Expert: Leisha Hiester - 9/13/2008

Question
Alright I’ve gone through a ton of these questions but still haven’t found my answer yet. I bought a  ceramic tea set from a store. The color is nasty but the shape is awesome, so I would like to repaint all of it. I’m not just coating it in one color, I want to do a design on them. So the question is…Do I and can I reglaze them or can I paint and seal them. I highly doubt they will be used an awful lot but they do need to be safe to drink out of.

I had heard from someone that I could use a paint and heat seal it. I did find a link to the same product in another question  http://www.dickblick.com/zz029/48/  ..but even on the site they state that it’s not safe to use on items that come in contact with food.

So end result. If I can paint and seal what types of paints and sealant should I use. Or if I can only reglaze is there a specific type of glaze I need to use.

Thanks for the help.

Answer
Kadra,
Do you have a photo you can send to me? Here's an idea; is the inside of the pot so ugly that you can't live with it? Leave the inside the glazed color (I'm assuming it is glazed and food safe).

How intricate of a design are you wanting to paint? Sometimes reglazing works. What I'm suggesting is you leave the inside glaze, paint the outside & seal it.

Leisha