My other half and I bought a cheap set of plates when we were students and they’ve stuck by us ever since. It was a full dinner set; big plates, side plates, bowls, mugs and I think it cost us about £4. Plain white, sturdy as hell but pretty boring.

Anne-Marie left some porcelain paint at my house so I decided to give the plates an Anthro-style makeover without the ‘are-you-for-freaking-real?’ price tag. They came out really well and now I have a set of plates I can use for a fancy dinner party, if I ever get it together enough to host one.

It’s a pretty intuitive project, you’ll need porcelain paint, brushes and/or stamps for application and an oven. Paint on your design (I recommend practicing on paper first) and bake in the oven as per the instructions on your paint.

I used Porcelaine 150 by a brand called Pebeo . Once the paint has been fired, it becomes enamelled and dishwasher safe. I haven’t put the plates through any rigorous testing yet, but the finish looks great and it resisted my attempts to chip it off with my fingernail.

Words and photography: Leonie McDonald