The growth of shops that allow consumers to decorate their own English pottery pieces or ceramic items and have then fired on the premises have also given people the opportunity to make English pottery personal. Not only can you make English pottery personal for yourself but also as a gift for others. There are many different styles and designs from which to choose. This is something that is not only fun to do but also fun to choose if you have a special friend or loved on that is always quite difficult to shop for when it comes to birthdays, holidays, and such. Have fun making these gifts mean something for the one receiving the gift as well as you, the one giving it.
Gift giving is often a very difficult thing with many people stressing over finding the right thing, the right size, the right color, or the right style. Then there is the added pressure of spending the right amount of money and remembering to include a return receipt in case the gift doesn’t fit, is the wrong color, or may be completely unflattering. There are simply too many things that can go wrong. This is one reason that creating personal English pottery gifts for friends and family is such a wonderful way to go. It’s a gift that you get to give yourself and you get to give to your friends and family.
Seriously, you get to enjoy the time you spent selecting and painting the gift you are giving. That is always a great thing. The selection process should be fun and appropriate to your friendship or relationship. If you have a favorite movie or song that you both love together the English pottery piece can either be decorated in that theme or be that thing all together. Paint a cookie plate and cappuccino mug for your friend that you meet for coffee and biscotti once a week. Paint a princess crown for the little princess in your life or a monster light switch cover for the little monster “wannabe” in your life. For the man in your life you can paint a small “bank” for his poker night money. The possibilities are endless and you can always adjust themes suitable to the person you are painting for.
Make household decorations that are appropriate for upcoming holidays. These are often gifts that keep on giving year after year as they are incorporated into routine decorating for the various seasons. Don’t forget about Santa. Most English pottery painting shops have plenty of plates from which to choose for painting and a Christmas themed plate for Santa’s cookies is sure to please. Platters are also great ideas for all of the Christmas serving that must be done. Remember to follow the care instructions closely however as most of these types of platters are hand wash only and some of them may not be food safe.
Just remember to have as much fun painting your masterpiece of a gift as you had selecting and planning it. Most shops have a gallery of sorts to help with ideas if you are truly stuck and many also have a picture book of past projects and creations that are eye catching and appealing. Be sure to check out the various books before beginning so that you don’t see something that you wish you had seen first. Of course you could always save that idea for next time.
As Christmas is approaching faster than Santa can harness the reindeer to his sledge, many of you will be already creating and practising your very own fabulous designs. There will be those among you that would love to follow suit, but have yet to apply their first brushstroke. With just a few weeks left to the festive season, now is a perfect time to take the plunge. It really isn’t as difficult as you may think. You’ll be christmas face painting your family and friends in no time at all.
FUR EFFECT: When trying to create a fur effect, use a medium-sized brush, working from the centre outwards. That way the edges taper off. Have a go on paper or a face painting practice pad first until you get to grips with the motion needed for your required effect.