I've been dying to make some of these with Maddie, on a recent trip to visit my brother's family we took her to make a plate for her mom. Of course I had Candi send me pictures of Maecy's plates for inspiration and I spent some time on the internet looking up ideas. I finally decided on elephants holding trunks, with my brother and his wife's initials above. Madelyn was a little less than thrilled to have her hands painted which resulted in Matt's elephant looking like it had one huge leg, poor Matt, but she loved helping me paint the plate! The ladies at the shop were extremely helpful and one even ended up painting the letters on the plate for me. If your ever in Austin, TX check them out;
The Art Garage.
I think this a great project for parents and kids it's an excuse to get out of the house, not a lot of commitment in buying supplies or clean up, and if you go to a paint studio they clear glaze and fire the project for you. Also I really love the idea of using these plates and tiles as holiday or seasonal decorations for your home. What better way to decorate your home than by handmade artwork you and your little one made together. Below are some of Maecy's plates, some inspiration, and a few helpful tips!
Tips:
1.) Double check with the art studio about how many layers of paint they suggest you use to make a nice solid coat.
2.) Be careful with lighter colors, especially with the hand print as you will not be able to do a second layer.
3.) Push straight down and pull straight up when making your handprint.
4.) Bring some toys or books for your little one to play with while you finish adding details to your project.
5.) Bring pictures for inspiration.
6.) Use a good layer of paint when making the hand print.