdsienz2538]

I must admit this was like oh a No I'll Pass. But my eyes just wouldnt stop watching. And then when I seen you put heaps of black I was like nah I'm gonna stop watching. But my eyes still wanted to watch. And I'm lucky that I did watch it through to the end because I seen all that and I'm like MUG YOUR SO BEAUTIFUL ❤😅 you are amazing I'm like wanting to try. Thank you for this

[@j-bird6563]

Warm water keeps the paint from hardening or "globbing up"? Cold water works just have to do it quick. Especially for spray paint ,,,haven't tried nail polish "yet". Oh yeah ,Cool tutorial BTW.

[@ClyFaker]

+J.D. Thanks. I've used cold water with spray paint without issue, and most online tutorials for using nail polish say cold water works best as well. Of course, that wasn't my experience here, but I think I can place the blame on the fact that I was using super cheap nail polish.

[@j-bird6563]

Cly Faker yeah I've just found when using spray paint and cold water it tends to harden and clumps together w the other colors and warm water gives me a lil extra time I need ,especially when doing a bigger object ,but if done fast enough I don't have much of a problem ,but Im gonna try this nail polish w my next swirl/dip. I have only done a couple projects and been watching tutorials and came across yours ,so thanks for the idea.

[@andrielianenez8288]

I tried barely warm and my cup came out shitty looking :( think ill try cold next,and two bottles of polish wasn't enough to cover my coffee mug, going to again later.

[@ClyFaker]

+andrieliane nez Good luck. It took several practice tries before I got decent results, so I'm glad I was using the cheap stuff.

[@scottjkern]

Won’t that wash off? Is it microwavable and hot coffee I can’t picture it lasting

[@HYPERxSONICxFANx2012]

What's the difference between hydro dipping and watermarble?

[@gabriellahsdancingheart8808]

When you applied the clear polish, did you brush it on or did you pour it on and smoothe it out some way???

[@ClyFaker]

I just brushed it on.

[@brendapluff5518]

Did like to see more design on the cup

[@shubhrachatterjee7465]

Hi it's nice 😎

[@smuise67]

Hello, Does the water need to be warm or room temperature? I have had a few mistakes and I had to use alot of nail polish remover..

[@timh7246]

Use room temp water and you must dip the mug into the color immediately after putting the color in. Otherwise, it doesn't work.

[@mzloyaltyjemison7749]

you did great.. maybe seal it with modge podge..

[@ClyFaker]

+Mz Loyaty Jemison Thanks. 😀 The clear nail polish top coat did the trick nicely. I may try Mod Podge the next time I dip though.

[@tawniharper4480]

After it dries, what can I use to make a dish safe since its painted? I wanna do a set of dishes. Thank you

[@Oregon197]

I believe someone said a certain type of modge podge and there's something else you can use to seal it which I forgot the name so you can check into that

[@goblinking9846]

Only reason why us guys need the nail polish

[@ClyFaker]

+Goblin King I have a few other projects in mind for the nail polish. 😛

[@Strange-Viking]

I used my wifes nailpolish to paint some wooden lures I made. Did need to add some of her acetone too.. dont think she ever will suspect me emptying all of them out =D

[@MeYou-nt6dv]

Goblin King unless you get chiggers. Lol

[@rachelguidice8159]

Yay her should

[@rachelguidice8159]

Yay he should

[@jacobellis8135]

Any idea how much paint i would need to do a helmet? Did you brush the clearcoat on?

[@ClyFaker]

To do a helmet you might be better off using the spray paint method. I did brush on this clear coat, but once again spraying the helmet with a durable clear coat might work better.

[@studiovulcan4411]

How long did this last XD

[@sindollface]

Hi watched video & finally tried doing this worn granddaughter,.. I bought SALLY Hansen nail polish at Walmart. It dissolved right in water, the kind that didn't dissolve crusted b4 I could do anything.. tips ?

[@ClyFaker]

The polish I used was L.A. Colors from Dollar Tree, and I found that the temperature of the water had an effect on how fast the polish dried. If I recall correctly, I had my best results when using this polish with water that was slightly above room temperature.

[@zahrashaheryar9593]

Would it be safe in microwave and dishwasher?

[@whackycracker1987]

love your voice

[@ClyFaker]

Thanks. 😁

[@whackycracker1987]

Soo chill

[@ClyFaker]

One of these days I'll get back to using my better mic setup, but sadly it's not quite suited for the types of videos I typically produce. It's great for podcasting though, so I just need to find the time to get back to recording mine. 😅 If you want to hear the better mic setup, check out this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kJuzomtvmdmXqbs

[@whackycracker1987]

Cly Faker ah, ok 😁

[@kathrinsagaert9388]

I have tried to use a tooth pick to swirl the pattern with nail polish. Often It clump up on the toothpick. Does not look like your smooth swirls. Could it be the water makeup? Temperature? I'm really trying to get past this problem.

[@spiritwings4592]

You just barely touch the paint or fingernail polish with the toothpick

[@vampiregoat69]

is it not dangerous to use the cup afterwards?

[@apoccooking4364]

I usually just use nail polish to make fake dragon skin but now I really want to do this -

[@SarahSmile0624]

How do u keep the skin from forming before you swirl? I was using all the same products, but when I would try to swirl, the skin already formed, no matter how quickly I worked. Is it too thin? Maybe need more polish?

[@robira1313]

Water needs to be warmer then.

[@timh7246]

Another poster said you have to do the mug in the water very soon after pouring the color in. Otherwise, doesn't work so well.

[@AndreaStevens2012]

Nice outcome, I never considered using a black surface, but now I'm gonna have to give it a try. Thanks for the inspiration! On a side note, you mentioned the cat in the background and you apologized for not talking while you were swirling...you might consider making a video while you go through the steps and then do a voice-over after the fact. This allows all background noises to be shut out and you can speed up or slow down the video during parts that are repetitive or need detailed explanation, like when the technique is key. Just a suggestion. BTW...no cat can be heard, and quite frankly, most of us would rather people not hear presenters do nervous talk if there is nothing relevant to the task at hand...so not talking when there was nothing to add - bonus! Oh, thank you for using a calm voice - you very easy to understand and you explained nicely why you did what you did in terms of technique - thanks!

[@Azarven]

Possible to sand that smooth maybe then clear coat?

[@ClyFaker]

+No Hair Don't Care To be honest, I haven't even thought about that. I don't know how the nail polish would hold up to sanding, but you could always try with a practice scrap.

[@y50raymond16]

Dude that was awesome..u should make a ps4 control or some car rims now that will put people outta business 🤔🤗

[@ClyFaker]

+Ramon Cano I'd probably want to either use a spray paint dip or proper hydro graphics for a controller, but that's just me. 😁

[@M.Happie]

I hope you don't double dip it, I really loved the end result😊.

[@ClyFaker]

+M. Happy It was just the single dip, and I haven't revisited this project yet. I am planning a couple of spin offs though. 😁

[@kaybryant7987]

Can you epoxy it to seal better maybe

[@ishaniisha507]

Great video! Can you confirm if it’s microwave safe?

[@DyamondRenae]

Once sealed it shouod be

[@robira1313]

I've never seen this done with nail polish. Is nail polish the equivalent of acrylic paint?

[@dalemartin7886]

I believe nail polish is more like a lacquer paint.

[@robira1313]

@@dalemartin7886 - Yes, that makes more sense.

[@AuntLALA]

My anxiety kicked in bc I didn't know you weren't dropping it in all the way lol

[@dbeasley09]

So, did you hydro dip the clear coat or used the brush?

[@ClyFaker]

+David Beasley I just used the brush built into the cap. Fortunately there are no real visible brush strokes.

[@TheHappyHomesteadingHerbalist]

Maybe coat with dishwasher safe, Mod Podge, or brush on uv resin. Thanks for the video.

[@ClyFaker]

I used some clear nail polish top coat and it went through the dishwasher just fine. Admittedly, I don't know how long that cost would hold up since I don't really use this mug that often. I tend to stick with my hands etched glass mugs these days. 😅

[@bethstephey6026]

Water temperature??? I've tried both..I get a thin film fast..and I work fast too!!!

[@robira1313]

Should be a little warmer than room temp.

[@user-ip7uj1zl6e]

you can do a whole round anything if you roll it across the top

[@ClyFaker]

+Elijah Askins I tried that a couple of times while practicing for this video but it didn't work out. I blame the super cheap nail polish I used, since I've had no problems using the technique you're talking about when dipping with spray paint.

[@user-ip7uj1zl6e]

Cly Faker takes some practice not to get hard lines. had a buddy who got a water printer to dip stuff with and had definitely had some fun

[@ClyFaker]

+Elijah Askins I'd love to play around with one of those printers. Marbling is fun, but it's no substitute for real image transferring.

[@tamim.4739]

So how do you apply the clear top coat ? it was referenced "how to apply" in the video ....

[@ClyFaker]

+Tami Miller I just used the brush include in the bottle of clear to cost. Sorry if I missed a step in my tutorial. 😐

[@tamim.4739]

I'm wondering if you could also use a clear acrylic spray sealer ?

[@ClyFaker]

+Tami Miller You probably can, just be sure not to get any inside the mug. The only reason I stuck with the clear nail polish was so that I could get all of my materials from Dollar Tree.