Personal gift for tea lovers

DIY decorated teacup and dish

Looking for a personalised gift for a tea fanatic? This beautiful presentation box is guaranteed to please! It holds everything they need for a special teatime break: a fabulous mug, fragrant tea, a tea strainer, a pretty candle, tea bags, a small dish for the teabags, plus delicious jam for scones. And, to make the gift even more personal, we think it’s a great idea to decorate the mug and dish by hand. edding porcelain brush pens are ideal for painting your own designs on porcelain and they’re available in a choice of 15 gorgeous, carefully co-ordinated shades. The special ink has a creamy application and produces an even colour result. When you’ve finished designing, leave the ink to dry for a short while and then bake the crockery in the oven. This heat fixes the motifs and actually makes them dishwasher-safe. This is definitely a gift you’ll love to give!

Categories: Kitchen
Special gifts
Products: Porcelain brush pens
Materials: Porcelain and ceramic
Difficulty: Easy peasy
Downloads: Images (ZIP)

Step-by-step

Step 1

Make sure you have all your materials ready before you start. Our photo shows you the main items at a glance. You can use edding porcelain brush pens in blue (colour code 003) and turquoise (014), or choose your own colours.

Step 2

For best results, start by washing the mug thoroughly in water (a dishwasher is ideal for this), then wipe over with methylated spirits to remove any dust or grease.

Step 3

Now for the next step: write “Happy Times”, or a sentiment of your choice, using the turquoise porcelain brush pen. The incredibly versatile tip of the brush pen allows you to create very fine lines by applying the tip only, or broader brush strokes by holding the pen flatter. If you make a mistake it’s no problem – simply wipe it off with a damp cloth or cotton bud. When you’ve finished decorating, leave the ink to dry for approx. 15 minutes.

Step 4

Decorate the small dish in exactly the same way: clean it first, then add your motif with the brush pen in blue or whatever colour you prefer. We went for “Drop it like it’s hot”. If you add a little drawing of a tea bag, it’s easy to see what the dish is supposed to be used for. When you’ve finished painting, leave to dry for about 15 minutes. Lastly, bake the painted items in a pre-heated oven at 160 °C for 25 minutes. You should place them on a cold oven rack before sliding them into the oven. Leave in the oven to cool down afterwards. The designs will then be dishwasher-safe.

Step 5

For a truly personal gift idea for tea lovers, you could cover the paper labels of the tea bags with small photos or pictures – whatever takes your fancy.