Sharpie Magic

The simplest rainy day craft

We've been seeing this fun and exceedingly easy craft all over Pinterest and the blogosphere, and we had to try it out ourselves. You simply draw on ceramic with sharpie pen, pop it in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, and voilà! You've got a safe to use, permanently marked plate.

This craft is perfect for "emergency fun" situations. Weather have you and your kids stuck inside? Want to do something creative, but just can't deal with a glue-and-glitter-everywhere nightmare? If you're in a pinch, you probably already have what you need in your home. If you're planning ahead and would rather your children didn't scribble all over your nice plates, a trip to the dollar store will get you everything you need.

We thought it would be fun to do an initial on a saucer that is revealed when you pick up your cup. An initial on the bottom of a mug or teacup would be really cute, too. Now you can have your own little Color Me Mine in your home, no kiln necessary!

Note: the color changes slightly in the oven. Our lavender sharpie lines became more of a blue, and our light gray became gray-brown. —Hally Wolhandler