Gosh, I get so mad at myself when I stumble
across a great idea that hasn't been shared. 

At least not shared on fleaChic!

Anna, of Yorkshire, England, writes a funny and interesting blog called
Angel In The North.  She covers a vast array of subjects - decorating,
travel, fashion, DIY.  The girl is a Blogging Bundle of Energy.

Anna stumbled upon a fantastic thrift shop bargain several
years ago and turned it into a brilliant craft idea:

She purchased these three vintage china plates for only $2.50!!

With a little time and a few materials she turned them into:

 Angel In The North

Genius!!  This project is definitely on my Top 10 Craft Ideas list.

Here is the simple step-by-step tutorial on how to create these adorable plates:

 1. Find a plate(s) without chips or cracks.  You might already have

miscellaneous plates in your 'eventually-I'll-get-to-it closet!'

2.  Decide what style letter(s) you want to use.

3.  Anna created a stencil for each letter using Bodoni MT font at

size 400 and printed each letter on very heavy paper.  The font

size will depend on the size of your plate.  Using sharp scissors

or a craft or X-Acto Knife carefully carve out each letter you'll

trace onto each plate.

4.  Position the stencil where you want to paint it on the plate.  I

like the idea that Anna painted over some of the flowers.

5.  Using a Sharpie Permanent Marker trace along the edges of the letter.

It helps to use a ruler for the straight edges.  Fill in the interior of the letter.

Let the plate(s) dry over night then repeat the painting

process with the Sharpie if the letters need to be darker.

Be sure to do this project in a well ventilated area as a

Sharpie can emit a 'pongy' (Anna's word!) odor.

Note:  These plates are for decorative purposes only,
not to be used for eating off of or for serving good.

Wouldn't this plate project make a great gift?  Take the idea a step
further and paint the recipient's initials.  I love sharing genius ideas!