Don't throw away that broken, chipped or cracked china plate when you can make something out of it. With just a few tools, that old piece of china can be turned into a work of art. You can cut china into shapes like butterflies or hearts for that special piece of jewellery. If you have many pieces of china that you want to cut, you can cut each one randomly for a mosaic pattern.
Buy a ceramic or diamond rotary cutting tool. If you don't have much money, the rotary saw is less expensive.
Cut around the area that has your focal point. If you don't want to preserve any particular area, cut the china into smaller pieces. Keep the piece large enough for your desired shape.
Draw the desired shape you want on the china piece with a felt tip pen, but do not use a permanent marker or th ink may not come off later. Don't touch the ink on the plate or it may smear or rub off. If you are going to make a mosaic, you can randomly cut the pieces any shape you want to without a pattern.
Cut around the drawn shape with tile nippers going in a clockwise direction. Do not try to take off big pieces all at once, or you risk breaking the china piece. When you are at the top of your pattern where the shape is harder to cut, use the top part of your nippers, cutting in a counterclockwise direction. This reduces the risk of the china breaking.
Wash the china piece in water to remove the ink. Be careful not to cut yourself. Dry the pieces with an absorbent towel.
Sand the edges with 220-grit sandpaper to make the edges smooth. Sanding also helps straighten any crooked places you may have missed with the nippers.