Well, I’m back. And with another Pinterest Project!

I’m sitting here waiting for Hurricane Sandy to wreak havoc on my life, so what else is there to do? Besides, my first one went over so well, I decided I’d post something else that I ripped off from Pinterest. ‘Ripped off’ is a bad way of putting it, really, because isn’t the idea of Pinterest to ‘pin’ ideas & then do them? Either way that’s what folks do. Some of them probably don’t even give credit where it’s due, which is bad. Very bad. But I always credit people who inspire me… so thank you (in advance of me going any further about this project) to the blog that put the fire in my pants to create. Although this idea can be found all over the web, that’s the post that I used as my guide.

Pinterest Project #2 is an idea I had seen around the internet for some time on various blogs & websites. I’d even seen it on craft blogs. But I never really wanted to do it until I saw it on Pinterest 3 times in one day, via 3 different blogs/websites. Then I took it as a sign: Jesus wants you to do this.*

The basic idea is this: get a Sharpie, get a blank white mug from the Dollar Store, draw on the mug, bake it at 350° for 30 minutes, let it cool and then ta-da! Personalized mug (hand wash only!). Except I didn’t want to do mugs. I have enough mugs. I have a mug with Wyatt Earp on it, an initial mug from Anthropologie with a big ‘M’ on it, a mug from Cracker Barrel, a Kerr mason jar mug, a Starbucks mug, a Dunkin’ Donuts mug, a fancy black /white/green mug that says ‘Adventure Queen’ with a crown and a brightly colored one that declares I LOVE CUPCAKES (with a matching plate, mind you). That’s not to say I’m anti-new mugs. I love buying cute new mugs or novelty touristy ones. I just do not need to draw my own mug.

Have I said ‘mug’ enough? Sheesh.

I decided I wanted to draw on plates. And boy did I ever.

I have a lot of Sharpies.** Many of ‘em are duplicate colors but the points don’t stay “fine” very long when you use them a lot, so it’s necessary. I do need some lighter pastel colors though.

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I bought a ton of white dollar store appetizer plates and went to town. I did some awesome insect plates (like these, but cooler). You can see my “Cupcake Rehab” themed one here. I also did a 4-piece set of Universal Monsters: Frankenstein, his bride, the Phantom of the Opera and Dracula. This one is my most recent attempt:

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People see these & say, “Are you fucking kidding me?” But in all honesty, I can’t stress enough that it’s easy to do. Look, I’m an artist, I went to school for it. I draw. That’s what I do. In any form or medium. But you don’t have to be an artist! Kids would love to do this, maybe for a party favor? Or a rainy day project? Then you can have a plate with their drawings on it forever. And even adults love this; I can’t tell you how many people went out & bought plates & Sharpies after seeing what I did. It’s just a cute novelty idea. And it’s a ton of fun. Once you start, you won’t be able to stop.

To erase the Sharpie, just use a slightly wet paper towel (or Q-tip) and rub hard on the area, or if that doesn’t work, use rubbing alcohol. Then dry the area off, wait a few minutes, and draw again. DO NOT WASH THESE IN THE DISHWASHER. Everything will come off. Gentle hand-washing is best, if you abso-fucking-lutely must. You could probably also use gold or silver Sharpies on black or other color plates just as easily, but I never tried it myself.

All in all, I’d say if you aren’t going to use them, if you’re just going to display them, it’s a better idea. I wouldn’t use mine (except maybe for blog photos) for food at all, and like I said: I wouldn’t wash ‘em unless I absolutely had to. I might use them for “dry” food, such as crackers or cookies, but not only is there a chance it’ll come off, Sharpies are just not safe for being ingested… and that’s a huge possibility with wet foods. I like using them as photo props or decorative plates; I keep my keys & rings & stuff on that Day of the Dead one. The others just look cute.

So exercise your inner artist! It’s a cheap, fun project to do. You never know, you might end up with something so awesome you’ll want to hang it on your wall.

 

*Kidding. It was totally Buddha that wanted me to draw on plates.
** Sharpie compensated me IN NO WAY for this post, and I purchased all the supplies myself.