Making Christmas Plates and Dishes

• Wood plate
• Medium grade sandpaper
• Tack cloth
• Acrylic paint: deep midnight blue, snow white, lamp black, pumpkin, green mist, country blue, heritage brick, forest green
• Water-base varnish, matte finish
  
• Graphite paper (light and dark)
• Stylus
• Paintbrushes: #2 flat, 1/2-inch flat, 3/8-inch angle, 10/0 liner

  ©2006 Publications International, Ltd. Marvelous Mantel Plate

1. Prepare wood plate. If necessary, sand and then use tack cloth to remove dust.
   
   
2. Mix equal amounts of deep midnight blue paint and water-base varnish; base and seal plate. Paint a second coat with deep midnight blue paint only. Let dry.
   
   
3. Download Marvelous Mantel Plate pattern here. Print out. With large snowman pattern, light graphite paper, and stylus, transfer basic shapes of pattern onto plate. Base snowman with snow white. (This will take a few thin coats. Let dry between coats.)
   
   
4. Base hat and coal with lamp black. Base carrot nose with pumpkin. Base scarf with green mist. Let dry.
   

   ©2006 Publications International, Ltd. Transfer the basic shapes.

5. Transfer details of pattern using dark graphite paper. With angle brush, float shade colors as follows: snow=country blue; carrot nose=heritage brick; scarf=forest green; hat and coal=country blue.
   

   ©2006 Publications International, Ltd. Float the shade colors.

6. With liner brush, line carrot nose with heritage brick. Add highlights on coal eyes with snow white.
   

   ©2006 Publications International, Ltd. Line carrot nose with liner brush.

7. On plate rim, alternate pattern placement for little snowmen and snow-flakes. Base coat snowmen with snow white and hats with lamp black. Let dry. With stylus, dot eyes, nose, and buttons on snowmen with lamp black. Line snowflakes with snow white and liner brush, and dot line ends with stylus and snow white. Let dry.
   

   ©2006 Publications International, Ltd. Alternate between snowmen and flakes on the outer rim.

8. Finish with a coat of water-base varnish.

©2006 Publications International, Ltd. Snowman Dish

• Polymer clay, 2-ounce blocks as indicated: 3 white, 2 blue pearl, 1 each ballerina pink and black
• Glass dish
• Liquid polymer clay
• Paintbrush
• Clay blade
• 9 snowflake brads, 3/4 inch each
• Wire cutters
• Needle tool or toothpick
• Pink decorator chalk or cosmetic blush and makeup sponge
• Toothpick
• White typing paper
• Cookie sheet
• Oven thermometer
• Timer

1. Roll out the white and blue clay into 1/4-inch-thick snakes that are long enough to go around top of glass dish. Place blue and white snakes side by side, and twist together. Roll out a second white 1/4-inch-thick snake the same length. Apply liquid clay to inside edge of dish rim, and place white clay onto rim.
   

   ©2006 Publications International, Ltd. Twist blue and white snakes of clay together.

2. Apply a thin layer of liquid clay to inside top of white clay, and place twisted rope trim along inside top of white clay on rim. Cut rope on a diagonal where edges meet to mask cut.
   
   
3. Cut off stems of snowflake brads with wire cutters, leaving approximately 1/4 inch of brad stem intact. Apply a dab of liquid clay to stems of 8 brads, and insert brads evenly around edge of dish. (Do not place 1 brad.)
   
   
4. Shape a 11/4-inch white ball into a teardrop, and flatten bottom for body. Make legs from two 3/4-inch balls. Shape each into a 2-inch snake tapered at an end, and shape wider end to form a foot. Flatten bottom of each foot. Make arms from two 5/8-inch white balls. Shape each into 1-inch snakes tapered at an end.
   

   ©2006 Publications International, Ltd. Make arms and legs from the white clay.

5. To make scarf, roll out a 1/4-inch-thick blue snake. Cut two 2-inch lengths from snake. Flatten snakes. Use blade to cut top of each piece into a point. Use needle tool to make lines at other end of each piece for fringe. Roll a 1/2-inch blue ball, and slightly flatten.
   
   
6. Place body on edge of plate, and attach legs at bottom of body. Position feet, adding liquid clay to attach legs to dish. Attach pointed end of scarf pieces at top of body, one going down back and other going down front. Place flattened blue ball on top where scarf pieces intersect. Attach arms to sides of body, bringing hands in front to meet. Place remaining snowflake brad in hands. Use needle tool to make creases in inner elbow.
   
   
7. Roll a 7/8-inch white ball for snowman's head. Roll an 1/8-inch ballerina pink ball for nose, and flatten it slightly. Place it in middle of head. Shape two black 1/8-inch balls into teardrops, and flatten them. Place them above nose. Roll two 1/16-inch white balls, shape them into teardrops, and flatten them. Place white teardrops on black. Roll 2 tiny blue balls, and place 1 in lower center of each eye. Use needle tool to make mouth, eye creases, and eyebrows. Blush snowman's cheeks with chalk or makeup.
   

   ©2006 Publications International, Ltd. Use needle tool to make facial features.

8. Make a 11/6-inch blue snake 1-inch long. Roll out two 3/8-inch blue balls, and flatten bottoms. Use needle tool to add texture by poking surface. Place snake across head, and place balls at each end of snake for earmuffs.
   

   ©2006 Publications International, Ltd. Place balls at end of snake for earmuffs.

9. Break a toothpick in half, and insert half into bottom of head. (Discard other half of toothpick.) Insert toothpick in bottom of head into top of neck.
   
   
10. Form a 3/4-inch white ball into a cone. Place cone next to snowman. Roll about twenty  3/8-inch white balls for snowballs. Attach snowballs to cone to cover.
    
    
11. Roll out a 1/16-inch blue snake to 21/2 inches long. Drape snake on snowball pile as string. Shape two 1/2-inch blue balls into mitten shapes, and shape 21/8-inch blue balls into thumbs. Place a thumb on each mitten. Make a 1/4-inch flat cuff for each mitten top, and place on mitten. Make indents on cuff with needle tool. Place a mitten on each end of string over top of snowball pile, and press mittens into place.
    

    ©2006 Publications International, Ltd. Make indents on mitten with needle tool.

12. Place dish onto a paper-lined cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated oven at 275 degrees for 40 minutes. Turn oven off, and let item cool.

    Holiday Hint!When attaching pieces, use liquid clay as a glue to ensure pieces stick together.

©2006 Publications International, Ltd. Sweet Treats Plate

• 10-inch clear glass plate
• Scissors
• Tape
• Enamel glass paint: lemon custard, evergreen, engine red, wicker white
• Paintbrushes: #6 flat, #2 flat
• Paint tip set: extension cap, super-fine tip
• Foam plate

1. Download Sweet Treats Plate pattern here. Print out pattern. Snip 1/2-inch tabs all around pattern to fit pattern to plate. Position and tape pattern facedown on top of glass plate. Design will be painted on plate bottom.
   

   ©2006 Publications International, Ltd. Position pattern on top of plate.

2. As you paint, keep all brushstrokes going in same direction. Use #6 flat brush to paint gumdrops lemon custard, evergreen, and engine red and small candy dots engine red. Paint candy mints and candy cane stripes engine red. Let dry completely. If desired, repeat for opaque coverage. (Rinse brushes immediately after use.)
   
   
3. Attach extension cap and super-fine metal tip to engine red enamel bottle. Practice making a few paint lines on disposable plate, then paint thin red lines on round candy mints. Let dry. (Thoroughly rinse out cap and metal tip after use.)
   
   
4. Use #2 flat brush to paint white areas of candy mints and candy canes with wicker white paint. Let dry. For opaque coverage, repeat.
   

   ©2006 Publications International, Ltd. Paint the candy canes and mints.

5. Attach extension cap and super-fine metal tip to evergreen enamel bottle. Paint ribbonlike green line around plate.
   
   
6. Follow manufacturer's instructions on enamel bottles for drying, baking, and curing enamel. Note: Hand-wash plates.

   Holiday Hint!Painting mistakes can be removed by washing them with water before the enamel has dried completely. If enamel is dry, scrape the dried enamel off with your fingernail. Once the enamel has been cured, it becomes permanent.

©2006 Publications International, Ltd. Bright Lights Cookie Plate

• Clear, smooth 10-inch glass plate
• Scissors
• Masking tape
• Bottle-tip nozzle pen set
• Enamel paint: black, green, white, yellow, red, blue
• Foam plate
• #2 round paintbrushes

1. Download the Bright Lights Cookie Plate pattern here. Print two copies. Cut out patterns along semicircle outline. Flip 1 pattern so ends of cord outline match up with other pattern, creating a continuous circular pattern. Tape in place.
   
   
2. Snip 1/2-inch tabs all around pattern to allow paper to conform to plate. Position and tape pattern facedown on top of glass plate. Design will be painted on bottom of plate.
   

   ©2006 Publications International, Ltd. Cut tabs around the pattern.

3. Using pen set, attach extension cap and fine metal tip to black enamel bottle. Practice squeezing lines of enamel from bottle onto foam plate, then draw thin black definition lines on glass plate for sockets and cords and around each bulb. Let dry. (Quickly and thoroughly rinse out cap and metal tip after each use.)
   

   ©2006 Publications International, Ltd. Use the pen set to make the lines.

4. Thin small amount of green enamel with water on foam plate. Using pattern as your guide and painting on top of black definition lines, paint a line over coiling cord. Also use green to fill in sockets and 2 green bulbs. Be sure to apply paint strokes in same direction. Let dry, and repeat if necessary to achieve opaque coverage.
   

   ©2006 Publications International, Ltd. Use green to fill in the sockets.

5. Thin small amount of white enamel with water, and paint white lightbulbs. Repeat with remaining paint colors to fill in yellow, red, and blue bulbs.
   
   
6. Follow manufacturer's instructions on enamel bottles for drying, baking, and curing enamel to glass.

   Holiday Hint!Painting mistakes can be easily removed by washing them away with water before the paint has dried completely or by scraping the dried enamel off with your fingernail. Remember: Once the enamel has been cured, it becomes permanent.