Serve up some artwork on pretty plates

Turn plain ceramic plates into art with botanical prints

By Tara Nolan and Heather Camlot

The best place to be during the holidays is often by the fireplace. One way to make your mantel stand out with elegance is with decorative plates. They make for an artful display and better yet — you can design your own to match your décor.

The 18th century was the golden age of two of today’s most sought-after collectibles: transferware porcelain filled the demand for inexpensive yet decorative dinnerware, while botanical prints exploded in popularity under the influence of German artist Georg Dionysius Ehret and French artist Pierre-Joseph Redouté.

We’ve combined both elements by using Clip Art botanical images and waterslide transfer paper for inkjet printers.

Materials

• Lazertran waterslide paper for inkjet printers (found at art supply stores)
• clean ceramic plate
• craft glue

Click here for Microsoft Home Magazine’s Botanical plate template. Open in Word.

Step 1: Find your images

• If you prefer to use your own image on the plate, search through your Windows Live Photo Gallery collection or through Clip Art. Insert the image into a new Word document.
• Go to Insert > Shapes > select a circle, place it over the image and size it to your plate.
• To make the circle transparent, go to Format > Shape Fill > No Fill.
• Adjust your image accordingly.

Step 2: Print onto specialty paper

• Adjust your printer settings according to the package directions.
• Test-print on regular paper before printing on the specialty paper.
• Print the image onto the Lazertran paper using an inkjet printer at the highest-quality setting. (You may have to use more than one sheet of Lazertran and then piece your image together.)

Step 3: Dry and soak your paper

• Allow the image to dry.
• Soak the decal in warm water for one minute.
• Apply a thin coat of craft glue to a clean plate’s surface.

Step 4: Stick the paper to the plates

• Slide the image decal off the backing sheet and apply it to the plate.
• Gently press out any air bubbles and allow the plate to dry.
• When the plate is dry, seal the surface with a satin-finish sealer, such as Preserve It!

Now you’re ready to display your plates on your mantel or hang them on the wall for a festive holiday display.

You could also use decal paper for this project.

Photography: James Tse. Plates: Julie Stoyka. Styling: Heather Camlot and Tara Nolan.