How To Tuesday: Chevron Switch Plate

January 8, 2013

Chevrons are incredibly popular these days – you see them popping up everywhere! So we wanted to show you the best way to create a chevron pattern for all your pottery painting needs!

Chevrons work best on flat surfaces, like plates, tiles, or light switch covers. The straight lines get complicated when you try and bend them around curved surfaces, which is why we chose a light switch cover for this project. And you can always feel free to change the colors to your liking! Now, let’s get to it – shall we?

Materials Needed:

  • Double Light Switch Cover
  • Brush
  • Thin Masking Tape
  • Glaze Colors: Silver Lining & Tidepool

Instructions:

  • Wipe down the piece with a damp sponge to make sure that no dust or dirt has settled on the piece.
  • Paint the entire piece with three coats of Silver Lining.
  • Allow to completely dry. The glaze really needs to be bone dry before the masking tape will stick, so let it air dry until it is dry to the touch and then use a blow dryer the rest of the way (Tip: You don’t want to completely blow dry the glaze because it will start to crack if it dries too quickly). As it is drying, you can use this time to start working on your next step.
  • Cut out about sixteen two-inch strips of thin masking tape. Use a ruler to help mark the tape every two inches and then cut. Try and cut them straight across and as accurately as possible as this will help keep your chevron design from going askew.
  • Start placing your tape across your switch plate, starting from the middle and working out (up and down) from there. (Tip: I highly recommend using pieces of tape temporarily to get the spacing correct between rows of masking tape, especially around the top and bottom edges.)
  • Once all your tape is placed, go back and press all the edges down firmly one more time (to prevent glaze from leaking under) and gently brush on three coats of Tidepool glaze. Try and brush with the chevron lines as opposed to simply up and down or back and forth. This will also help make sure you don’t push glaze underneath your tape.
  • Pull up your tape, and clean up any splotchy edges. You can use a clean, damp, square brush as an eraser, gently rubbing the spot.
  • Write your name or initials on the back of your piece with a paintbrush or paint pen. (Please note: Pen or pencil will not show up after the firing process.)

This entry was posted in How To Tuesday, ideas. Bookmark the permalink.