Who wants color?! ~”We want color!”~ (that was you all answering back). But seriously, I really love how these DIY brushstroke plates turned out! I started by playing around with my new paint set and then, after mixing a few shades of pink, white, and orange, came up with the absolute cutest color palate. A quick trip to World Market, and I had the perfect plates to paint.

Wouldn’t these plates look just lovely at a spring brunch with the girls (or boys? or dogs?)? I know several ladies who would ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ over these beauties as they eat their fruit and cupcakes. That’s what you serve at brunch right?

The paint I used was an oven cure paint that is non-toxic, and while it is probably fine to eat off of and is really well adhered (doesn’t scratch or flake), the package didn’t say anything about whether or not it is food safe. So use your own discretion on whether or not you want to use them with direct food contact. It can always be used as a ‘presentation’ plate. Or some cool wall decor. Or just with food like cupcakes with paper keeping a barrier between the food and the painted plate.

The Supplies:

• Non-toxic oven cure paint like this one (feel free to choose the colors you want to work with. I used pink, orange, and white and mixed them to create all the different shades)
• Stiff bristle paint brush to get the best “brushstroke” effect
• Plain white ceramic plates washed and then wiped with alcohol on a paper towel (These are from World Market)
• Oven, disposable plate or a paint tray for mixing paint colors

Start by mixing your paint to achieve several different shades of pink and orange. I did some plain pink, then light pink (pink and white paint), plain orange, light orange (orange and white), coral (pink and orange), light coral (pink, orange, and white), and a few other shades of blush by adding a bit more pink and white or orange and white to the light coral. Just pick a palate you’re excited about. There are no ‘wrong’ colors. You just want to make sure you have at least 6 or so colors to get a nice look.

Now that you have your colors, begin the in the middle and work out each direction in a swift motion to create the brushstroke look. If you mess up at first (like my light pink in the photo above), simply use a paper towel to remove the ends and try again. The stiff brush helps to create the ‘brushstroke’ look. I first tried a softer paint brush and that yielded the more rounded look of the light pink, but then I switched and got the more jagged brushstroke look I was going for.

Once you get the hang of it, continue using all your colors to create appx. 1″ wide stripes of color. Repeat a few of your colors if needed.

Once you’ve painted all of your plates and the paint has dried fully, place them in a cool oven and heat to 350°F, then bake at that temperature for 30 minutes. After they have been baked, turn off the oven and let them cool back down to room temperature while still in the oven. This will cure the paint and create a dishwasher safe finish.

Voila! They feel very fresh and spring-esque. They will however create an undeniable urge to host a party. That’s not such a bad thing though:)