Dish it up for Mother's Day

Hands-on time: About two hours.
Total time: Add 24 hours for the paint to dry and set.
Skill: Moderate.
Cost estimate: $10 to $30 (depending on how many colours are used).

Materials & Tools

• China dish, plate, vase, or bowl in a plain solid colour (new or old)
• Rubbing alcohol and a lint-free cloth
• Porcelaine 150 by Pébéo, (I used scarlet red 6, saffron orange 4, malachite green 26, peridot green 30, and black 42)
• Stir sticks
• Paint tray
• Paper towels
• Painter's tape
• Assorted paintbrushes to create textured patterns: fine round pointed, flat shader, filbert, angle shader, liner and s-tippling brushes
• Faux-finish comb tool (to create a rake-textured pattern, optional)

This Mother's Day, dish it up with colour, texture and style: transform a plain china bowl (or other item) into a personalized gift. You can create different textured patterns by using assorted paintbrushes or faux-finishing tools with an array of bright, Porcelaine 150 heat-set paints. The specialty paints can be set in your own oven, which makes them dishwasher and oven safe. To top the gift off, fill it with a few of mom's favourite things.

To begin, wash the china item thoroughly and wipe it dry. Then, to prepare it for painting, wipe the china with rubbing alcohol and a lint-free cloth. Stir the paints before using. Place various Porcelain 150 paint colours in a paint tray. Prepare a container of water and some paper towels to clean the paintbrushes between each colour application.

If you want to paint a textured pattern on the inside and outside of the china piece, begin by placing narrow painter's tape on the exterior surface. Apply the tape in straight and angular line patterns, making geometric shapes between the strips of tape. You will paint in between the tape pieces.

Start by painting the inside of the piece first. To do so, you can use either a freehand or stencil design of your choice. I painted a large poppy-style flower by using a 2cm soft-fibre paintbrush. Let the design dry to the touch (a few minutes) before applying secondary details like painted leaves, swirls and the centre of the flower, using a pointed round brush. For finishing accents, I used a fine liner brush to paint black dots around the floral composition. Some basic brush rules: wide brushes are used for backgrounds, round brushes for filling in and fine brushes for detailing.

To paint the exterior of the bowl, turn it upside down. Using the same colours as you used for the inside, paint different textures and patterns between each taped-off area. To create a grate-like pattern, use the tip of a flat shader brush. To achieve a braided pattern, use a filbert tip brush and paint from bottom to top with a criss-cross pattern. For a basket-weave, use a comb or flat shader and apply it in straight, short, overlapping strokes.

Want to make a sky effect? Use a stippling brush or the tip of a large round brush and make a cloud-like pattern. Of course, you can also invent your own textures by using a combination of brushes or other faux-finishing tools.

Once completed, let your project stand for a few minutes, then remove the painter's tape. Let it dry completely for 24 hours. Then place the item in an oven and bake according to the paint directions (at 325 degrees F/160 C for 40 minutes). Using oven mitts, remove it from the oven and set it aside to cool.

Why not create a theme gift for mom? Fill the china masterpiece with gardening, spa, decorating or gourmet goodies and embellish it with a gorgeous wide bow.

Variations

• Faux-finishing tools can create wonderful modern effects on china and glassware items. For a contemporary look, transform a plain dish or serving tray by using a faux-finish comb tool to paint stripes in several bright colours. Porcelaine 150 paints and outliners can also be used on metal or foil items. Children can make their mom a trivet by painting a plain tile with a special picture or message. While spring-cleaning, keep an eye out for old items you can spruce up with colour and texture.