Ceramic mug painting - hints please!!

[LucycatsGotTheTurkey]

I've decided to let the dd's 'create' a mug for each of the grandparents for their Christmas present. I've got the cheap plain mugs, and the ceramic paints from Hobbycraft - but now what do I do?

Help!! Just realised it's the 12th Dec so I'd better get on with it!!

just get painting!!

no seriously, what exactly do you need help with? designs?, techniques?

Do I have to 'bake' them in the oven to set the paint? if so how hot? it's a gas oven.....

Dd did this last year. She basically did stick people on one linking hands and flowers on another. She was 4 at the time and they were lovely. She did one for my dad for fathers day and that was just a mix of colours and swirls. We put them in the oven to fix the paint and my dad still has his

I think it was about 30 mins in the oven gas mark 3 (not too hot I remember that)

Sorry minds a bit dense as I have a cold - let them dry for 24 hrs and then over bake for 30 mins at gas mark 3 ish! I hope that makes sense.

ooh thank very much. I think dd2 will be going for finger/thumb prints and dd1 can try some flowers!

I'm quite excited now.....

little tip - don?t paint the rim or too close to the rim (1cm I guess)as the paints can peel off a bit with wear and you don?t want them licking it away! Also nice to put a thunb print and date the mug on the bottom as a memento

Like the thumb print and date idea!

Is turps needed to get the paint off fingers etc?

Paint should just was off - it's only permanent once oven dried so don't think you'll be doing that with their fingers

My tips

Lots of newspaper
One adult per child
one paintbrush (small thin ones are best) per colour
Small amount of colour decanted into saucers - too much colour runs/blobs
nailvarnish remover and cotton wool on hand for 'mistakes'

I have done full tea sets(!) in the past. Started with a kit nearly 3 christmas's ago and did mugs and plates, the kit had 5 colours and a thinner and only now is running out. Have done about 30 mugs, a few tea pots, some jugs and about 10 - 15 plates!! Decanting the paint means little is wasted and make sure they use a fine brush which isn't too 'loaded' with paint.

Last summer dd1 did a mug for her teacher with dolphins and a boat (she is 6) but we started with dd2 when she was 2 3/4 and she did faces on plates that looked like humpty dumpty and splodges on mugs in various colours. Everyone I know still uses their mugs

Do you really have to bake them ?

Ds1 and I have recently painted two mugs for his key workers at nursery and I used the ceramic paints that had been provided with his Mothercare 'Create your own tree decorations' kit (Have no Hobbycraft nearby and could find nowhere which sold small pots of ceramic paints).

Will the paint just wash off otherwise?

Probably, yes.

Just bought some paint your own kits reduced in Wollies- £2.49 for 4 egg cups, £3.49 for a mug, all paints etc included.