Decorating Melamine Plates

RE: Decorating Melamine Plates Post By Paul Gray (Guest Post) (06/18/2007) My kids painted plates 10 years ago and they have been in the dishwasher nearly every day since. They are still as bright and fresh as when they were new! The local school or playgroup organised it. They used normal crayons on special paper on which they drew their creative pictures. These were then sent off to the plate manufacture who baked them or whatever into the surface. A wonderful momento of kids art talents. RE: Decorating Melamine Plates Post By DEB (Guest Post) (04/15/2007) DID YOUR DAUGHTER EVER MAKE THE PLATES? IF SO WHAT DID YOU USE FOR PAINT? I WANT TO DO THE SAME THING AROUND THE RIM OF THE PLATE. BUT I WANT TO BE ABLE TO USE THE PLATES. RE: Decorating Melamine Plates Post By Violets (Guest Post) (10/15/2005) I stumbled across this while looking for product reviews...I thought I'd mention you can order kits from Amazon or find them at your local craft store, you get the paper pattern which you send away and the company will reproduce it onto a melamine plate. As far as I can find its safe. They also have plastic ware with a "pocket" you can slip designs into. RE: Decorating Melamine Plates Post by valleyrimgirl (443) | (02/06/2005) Contact Go to your local paint/hobby store and ask them which paints would work, both for food safety and also for ability to be painted on the melamine. The really important thing to remember is that you need to prepare the melamine BEFORE painting so that the paint will adhere to the smooth surface or your picture will literally fall off. On smooth surfaces I spray a clear matte finish but it gives a cloudy/foggy effect to the piece which I don't mind. But there are glass paints out there, ones which can be applied to glass or plexiglass, that will give the effect of a stained glass picture, without glass and leading being used. You can find some really simple pictures or symbols on the internet that would lend themselves to being used on plates. Just a simple picture in the center of the plate. But check for durability and toxicisity (? spelling?) (you know what I mean) of the paints first. DecoArt makes a paint that I really like. Patio Paints are fade resistant, weatherproof, NON-TOXIC, self sealing (no varnish needed overtop of them after) and easy to use. They come in 2 oz. containers. You would have to etch the surface of the plate so that the Patio Paint would adhere to the surface. Enquire in your area whether you can purchase them. RE: Decorating Melamine Plates Post By (Guest Post) (02/06/2005) I don't think you want anything that sticks to melamine near your food. I can see why you don't want to send glass or ceramic, but I don't have a solution.