Do you get tired of preparing meals every day? We spend a lot of time in the kitchen preparing food, especially for young families. Add spice to your cooking with coloured equipment.

My colourful garlic rub plates add a bit of joy and colour to kitchens. I decorate my plates with a variety of coloured under-glazes, and I carve leaves and vines into them.

I have seen garlic bowls, but I prefer garlic rub plates. I find it easier to brush the minced garlic from a plate.

How I Make Garlic Rub Plates

I turn a flat disk on my wheel and then lift about one inch of the edge to make the rim. I set the plate aside until it is leather-hard. The rim has to be firm enough to stand the pressure and weight of the plate when I turn it upside down to trim the bottom..

I turn the plate right side up. While turning the wheel slowly, I cut marks in the centre with a trimming tool. This creates a spiral textured area to rub garlic cloves on.

I paint two coats of underglaze colour on the rim and the back of the plate. When the paint has lost its sheen I carve leaves and vines through the underglaze on both sides of the rim. I add a surprise on the back side and carve out leaves. Why not decorate the back, since you see it when washing it or putting it in the dishwasher?

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When the plates are bone-dry, they are bisque fired in the kiln. I paint two coats of clear glaze on the rim and back of the plates. There is no glaze on the textured part as the glaze would fill the textured area to almost smooth, defeating the purpose of the plate. They are fired to cone 6 in my kiln.

These plates are for sale on my Etsy shop, the orange button and for sale on my shop here, the blue button.

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