Hand-Painted Insect Plates

Give inexpensive white dinner plates a creepy Halloween makeover with black ceramic paint and easy-to-create bug silhouettes.
Halloween table setting with painted bugs

Hand-Painted Insect Plates

Give inexpensive white dinner plates a creepy Halloween makeover with black ceramic paint and easy-to-create bug silhouettes.

Materials Needed:

  • white ovenproof plates
  • food- and dishwasher-safe black ceramic paint
  • pencil
  • 1.0 liner artist's brush (or ceramic paint pen)
  • oven

Sketch Insects

Wash and thoroughly dry plates. Sketch simple bug silhouettes onto plate in diagonal line from left to right. If necessary, look at insect images online for inspiration — spiders and ants are easy even for beginning artists. Don't worry if you make a mistake, the pencil will easily wash off.

Sketch of crawling insects

Sketch Insects

Sketch simple bug silhouettes onto plate in diagonal line from left to right. If necessary, look at insect images online for inspiration — spiders and ants are easy even for beginning artists. Don't worry if you make a mistake, the pencil will easily wash off.

Paint Design

Use 1.0 liner brush to paint bug designs onto plates with ceramic paint. Alternatively, you can use a ceramic paint pen if you're less steady with a brush. Don't worry if you make a mistake, the paint can be washed off to start over. Once your bug designs are complete, allow paint to dry for 24 hours. Follow paint manufacturer’s instructions to bake plates to fully cure paint.

Note: Be sure to use paint that is food and dishwasher safe. Allow plates to cool and wash prior to use.

Tip: Place plastic or rubber bugs on the table to further bring the look to life.

Filling in sketches with black paint

Paint Design

Use 1.0 liner brush to paint bug designs onto plates with ceramic paint. Alternatively, you can use a ceramic paint pen if you're less steady with a brush. Don't worry if you make a mistake, the paint can be washed off to start over. Once your bug designs are complete, allow paint to dry for 24 hours. Follow paint manufacturer’s instructions to bake plates to fully cure paint.

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