Today I’m sharing a couple of Thankgiving serving pieces that I can’t wait to use! The first, a Grateful Hearts Painted Wood Plate, has been around our house for about twenty years. I remember painting it when I was living in Denver while my GI Joe spent a year stationed in Korea. I did a lot of crafting that year, to make the time pass a little faster!
All you’ll need is a wood plate, a white fine-tip paint pen, and a few bottles of craft paint (the 69 cent kind). Even though this project is 20 years old, I just saw wood plates at the craft store this morning.
I painted the whole plate a midnight blue, front and back, and let it dry, then traced cookie cutter shapes in the center for the leaves. The tiny leaves are itty bitty stamps I used to have. After the leaves dried, I added the lettering and let it dry. Next, I used a sponge to lightly add some rust-colored daubs all over it. Finally, I coated the whole thing in a clear polyurethane.
Obviously, this isn’t dishwasher safe, and I just use it for dry foods, like cheese and crackers. This year, it’s on our coffee table for the fall, with a big jar candle on it. I still love it, and the sentiment on it, after all these years!
The other platter I just made this year. It’s a copy of one I saw somewhere…Macy’s, I think. 
For this one, you’ll need a white platter and a metallic gold DecoArt glass paint marker. I just wiped the edge of the platter with alcohol, to make sure it was clean, then wrote my phrase around the edge. I thought the little tic marks made it look prettier. If you make a mistake, you can wipe it off with alcohol.
Following the directions on the marker, let it dry and cure for 8 hours, then bake it at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. You put it in an unheated oven, let it come to temperature, then start your 40 minutes. The package says it will then be dishwasher safe, but I washed mine by hand, just in case.
My favorite thing about these pieces is that they have my handwriting on them. Not that my writing is all that and a bag of chips, but I like the thought that my kids see it and will recognize it in years to come. I still recognize my mom’s (and my grandmother’s, when I come across a recipe or note from her) writing when a letter or package arrives, and I want my kids to have that same little jolt of recognition some day. In this world of emails and texts, we actually write far too little. Although I do have a callus on my hand from all the writing I’ve done since going back to school last January!
Anyway, I’m off my soapbox about handwriting…I just wanted to share why I think it’s important to incorporate your own penmanship into everyday life!
