DIY painted plate

Hand-painted plate with cross-stitch pattern

Embroidery has made a comeback and is now on trend once more. But why stick to embroidering tablecloths and place mats when an edding porcelain brush pen lets you add trendy cross-stitch designs to plates, cups and mugs made of ovenproof ceramic or porcelain? Painting plates is actually easier than you think, and cross-stitch patterns are particularly easy because the crosses are drawn one at a time. The versatile tip of the brushpen allows you to produce fine lines as well as broad brush strokes. The ink of the porcelain brushpen has a creamy consistency, ensuring an even distribution of colour without drips forming. Patterns using lines or dashes and other graphic variations are also easy to draw. Once you’ve finished decorating, leave the ink to dry for a short while, then bake in a preheated oven to set the design and make it dishwasher-safe.

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

Step-by-step

Step 1

For best results, start by washing your cups with water (a dishwasher is ideal for this), then wipe over with methylated spirits. Thorough cleaning is essential for removing any invisible protective film applied during manufacture.

Step 2

Only paint the outer surfaces of mugs and cups, and only the rim of plates. Using the black porcelain brush pen, start with the anchor on the upper edge of the plate. Simply draw small crosses next to each other.

Step 3

Now decorate the rim of the plate with rings of mini crosses. Our example shows 5 rows of crosses, although this number will depend on how wide the rim of the plate is. For drawing fine crosses, it’s best to use the brush-shaped tip of the pen. To make broader strokes, you’ll need to hold the pen flatter.

Step 4

If you make a mistake, simply wipe it off with a damp cloth or cotton bud (you can continue to make changes to your designs at any time until they are heat fixed in the oven). The crosses should gradually get bigger towards the edge of the plate.

Step 5

Once you’ve finished your design, leave the porcelain to dry for 15 minutes. Now preheat your oven to 160°, place the porcelain on a cold oven shelf, slide it into the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Leave in the oven to cool down afterwards. After baking, your hand-painted crockery will be dishwasher-safe.