6 DIY Ways to Embellish Utensils in Under 5 Minutes

A couple of weeks ago, I was out shopping for props for an upcoming project and found these super affordable mini spoon sets and basically when full ham. Each set of 3 was under $2, so I bought 4 or 5 sets and went about my business.

So, what is a girl to do with 12-15 mini serving spoons you ask? Well, aside from stirring my coffee and eating ice cream, I’d say there’s at least 6 things I can do with these little guys. And by that I mean 6 ways to embellish them in under 5 minutes.

If you’re not in the market for quite this many mini spoons (I hear ya), you can totally try this DIY ideas on pretty much any utensils you have in your house (old silverware, wood handle BBQ sets, ceramic / porcelain serve ware, plastic picnic flatware, you name it). Any utensil-ish artifact that could use a refresh is fair game… as long as it has a handle.

Some of these DIY embellishment options are temporary (perfect for parties and summer entertaining) and some are permanent, so you can really play around with ’em. AND each technique will only take a couple of minutes. My kind of DIY.

Here are 6 ways to embellish utensil in under five minutes…

1. Gold Foil Tape: So easy! Just cut to size and wrap around the handle and you’re good to go. Here’s the tape I used. You could also use copper contact paper, like the stuff I used for this faux metal planter DIY.

2. Paint Dipped: Using a special paint that adheres to all kinds of surfaces, I just dipped the handle of each spoon into the paint, pulled it out and let it dry flat before using. Way quicker and easier than breaking out a paint brush. And it’s a permanent solution that is also dishwasher safe.

3. Yarn Wrapped: This is a fun one to try, for a soft texture at the handle. This is more of a one time use embellishment, since you probably won’t want to get the yarn wet, when washing, but it made the list non the less.

4. Nail Polish: I love this option because you can create patterns or solid blocks of color. Plus, who doesn’t own at least one nail polish already, right? So you won’t have to travel any further than your bathroom drawer to get the supplies for this option.

If you’re curious about the nail polish colors I used… Essie’s Butler Please (blue) and Sally Hansen’s Lacey Lilac (purple). The hot pink nail polish is discontinued. 🙁

5. Washi Tape: Apply this one just as you would the gold foil tape. Look for cool patterns and nice solid color tapes for this one. I found a yellow marble tape a while back that I love.

6. Glitter: For this one you can use dishwasher safe Mod Podge and your favorite glitter to create a color blocked look in just a couple of minutes. OR if you want to go the even easier route, you can use glitter tape instead, which is kind of awesome. You can find glitter tape on Amazon – I bought this pack and it’s lasted me forever.

I thought of so many more ideas for these while I was creating this post, but I ran out of spoons. Whoops! But here are a few additional ideas, just in case you want to go even further with these… painted paper wrapped handles, tissue paper designs, paint pens (to create more detailed designs).

Have any more ideas to add to this list? I’d love to hear them in the comments below.

Styling and photography by Brittni Mehlhoff