This weekend I did a deep cleaning and complete redecoration of my bathroom. After almost two years of living with only a plain brown shower curtain and brown rug in there (we gravitate towards brown, evidently), it was definitely time.
I was going for an eclectic look and wanted a bold graphic tray to set our toothpaste on, (yes, I needed a tray to set our toothpaste on... I try not to look back and question my decisions while in the midst of an organizing frenzy), but couldn't find anything that went with the Anthropologie bowls I bought for bobby pin/ hair tie / whatever-else-I-happen-to-leave-in-the-bathroom storage. See super adorable Anthropologie bowls here [plum], here [red] and here [a mini version of this in the sky color]. I had read about using Sharpie on porcelain dishes on The Holy Grail Pinterest, and decided it was time to give it a shot!
For a first time project like this, I wanted to use something inexpensive in case I messed it up (I have a habit of ruining perfectly nice things by trying to "upgrade" them), so the $3 plain white plate I found at Ross was perfect! Add in some metallic sharpies found in The Drawer (we all have a drawer filled with somewhat useless / random / unknown things... "Where are my headphones?" "They're in The Drawer."..... "Where's the extra button from that coat I bought last winter?" You guessed it, "The Drawer."), and we're good to go!
Step 1: Sharipes- check. $3 Ross plate- check. (Why I placed "Step 1" off center, I'm not sure. We'll call it art.)
Step 2: Doodle to your hearts content! In my case, I did alternating gold and silver zig zags to tie in the pre-installed silver and gold elements in the space (the towel rack and faucet). Note: I did a Sharpie check on the back of the plate just to see how the colors looked and make sure I liked them together on the plate.
Step 3: Let your plate sit in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. This "bakes" the design into the porcelain so it won't come off. I didn't take a picture of this step because, well, I forgot. Sorry! But I think you get the picture. (Ha! Get the picture!). See? I made up for the lack of picture with a bad pun.
Step 4: Enjoy your fabulous creation! Actually, that one is a little preemptive. BEFORE you enjoy, let your plate cool down for a least 30-45 minutes (this one was tough for me since I have very little self control and a need instant gratification . But I'm telling you, porcelain straight out of the oven is h-o-t-t. Hott with two t's. Mark Whalberg in the Calvin Klein campaign model status hott. Do your fingers a favor and let it cool first.
And there we have it! Easy, simple, and Sam-proof! Note: If something is rated "Sam-proof" it means that ANYONE can do it. Trust me. I have ruined lots of things. By some miracle, this was not one of those things = this is Sam-proof.
Have fun!