Brighten up plain ceramics with a lick of festive paintwork, created by designer Ingrid Pachova

What you need...

• Paints: 570 Phthalo Blue; 564 Brilliant Blue; 701 Ivory Black; 105 Titanium White; 396 Naphthol Red Medium; 318 Carmine; 270 Azo Yellow Deep; 275 Primary Yellow; 619 Permanent Green Deep; 618 Permanent Green Light
  Pebeo Cherry Red Ceramic paint
  Tonic Studios Layering Ovals dies
  Mod Podge Dishwasher Safe Gloss
  Mugs: transparent, white
  Isopropyl alcohol or alcohol wipes
  Detail paintbrush
  Copy paper
  Washi tape

instructions

1. Snowflake Scene - Clean the exterior of a white mug with alcohol and allow it to dry completely. Use Pebeo Cherry Red paint to create snowflakes of different sizes, spacing them evenly and filling any gaps with clusters of stars and dots. If a second coat is needed, allow the paint to dry before adding another layer. Once finished, ensure the surface is fully dry before sealing with Dishwasher Safe Mod Podge.

2. Poinsettia Flower - Lightly sketch out a large poinsettia flower on a transparent mug with red paint, then fill in. Once dry, paint a second layer and add berries. Use darker colours to add shading and lighter to create highlights. Repeat this process with the leaves. Seal the surface once dried completely.

3. Night Sky Scene - Die-cut an oval from copy paper and secure the negative panel onto a white mug with washi tape to create a mask. Tap light blue paint through the mask using a sponge blending tool. Repeat with dark blue and black paint. Using a detail brush, paint trees and small details into the scene. Remove the mask and paint a dotted border around the image. Leave to dry before sealing with Mod Podge.