Some of the best gifts start with a favorite family recipe—and a whole lot of memories. This DIY handwritten recipe plate turns that recipe into a keepsake you can give at Christmas, Mother’s Day, or just because.
I made mine for one of my grown sons using his favorite cookie recipe. You know, the cookies he could never let cool before sneaking one off the pan. Apparently, burned fingertips were a small price to pay for Mom’s cookies.
You don’t need fancy handwriting or a big budget to make one. A simple plate, a few supplies, and a recipe your family loves are enough to create something personal. Add your signature or a little note, then pair your decorative plate with a separately packaged batch of homemade cookies. Fair warning: giving them the recipe probably won’t get you out of baking duties.
Dedicated to my four cookie-eating sons. They’ll always be my little boys, even when they’re eating grown-man portions.
Update October 2026:I’ve updated this DIY handwritten recipe plate tutorial with helpful tips and holiday gift ideas for turning a favorite family recipe into a keepsake made with love.
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Supplies for a DIY Handwritten Recipe Plate
You don’t need a big shopping list to turn a favorite family recipe into a meaningful gift. Start with a plain plate large enough for your recipe—and handwriting that doesn’t require a magnifying glass.
- Plain ceramic plate or platter (the dollar store is a good place to get them)
- Fine-point paint marker suitable for glazed ceramic
- Optional gold paint marker for decorative details
- Rubbing alcohol and a soft cloth
- Cotton swabs for correcting fresh mistakes
- Painter’s tape
- Paper and pencil for planning your layout
- Plate stand or appropriately sized plate hanger
Before You Begin
This recipe plate is a decorative keepsake. Keep food from touching the marker-decorated surface, and package any cookies or other homemade treats separately.
Follow your chosen marker’s instructions for application, drying, and any curing requirements. Don’t assume baking will make the design food-safe or dishwasher-safe. For routine care, gently dust the finished plate rather than soaking or scrubbing it.
Plan Your Handwritten Recipe Plate
Before you put marker to plate, write or print your recipe on paper to see how much room it needs. Include the title, ingredients, directions, and any personal note you want to add. A longer recipe may need a platter instead of a dinner plate.
Check every ingredient and measurement before you begin. I left out an entire ingredient on my first attempt. That’s one way to make sure nobody can bake cookies quite like Mom. 🙂
Clean the plate with rubbing alcohol on a soft cloth and let it dry completely. Try to avoid touching the writing surface afterward so you don’t leave fingerprints.
And don’t worry about having perfect handwriting. After 33 years of nurses’ notes, let’s just say there’s a reason I print! Your handwriting is part of what makes this gift personal. My Grandma’s recipes were scribbled on random pieces of paper, and those little scraps are precious to me.
Use Painter’s Tape to Keep Your Lettering Straight
Place a strip of painter’s tape across the plate as a guide, then write just above its edge. Start with your recipe title and work your way down, following the layout you planned on paper.
Move the tape down for each new line, allowing the lettering to dry before placing tape over it. If you get marker on the tape, replace that strip so you don’t accidentally transfer ink elsewhere on the plate.
Take your time and leave a little breathing room between lines. The tape helps keep your words from heading downhill—because my handwriting occasionally likes to take the scenic route.
Correct Small Lettering Mistakes
Misspelled a word or added an unexpected squiggle? Catching it while the marker is fresh gives you the best chance of cleaning it up.
For the markers I used, a cotton swab lightly dampened with rubbing alcohol helped remove small mistakes. Blot the swab on a paper towel first so it doesn’t drip and smear the surrounding lettering. Work carefully, then let the area dry completely before writing again.
Results can vary with your marker and plate, so test this on a small, hidden spot first. A barely damp swab is your friend here—we’re correcting a letter, not washing away the whole recipe.
Add a Personal Note to Your Recipe Plate
The recipe makes this gift useful, but a little personal message makes it yours. Add a favorite memory, a family saying, or a note about the person who first made the recipe.
I made this plate for my grown son, who could never wait for his favorite cookies to cool. So naturally, I included a little reminder in the directions. Mom gets the last word—even on a plate. 🙂
For a Christmas gift, you could add “Christmas cookies from Mom’s kitchen” or “Grandma’s recipe, made with love.” Leave room on the back for your signature and the year. A simple “xo, Love Mom” might become the most treasured part someday.
Finish and Display Your Recipe Plate
Once your recipe is written, add a few simple decorative touches around the rim. I used a gold oil-based marker for lines and tiny dots. Keep the details simple so your family recipe remains the star.
Follow your marker manufacturer’s directions for drying and curing. Only heat-set the design if the marker instructions specifically call for it and the plate is suitable for the required oven temperature.
When the finish is ready, display your recipe plate on a plate stand or use a plate hanger sized for its dimensions and weight. It makes a sweet addition to a kitchen shelf, dining room hutch, or family recipe display.
Include a little care tag when giving it as a gift: “For decorative display only. Keep food separate. Gently dust to clean.”
Give Your Recipe Plate as a Handmade Christmas Gift
Pair your handwritten recipe plate with a batch of the very cookies that inspired it. Package the cookies separately in a food-safe bag or tin, then tuck everything into a gift box with ribbon and a handwritten tag. Include a plate stand so your loved one can display their keepsake right away.
For Christmas, choose a recipe that brings back memories—Grandma’s sugar cookies, Mom’s peanut butter cookies, or the treat that disappears before everyone takes their coats off.
The cookies won’t last long, but the recipe plate gives them something to keep. And just because they now have the recipe doesn’t mean they’ll stop asking you to make it. Apparently, “Mom made them” is an ingredient you can’t write down.
Save 📌 this idea to your handmade Christmas gifts board so you can find it when you’re ready to create. In the future, you will appreciate having one gift figured out.
What family recipe would you put on a plate? Tell me in the comments. I’d love to hear the story behind it!
Until the next project… xo, Do
Love this idea for recipes! You share such awesome fun ideas and I love it. I also the video of the blending and that gorgeous navy color. Definitely the color for my home. It’s beautiful. I learned how to blend from you because I’ve been trying to let dry before I started. The sealer of the gator coat awesome! Learning so much. Love your site. Thank you Terri French
Yay, Terri!
I’m so happy that you are enjoying this blog post. I share more of my furniture finishing techniques in a private video library as well if you want to learn even more. You can learn more here. https://members.dododsondesigns.com/join-the-art-of-painting-furniture-subscription-group/
Have a blessed day. xo 🙂
This is so cute! Love the recipe idea. I do drawings on plates with my niece. So much fun. 😊
Thanks, Wendy! I have several coffee mugs the Grands have made me using this method.
Does this keep the art on the plate after being washed and can they go in the dishwasher after. I was given one and the smallest touch of water washed it away. So I want to try this technique and wondering how it does with water.
Hi Courtney,
I would recommend washing these handwritten plates in the dishwasher. These are more for decoration than anything but I have been successful hand washing them. When I give these as gifts, I always let the recipient know that it should be hand washed with a mild soap and water only.