How to Make Majolica Tiles

Majolica is a glaze-on-glaze decorating style for ceramics.

Majolica is a ceramic glaze style, which originated in Italy, that gives red or brownish earthenware ceramic pieces a white finish with the look of porcelain. The majolica look is obtained by painting a colored design or pattern on top of the white majolica glaze, and when a piece is fired, the colored design elements are softened as the colored glaze melts into the white glaze. Majolica tiles designed and made at home can be used as decorative items or highlights with other household tile installations.

Things You'll Need

• Unglazed bisque tiles
• White majolica glaze
• Assorted colors of low-fire decorating glazes
• Assorted brushes, including a fan brush and fine-tip brushes
• Clay carbon transfer paper
• Ceramic kiln

Instructions

1. Paint each bisque tile with three medium coats of a majolica white glaze. Glaze the top and edges of each tile, leaving the back unglazed. Allow the glaze to dry between each coat. The three coats are necessary to ensure complete glaze coverage. When the third coat is dry, smooth out any brush marks using your fingertip.

2. Draw or transfer your majolica tile design to the white glazed tiles using clay carbon transfer paper. Drawing through the paper leaves a visible line on the unfired white glaze.

3. Paint your designs on the tiles using colored decorating glazes. Glaze manufacturers offer these glazes in a wide range of colors. A single coat of colored glaze on top of the majolica glaze produces a translucent shade. Two or three coats result in more solid coloration. Where two colors meet, the colors blend together during the firing process.

4. Fire the tiles in a ceramic kiln at medium speed to "Cone 05" -- 1870 degrees Fahrenheit. The firing process takes about eight hours, with another 24 hours for the kiln to cool down.

Tips & Warnings

• Ceramic bisque pieces are once-fired unglazed ceramics designed for glazing and refiring. Low-fire bisque is classified as earthenware and is most often used for art glazing purposes. Low-fire glazes provide vibrant, accurate colors.

• All of the required supplies for glazing ceramic pieces can be found at a local ceramics-supply store. Several companies make ready-to-use glazes that do not require any measuring or mixing.

• The ceramic-supply store may offer firing services or refer you to someone with a kiln who can fire your tiles for a fee.

• Ceramics firing temperatures are indicated in the form of a cone number, which combines temperature plus time spent at the higher temperatures.

References

• The Potter's Guide to Ceramic Surfaces; Jo Connell
• The Ceramic Glaze Handbook; Mark Burleson
• amaco: Majolica Gloss Low-Fire Glazes for Bisque