A few months ago, our family talked about making some holiday gifts this year rather than buying all of them at stores. We discovered that it's quite simple and fun to add personal touches to basic items you buy. Our favorite gift idea this year is to paint designs on glass plates, bowls and mugs for special people on our list.
Here's how:
Wash and dry an oven-proof dish. Paint simple designs such as squiggles, zigzags, dots and even the person's name on the underside of the plate or the outside lower portion of a mug using Liquitex Concentrated Artist Color Glossies or Deka Translucent Paints (at arts and crafts stores). Do not paint on the food side of the dish.
When the paint is dry, an adult should place the glassware in a 325-degree oven for 30-45 minutes in a well ventilated area, or follow manufacturer's instructions on the paint bottle.
On a gift tag, instruct the recipient to hand-wash the dish in hot,
soapy water.