I was recently asked to try out Plaid’s new Martha Stewart glass paint – these products are hitting the shelves of Michaels stores as we speak! I have done a few ceramic painting projects before and love the medium. It is so fun to create something that you can use or display in your kitchen every day! When I received my products from Plaid, I was almost overwhelmed with all of the possibilities – the glass paint can be used on glass as well as ceramic surfaces so there are tons of ways to work with it.

I decided to create some decorative plates using the lace doily silkscreens. This was my first time using stencils or silkscreens for painting ceramics, so it was a new experience for me, but I was really surprised at how easy the products were to use!

To stencil your own ceramics, you will need:

• Martha Stewart Crafts glass paint in several colors
• Martha Stewart Crafts adhesive silkscreens (those shown come together in one package)
• Martha Stewart Crafts foam pouncers (I used the medium and small sizes)
• ceramic or glass dish

Prepare your surface by cleaning your plate with soap and water and removing any price sticker residue with rubbing alcohol. Be sure that your plate has dried completely. The cleaner your plate is, the cleaner the transfer through the silkscreen will be.

Remove the silkscreen from the backing paper and position it on your plate, then press around the edges to adhere it to your surface.

Dip your pouncer into the paint (don’t you just love the word pouncer?), blot off the excess, and apply it to the silkscreen by dabbing the pouncer up and down. It’s important not to depress the sponge tip too much, because that may cause bubbles to form in your paint and will affect your transfer. Just gently tap-tap-tap it all around your silkscreen.

I created a gradient effect but using several complimentary colors of paint together. To do this, I painted one section of the stencil with one color, then painted the next section with a different color, overlapping some to blend the two. I really like this faded effect, and it was a great way to try out a few colors. Note that there are several finishes of the Martha Stewart glass paint – I used a combination of the “Gloss” and “Frost” finishes (Gloss is shiny, Frost has a little shimmer).

Working quickly, fill in your silkscreen, then immediately peel up your stencil. This paint dries fast, and it is important to remove the silkscreen while the paint is still wet. Rinse any remaining paint off your silkscreen immediately with water because allowing the paint to dry in the mesh can damage the silkscreen. If you make any mistakes or smudge the paint while you are working, simply wipe it away with a damp paper towel and start over.

To create this layered effect, print with several stencils all over the surface of the plate, being careful not to touch any wet paint. Let dry completely (24 hours), or cure in the oven (directions in the next paragraph) before attempting to layer another silkscreen on top of your design. Be very careful when applying the adhesive silkscreens a second time, because they can sometimes peel up the paint that has already dried. This did happen to my plate in a few places but I think the imperfections blend in just fine.

Once your design is finished, you need to cure your piece to preserve your design – directions for curing are included with all of the paint products. Allow your paint to dry for one hour, then place your dish on a cookie sheet in a cool oven. Heat the oven to 350˚, bake for 30 minutes, allow to cool in the oven, then remove. For best results, you should hand wash these pieces. Please note that this paint is not food safe, so these plates should be used for display purpose only or as chargers in a dining set.

Have you ever used glass or ceramic paint? What would you make for your kitchen?

For more info on Plaid’s new Martha Stewart glass paint, you can check out Plaid on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Please note that I received product and payment via The Blueprint Social for this post, however, opinions are 100% my own. For more information, read my disclosure statement.

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