Project

Handwritten Recipe on a Pie Plate

Honor your grandmother's, mother's, or loved one's recipe in this thoughtful gift. A family heirloom such as this will be cherished in your kitchen and the kitchens of generations to come.

handwritten recipe on pie plate displayed

Photography: Ashley Poskin

Source: Martha Stewart

Introduction

This idea comes from our friend Ashley Poskin. "The only possible equivalent to a beloved family recipe is opening your recipe box and seeing that beloved recipe in your grandmother's handwriting," she says. "The lines and curves of her penmanship are so familiar, it's almost like hearing her voice. In the days of online pinboards and digital everything, it's more important than ever to preserve the beauty of a handwritten recipe and display it proudly as art where it can be seen all the time."

Before you start, wipe down the inside of your pie plate with rubbing alcohol or glass cleaner to prepare it for painting. It's important to note that some glass paint pens are not recommended for direct contact with food.

For more ideas, scroll through our entire collection of handmade gifts and gifts that preserve handwriting.

materials

Ceramic pie plate (Williams Sonoma Stoneware Pie Dish, $60 for set of 3, williams-sonoma.com)

Photocopy of special recipe

Glass paint marker (DecoArt Glass Paint Marker, $5, michaels.com)

Graphite paper (CraftSmart Graphite paper, $3.49, michaels.com)

Tape

Scissors

steps

Scan your recipe and scale up or down to fit the dimensions of your pie plate. If possible, make the dimensions as large as you can, as this will make the step of painting the plate easier.
Cut out the paper copy and a similar size sheet of graphite paper. Layer the graphite paper behind the photocopy of the recipe, position the darkest side face down on the plate and tape it into place.
Using a pen or sharp pencil, carefully trace over the recipe. Remove the photocopy and graphite paper to reveal the transferred text.
Using a light hand, trace over the graphite transfer with a glass paint marker, being very careful not to smudge any paint. Stop after every few words to shake the pen, pressing the tip down to let more paint flow to the tip. Let cure for eight hours.
Place the dish in a cool oven and bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, turn off the oven, open the door, and let the plate cool completely while inside the oven. Once cool, gently wash with warm soapy water to remove any leftover graphite.