Paint a cup and saucer, egg cup and side plate in bright colours to liven up your morning

What you need...

• China: cup and saucer, egg cup, side plate
  
• Paint, porcelain, Pebeo: Ruby Red, 07; Ivory, 43; Saffron Orange, 03; Citrine Yellow, 01
  
• Masking tape
  
• Adhesive lettering
  
• Sponge
  
• Paintbrush, fine
  
• Cotton wool buds and baby wipes
  
• Cling Film

instructions

1. Wash the china thoroughly with warm soapy water and leave to air dry. Use adhesive letters to spell out the word ‘Toast’ along one of the sides of the plate, making sure the word is centred. Stick one strip of masking tape above the lettering and one below.

2. Repeat the process to spell ‘Earl Grey’ on the saucer, ‘Egg’ on the egg cup and ‘Tea’ vertically on the outer surface of the cup. On a plate, mix red paint with a tiny amount of ivory.

3. Next, add a little amount of ivory to orange and again add ivory to yellow. Use a small piece of sponge to dab the mixed pink paint inside masked strip. Immediately pat the areas with a dry sheet of sponge to reduce the bubbles created, this will leave flat colour on the china’s surface.

4. When the paint is touch dry, carefully remove the masking tape and lettering. Heat the china with a hair dryer and the masking tape and letters should peel off easily; a craft knife helps with this process, too.

5. Use damp cotton buds or baby wipes to remove any paint which may have bled under the tape or letters. If there are any uneven edges, work over them using a fine paintbrush and a little paint.

6. Next, create the remaining two by masking strips across the china below the wording. Make the next strip slightly narrower than the lettered one and the final panel narrower still. Apply orange paint, then the yellow. Peel off the masking tape in the same manner as before. Leave the china to dry for 24 hours, then follow the paint manufacturer’s instructions to bake the paint onto the china’s surface.