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Decoupage Ceramic Tea Kettle

Will Heat Effect a Decoupage Finish?

I’ve read so much of your advice on decoupage, and have found it all very helpful, especially the article about Decoupage on China.

What I want to know is what kind of results can I expect decoupaging a ceramic tea kettle?

It’s going to heat up. Will this be a problem with layers of glue and glaze?

How are china tea kettles printed anyway? Is there another way?

Please help.

Thanks so much!

David

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If you’re talking about a tea kettle which is subjected to direct heat, yes, it would be a problem. A decoupaged surface will not stand up to being placed directly on a burner. The decoupage art would blister and peel.

Most ceramics are not sufficiently high-fired to be placed directly on a hot burner to boil the water for tea, so ceramic tea kettles are not common.

If your tea kettle was fired to cone 10, it can be placed directly on a gas or an electric burner; but I don’t recommend you decoupage it. [Cone is a measure of heat absorption resulting from heat applied over time. Cone 10 translates to between 2200 and 2400 degrees F (depending on how fast the kiln heats – or ramps – up).]

If you meant to say teapot, it will be fine. Porcelain ceramic teapots are quite common because porcelain is a good insulator. It allows the tea to steep and remain hot for quite some time by keeping the heat inside the pot. Place your hands around a filled teapot and you’ll feel how little heat is transmitted to the outside.

A properly-cured decoupaged teapot will stand up to normal use. Allow yours to cure for a couple of weeks before use. Do not wash it in the dishwasher.

If you want an extra-durable and smooth surface, read this article about epoxy finish coats for decoupage. You would need to use a brush-on epoxy. One coat would be sufficient.

As to how teapots (and other things porcelain) are printed, read our article on Putting Patterns on Porcelain

Finally, as to whether there is another way to decorate your teapot, you have several choices.

If you want to craft at home and not spend a lot on expensive equipment, there are air-dry paints for glass and ceramics. I recommend Delta Air-Dry PermEnamel. It is the only durable air dry paint for glass, tile, ceramics, and metal. You can paint freehand or use stencils.

Or you can try Waterslide Decals. You print or have your designs copied onto the decals; soak in water until they come loose; and slide them onto the surface you want to decorate. You can even cure them in your home oven.

If you would be interested in taking a few classes, you might try glazing bisqueware.

Bisqueware is available in many shapes and sizes, so you don’t need to become a potter to make beautiful porcelain teapots, vases, plates or figurines.

However, you do need classes to learn this art for at least two reasons. First, glazes are amazing but tricky to work with. The colors after firing are nothing like what you see in the jar, so a good deal of imagination and knowledge are required to achieve the final look that you want.

Second, glazed bisqueware must be high-fired in a kiln to cone 9 (around 2300 degrees F) or above in order to become porcelain. Porcelain is both dishwasher and microwave safe.

[Please note that I am not talking about “paint your own” pottery studios. The bisque is fired to cone 03 or 04 (about 1200 degrees F). It is not re-fired after painting with water colors, acrylics or stains. You can make cute figurines and decorated pots or vases; but they are not glazed and are not waterproof.]

Kilns are costly, require studio space and use a lot of electricity. Eventually you may want to make such an investment, but I don’t recommend you do so until you are sure you want to become a ceramist. Since high schools, community colleges and some ceramic artists and co-ops already have kilns, they frequently offer classes to get the most out of their kiln investments.

The final option I can think of is dye sublimation printing. Dye sub printing is a fascinating process for transferring designs to fabric, metal, porcelain – basically any smooth surface that can take the heat. It is similar to t-shirt transfer printing in that you print your design in reverse onto special paper and then iron it face down onto some object until the design transfers to the object.

The difference is that with a t-shirt transfer, the ink transfers by means of a rubbery sheet which accepts the ink and carries it to your fabric. This gives the design on your apparel a rubbery feel. Also the transfers can start peeling after several washings.

With dye sublimation, when heat is applied to the printed design, the ink actually sublimates (goes directly from a solid to a gaseous state) and is deposited onto the fabric or mug or china plate, etc. where it fuses with the material and becomes permanent, dishwasher safe and heatproof. Click here to read more about dye sublimation printing.

For more on decoupage, visit The Decoupage Index Page.

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Recommended Reading

These books are excellent resources for decoupeurs. Not only do you get tips and techniques, but also artwork that you can use in your own projects.

New Decoupage: Transforming Your Home With Paper, Glue, and Scissors By: Durwin Rice The Victorian Scrap Gallery: A Collection of over 500 Full-Color Victorian-Era Images By: Dee Davis Absolute Beginner's Decoupage: The Simple Step-By-Step Guide to Creating Beautiful Decoupage By: Alison Jenkins Collage Discovery Workshop: Make Your Own Collage Creations Using Vintage Photos, Found Objects and Ephemera By: Claudine Hellmuth 930 Matchbook Advertising Cuts of the Twenties and Thirties (Pictorial Archive Series) By: Trina Robbins Decoupage: A Practical Guide to the Art of Decorating Surfaces with Paper Cutouts By: Dee Davis

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