Things to Paint on Ceramic Plates or Tiles

Tips for Painting on Ceramic Plates and Tiles

• If you hope to make your painted design at least semipermanent, you will need to prepare the surface and use the right kind of paint. Wipe the surface of the tile or plate clean, and make sure it is thoroughly dry. For tiles, you may want to roughen up the surface with fine-grain sandpaper to help the paint stick. Use a wax pencil to sketch your design onto the tile or plate so you have a template to work with. You may use either regular latex paint or special paint designed for painting on ceramics.

Floral Designs

• One of the most popular things to paint on ceramic plates and tiles is floral designs. Roses, daisies and other flowers are relatively simple shapes that can be very beautiful when painted on ceramic. Other botanical motifs, such as fleur de lis, vines and leaves, can also be attractive. Visit your local craft store for floral stencils, or browse clip art images online for designs. If you are skilled at drawing you may be able to create your own design and transfer it from your sketch to the ceramic tile or plate by hand.

Words

• Another interesting way to decorate ceramic tiles and plates is to paint them with words. Select a few lines from your favorite poem or scripture verse, or simply find a quote you like. When painting words on ceramic plates, you may use the words as the central focus, painting them in the middle of the plate, or you might use them as a border around the edges of the plate. On ceramic tiles, you may contain all the words within a single tile in small print, or spread them across an entire wall, using large type.

Color Blocks

• Color blocking is a painting technique in which artists and designers juxtapose complementary colors in order to create an appealing design. When painting ceramic tiles, you could choose a family of colors and divide each tile up into sections, applying one color to each section. This is a good way to showcase your color palette when redecorating your bathroom, and it can also be a fun way to dress up a kitchen backsplash. Ceramic plates can also be painted using this technique to give you a customized set of decorative or functional dishes that match the color scheme of your kitchen.