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How to Make Sharpie Plates and Is It Permanent

November 13, 2020 By: Katie36 Comments

title image for How to Make Sharpie Plates and Is It Permanent. Two girls holding up their baked plates

Making Sharpie Plates with the kids is a keepsake craft that everyone will love. Below is the tutorial along with food safety information.

Recently on Pinterest, I have been seeing lots of writing on plates with permanent marker projects.

My two biggest questions with these projects are, is it permanent? And is it food safe?

Today we are doing a Sharpie Marker Plate tutorial and putting the finished plate to the test. As well as doing a little research to the safety of actually eating off of the plates.

More Sharpie Marker Craft Ideas:

The Sharpie marker is a great craft supply and is one we have used in many craft tutorials. Like Sharpie Tie Dyed Shoes, Colored Rhinestone Jewelry, and Dyed Tile Coasters.

Are Plates with Sharpie Food Safe?

We figured the best place to research this matter was to go to the source.

On the Sharpie Website, it states…

“While Sharpie markers are AP-certified non-toxic, we do not recommend using them on areas of items that may come in contact with food or the mouth. Sharpie has not been tested as an oven-proof product and should not be used anywhere where a consumer could possibly ingest the ink. Sharpie markers are only recommended for use on ceramic or glassware when the product is being used for decorative or display purposes.”

Of course, this was looked up after we made out plates and used them a couple of times.

Yup, best mom award goes to me!

Supplies You’ll Need to Create this Project:

This post contains affiliate links.

  • White Ceramic Plates
  • Sharpie Markers

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.

a girl cleaning the plate before coloring on it with sharpie markers

Next, begin coloring! Yup, it is really that easy!

Each of my kids took a different approach with their own favorite theme.

a collage image of the progress of the kids coloring their plates

While waiting for everyone to finish we had some fun posing for the camera and dancing to music.

silly pictures of two girls during craft time

How Long Do You Bake a Plate with Sharpie Marker:

Place 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, 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.

four kids holding their baked sharpie plates

Are Plates with Sharpie Permanent?

The kids were all very excited to use them that night with 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 beginning to coming off. But the second trip proved that this method is not permanent and not dishwasher safe. At least not the way that I did it.

the result of plates after being washed in a dishwasher

We were all bummed about our plates. I thought this would be a great way to keep their artwork and make it fun, but it did not work. ?

Our Conclusion:

This was a fun craft project to do with kids, and could still be a fun way to keep their artwork, but this method is not permanent and not food safe.

Plates with Sharpie Marker should not be used to eat off of, but you could put them in a Display Plate Holder to keep the artwork safe.

Since making these plates I have also been told that we used the wrong Sharpie Markers. We should have used the Oil-Based Sharpie Markers, but these are not deemed food-safe either.

Also, hand washing is advised over the dishwasher to make the designs stay even longer.

When you make a Sharpie Plate or Mug, please share a photo. I’d love to see what you made!

Our Crafting Essentials List:

  • So many of our crafts use a Cricut Machine, this is by far, my favorite tool! And there are different machines to choose from to fit every budget.
  • Sharp scissors are a must, and these Precision Edge Scissors are the best.
  • Keep your supplies and projects organized with these Stackable Storage Baskets.
Yield: 1 Plate

How to Make Marker Plates with Sharpies:

sharpie plates 3

Making Sharpie Plates with the kids is a keepsake craft that everyone will love. A tutorial and food safety information.

Prep Time 30 minutes
Active Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Difficulty Easy
Estimated Cost $5

Materials

  • Ceramic Plate
  • Sharpie Markers

Instructions

  1. 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.
  2. Next, begin coloring! Yup, it is really that easy!
  3. Place the finished plates in the oven set at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Notes

Are Sharpie Plates Food Safe?

On the Sharpie Website, it states…

“While Sharpie markers are AP-certified non-toxic, we do not recommend using them on areas of items that may come in contact with food or the mouth. Sharpie has not been tested as an oven-proof product and should not be used anywhere where a consumer could possibly ingest the ink. Sharpie markers are only recommended for use on ceramic or glassware when the product is being used for decorative or display purposes.”

© Katie Adams
Project Type: Home Decor / Category: Kid Crafts

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Comments

  1. Anonymous says

    February 25, 2013 at 5:26 am

    Thanks for posting. Had similar results to Christmas presents my kids made for their grandparents. 🙁

    Reply
  2. Brandi Golden says

    February 25, 2013 at 5:45 am

    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.

    Reply
  3. Cam says

    February 25, 2013 at 12:54 pm

    We had the same results here…

    Reply
  4. 玉芳 says

    February 26, 2013 at 12:13 pm

    This is very intresting! I wondered if it worked! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  5. Bonnie says

    February 26, 2013 at 1:06 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Rhaven says

      December 9, 2015 at 8:06 am

      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.

      Reply
  6. jamie @ [kreyv] says

    February 26, 2013 at 6:32 pm

    Bummer! I’ve been wondering about this!

    Reply
  7. Emily Thompson says

    February 26, 2013 at 1:59 pm

    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

    Reply
  8. Lisa says

    February 27, 2013 at 2:01 pm

    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!

    Reply
  9. [email protected] A Pile of Scrap! says

    February 27, 2013 at 3:29 pm

    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.

    Reply
  10. Tonya @ The Traveling Praters says

    February 27, 2013 at 7:24 pm

    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.

    Reply
  11. Jacquelyn Karlic says

    February 27, 2013 at 4:15 pm

    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

    Reply
  12. Kayla Janachovsky says

    February 27, 2013 at 4:48 pm

    What a great idea! Thanks for linking up to The DIY’ers!

    Reply
  13. Jeni IGOTTHISMARTHA says

    February 27, 2013 at 6:27 pm

    Super cute idea!

    Reply
  14. Melissa at My Fabric Relish says

    February 28, 2013 at 6:15 pm

    Thanks for this post! Such a bummer!

    Reply
  15. Vicky @ Mess For Less says

    February 28, 2013 at 8:26 pm

    That stinks that it didn’t work! I thought for sure it would. Pinterest fail.

    Reply
  16. Ashley says

    March 1, 2013 at 5:54 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Lise Garneau says

      November 9, 2013 at 2:58 am

      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!

      Reply
  17. Alexis AKA MOM says

    March 1, 2013 at 6:13 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Valerie says

      December 13, 2014 at 9:06 pm

      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.

      Reply
  18. Mary Beth says

    March 2, 2013 at 2:38 am

    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

    Reply
  19. Andrea Reed says

    March 2, 2013 at 4:09 pm

    Stopping by from Sugar Bee Crafts, thank you for sharing. I’ve always wondered if this worked or not!

    Reply
  20. O'Mamas says

    March 3, 2013 at 8:14 pm

    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.

    Reply
  21. O'Mamas says

    March 3, 2013 at 8:15 pm

    And by “milk” I meant “mild” dishwashing soap … oops

    Reply
  22. Joshua says

    March 4, 2013 at 3:21 am

    These should also work just fine.

    Reply
  23. stacey gibbon says

    March 4, 2013 at 4:18 pm

    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

    Reply
  24. Natalie Buehler says

    March 6, 2013 at 3:43 pm

    Thanks for sharing this on Tutorial Thursdays 🙂
    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 🙂
    x
    Natalie

    Reply
  25. Rose :: Fine Craft Guild .com says

    March 20, 2013 at 1:36 pm

    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…

    Reply
    • Katie Adams says

      March 26, 2013 at 2:17 am

      Thank you for letting me know! With this idea pinned all over pinterest I just assumed it would work.

      Reply
  26. Maria Linhart says

    July 12, 2013 at 5:36 pm

    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.

    Reply
  27. Sarah Vanderkooy says

    February 27, 2014 at 1:40 am

    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?

    Reply
  28. Missie says

    September 21, 2014 at 9:23 pm

    i had the same results and was super disappointed. Then we used non toxic acrylic paint and it worked out great

    Reply
  29. Amy says

    October 14, 2014 at 2:22 pm

    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.

    Reply
  30. Etta says

    December 11, 2014 at 4:17 am

    So happy I wasn’t the only one who has white plates again!!!! I thought it was just me!!

    Reply
  31. Luana says

    February 3, 2015 at 4:56 pm

    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.

    Reply
  32. Sally says

    December 25, 2020 at 2:29 pm

    My daughter colored a mug for me in grade school, years ago and I have put it in the dishwasher many times, and it still looks good. I don’t know how they did it though.

    Reply

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