Decorating ceramic plates with the kids is a handmade craft that everyone will love. Keep your kid’s artwork on marker plates!
Have you seen all of those fun sharpie projects on ceramic mugs, ceramic plates and just lots of ceramic stuff? I have seen a lot of chatter about baking sharpie markers onto ceramic items and if it really works. So I am putting it to the test.
My kids were very excited about the idea too so I went to the local Dollar Store and bought 4 white ceramic plates.
Supplies Used to Make Marker Plates
Some links may be on similar items when exact items couldn’t be found online.
How to Make Marker Plates with Sharpies
To begin, make sure the plates are nice and clean from and smudges. The best way to do that is to wipe the plates down with Isopropyl Alcohol.
Then, begin coloring! Yup, it is really that easy! Each of my kids took a different approach with their own favorite theme.
While waiting for everyone to finish we had some fun posing for the camera and dancing.
Bake the Sharpie Plates
Put the finished plates in the oven set at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. After the 30 minutes, I turned the oven off but left the plates inside to cool in the oven, leaving them there for several hours.
When the plates were completely cooled we all had a good laugh as we were pulling them out of the oven. A lot of the colors had changed quite drastically. My daughter’s blue sky turned a weird green and a lot of other colors became much darker as well.
They were all very excited to use them the next night at dinner. So, of course, they got dirty and were put in the dishwasher.
After the first trip through the dishwasher, there were a couple of spots that were coming off. But the second trip proved that this method is not permanent. At least not the way that I did it.
I really am bummed because I thought this would be a great way to keep their artwork and make it fun.
So, I did not find success with the Sharpies and my ceramic plates, but if any of you know a better way that it DOES work, I would love to hear.
Update on Sharpie Markers
I have learned that I used the wrong Sharpie Markers. I should have used the Oil-Based Sharpie Markers. Hand washing is advised over the dishwasher to make the designs stay even longer.
What colors and or designs would you color onto a plate? Share and leave a comment below!
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Anonymous says
Thanks for posting. Had similar results to Christmas presents my kids made for their grandparents. π
Brandi Golden says
Read that oil based sharpies are supposed to work. Decorated 4 plates and baked today. Scared to wash because i dont want to mess them up. Maybe i’ll sacrifice one tomorrow and hope for the best.
Cam says
We had the same results here…
ηθ³ says
This is very intresting! I wondered if it worked! Thanks for sharing!
Bonnie says
I had heard that they made a sharpie especially for this. But I haven’t found them yet. If I do I might have to give it a try.
Rhaven says
They make a type of pen called Porcelaine 150 pen that is recommended for this type of stuff. I haven’t used it, but several I know have had good luck.
jamie @ [kreyv] says
Bummer! I’ve been wondering about this!
Emily Thompson says
yep… I had the same experience with sharpies and ceramic :o) All washed off! I went to Amazon and bought the real thing glass markers… they do work better and still a good way to save their artwork. Thanks for linking up to Tasteful Tuesdays @ Nap-Time Creations. So glad you stopped by! Emily
Lisa says
Thank you for doing a review on this. I’ve been wondering about the same thing. I bought supplies to try this with the oil-based sharpies and glass, so maybe that will work. Hope so!
[email protected] A Pile of Scrap! says
I’m glad I found this today. I had just been thinking if this would work or not just yesterday. Glad I didn’t waste the time & create any disappointment with my daughter. I thought I read somewhere tho, that someone let theirs cure after baking for like 2 days or so. Not sure if that would make any difference or not.
Tonya @ The Traveling Praters says
Oh no! That stinks! My daughter made some ceramic mugs for her friends at Christmas, but we never thought to test the theory. DUH! Big fail on our part. Thanks for sharing.
Jacquelyn Karlic says
Hi! Followed you over from Someday Crafts link up. Thanks for posting this because I have been seeing this on pinterest and have been thinking of trying it. Good to know that the colors will change after being baked and that they don’t last after being washed. Guess this is only a good project if yo are making the plate as a keepsake and not to actually be used :-/
Jackie
Kayla Janachovsky says
What a great idea! Thanks for linking up to The DIY’ers!
Jeni IGOTTHISMARTHA says
Super cute idea!
Melissa at My Fabric Relish says
Thanks for this post! Such a bummer!
Vicky @ Mess For Less says
That stinks that it didn’t work! I thought for sure it would. Pinterest fail.
Ashley says
I ended up putting mine in at 450 for about an hour. It might have been a bit excessive, but the Sharpie has survived several trips through the dishwasher already without any signs of wear.
Lise Garneau says
Hi Ashley! Was that with the oil Sharpies? Just wondering! Did some for gifts for our children for Christmas! Now I am wondering if I should scrap the whole project!
Alexis AKA MOM says
OH man I keep hearing it doesn’t work :(. I heard you have to handwash only. Then I heard that there is a certain type of sharpie you must use but for the life of me I can’t google and find the right kind.
Valerie says
I’ve heard you have to use the oil-based sharpies (available on Amazon, plus some Wal-Marts, and Office Depot/Staples type stores). I haven’t tried it but it seems to be the preferred method.
Mary Beth says
Thanks so much for sharing your project at Project Inspire{d}.
I’ve tried this as well and it has been hit or miss for me. I did a vase for Valentine’s Day and it worked but some other projects haven’t.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Hugs, Mary Beth
Andrea Reed says
Stopping by from Sugar Bee Crafts, thank you for sharing. I’ve always wondered if this worked or not!
O'Mamas says
We did this for Valentine’s Day on a set of mugs … we used Sharpies for the outlines, colored in with permanent paint pens. We set the oven temp to 450, popped the mugs in the oven and did the same as you … when it beeped that it was at 450, I set the timer for 30 minutes. Took them out, let them cool completely. Waited 24 hours before we used them, and while we don’t use the dishwasher (we use milk dishwashing soap, and a soft sponge), we’ve been using them daily and they are just fine.
O'Mamas says
And by “milk” I meant “mild” dishwashing soap … oops
Joshua says
These should also work just fine.
stacey gibbon says
very interesting! I always wondered about it, especially since tutorials were all over Pinterest. Well now I know.
Thanks for linking up at Crafty Thursday Obsessions. Hope to see you this week again.
Have a great week <3
Natalie Buehler says
Thanks for sharing this on Tutorial Thursdays π
Your post was one of the most visited links and I will be featuring it tomorrow on my blog, and your image will also be pinned and added to my Facebook Page Album of the same name.
Please do come by to grab your button.
I would love it it you would visit again this week π
x
Natalie
Rose :: Fine Craft Guild .com says
Hi
There are actually specific ceramic pens that you can use. yes, they are EXPENSIVE and yes they are not food safe…. so you have to make the designs only on the outside/edges which you will not touch/where you will not put your food.
Actually, the sharpie method is good for ceramic projects like little vases, for grandma… which she’s not about to wash, smother with grease, etc… but which just contain some pretty flowers, picked in the field when her grand kids are over…
Katie Adams says
Thank you for letting me know! With this idea pinned all over pinterest I just assumed it would work.
Maria Linhart says
You are supposed to used unglazed (unpainted or unfinished) ceramics to make this really work. This way the ink can penetrate the dish not just sit on top of it. If you can only get your hands on glazed ceramics I have heard there are sharpies that are made to penetrate the glaze. I don’t know if they really exist but it’s worth a Google search.
Sarah Vanderkooy says
Thanks for sharing your experience, I love seeing all the ceramic projects, so good to know. I have a marker intended for this type of thing but I only have black and would have loved to use color. At least it was a fun experience right?
Missie says
i had the same results and was super disappointed. Then we used non toxic acrylic paint and it worked out great
Amy says
Your project may not have worked for several reasons…
1. You put them in the oven before it was preheated.
2. You left them in there for several hours after the timer went off.
3. You put them in the dishwasher.
#s 1 and 2 may be the reason your colors did not turn out right….the plates were left “baking” the whole time your oven was cooling down.
As far as putting them in the dishwasher….I’d say 99% of the project instructions I’ve seen for these say hand wash only.
I’ve made several Sharpie plate/mug/bowl projects & they all turned out great & have lasted through tons of hand washing.
Etta says
So happy I wasn’t the only one who has white plates again!!!! I thought it was just me!!
Luana says
Take the kids to color me mine if u have one near you. I took my son and you get to pick and paint your own bowl, cup or what ever you choose. He uses his every morning for breakfast.