I recently had the privilege of reviewing a fun keepsake product and discipleship tool with the help of two of my favorite people: my daughter (Kennedy, age 18) and my niece (Raigan, age 10). It was definitely a sweet moment to watch the two of them work together on this project.
PRODUCT DETAILS
The Family Honor Plate, created by Michelle Weber, starts as a DIY ceramics-painting project you get to create and bake at home.
The plate can be used in two ways:
~As a family craft: Paint and bake your plate and use it to create your new family tradition.
~As a parenting discipleship tool:
Step #1 MOM AND DAD – BE THE EXAMPLE. BE THE ROLE-MODEL:
The virtues are listed in the center of the plate for mom and dad to use as their anchor, their moral compass to guide them in how they need to show up for and to their children (based on the Fruit of the Spirit as written in Galatians 5:22). This is how our children learn what character (Christ’s character) is, what it looks like, what it feels like. Our children are watching us and learning from us.
Step #2 BE ON THE LOOKOUT:
Look for the good choices and attitude your kids/spouse are making and showing throughout the day. Track it back to the virtues and character it shows.
Step #3 CELEBRATE THEIR CHARACTER:
Turn dinnertime into a celebration when you catch someone making good choices and showing good character and present their meal on the FAMILY HONOR PLATE. This is when you:
- Talk about the choices they made and the virtues and character that it showed (Be specific).
- Talk about how they made everyone involved feel and the impact they had on people and how that is POWERFUL and BEAUTIFUL.
These cards take conversations to a deeper level and teach everyone in the family how to articulate and share special memories, learn how to voice their opinions, and for some, how to even have an opinion. These are skills required for success in relationships and careers. This is a fun way for children to learn these skills in a relaxed environment.- What is your favorite thing about your best friend? Why?
- Do you prefer to play inside or outside? Why?
- If your friend were upset, what would you do to help them feel better? Why?
Every question is followed up with “Why?” to take everyone’s answers to a deeper more intimate level.
GETTING STARTED
Just about everything you need to complete the project is included in the box, with the exception of Isopropyl Alcohol (which is used to remove any oily residue from the plate before you paint it).
The kit includes: 
- 1 ceramic honor plate
- 8 paint pots
- 3 paint brushes
- 7 discussion starters
- Painter’s palette
- Plate stand
The instructions for painting are pretty simple:
- Clean the Honor Plate with the alcohol to remove oily residue. Protect your work space with craft paper or newspaper.
- Paint the plate with whatever design your choose. (There are suggestions on the product’s website). It is recommended to keep designs to cover just the plate’s rim.
- Place the plate in a cold oven, turn it to 350 degrees, bake for 30 minutes, turn the oven off and let the plate cool.
THOUGHTS ON THE PRODUCT
My daughter and my niece worked on the painting part together and they offered some feedback. They felt the paint was very thick and that made it more difficult for them to use. They thought more rounded paintbrushes would’ve worked better instead of the square tipped brushes provided. My niece also mentioned that it would have been better if the plate rim was wider so that she could paint more. Lastly, the paint did not come off of our hands easily; we had to wash at least twice for it to be completely removed.
All in all, I loved the concept of the plate as a craft and then as a discipleship tool for families. I love that it comes with discussion starters to aid in this. I think it’s definitely something for families to check out.
LEARN MORE
Here is a video that walks you through it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKmFVPbyfCg
Here is another video from the owner, Michelle Weber: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwLlnS3t0LI&t=3s
Find out more about Michelle: (https://honorplate.com/pages/about-us)
This is a great item to give (or purchase) for Christmas! There are discounts available of 10-20% off in their online store. Check it out!
*The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. I was not compensated in any way.