DIY Painted Coffee Mugs

Hi Friends,

You know those Sharpie mugs that are just about everywhere lately? I always thought they were the cutest things, and I've been wanting to make some for the longest time. I mean, who wouldn't want to sip some coffee out of a darling personalized mug? Making a Sharpie mug was on my to-do list for Christmas, but with everything else going on, I ran out of time. Since Valentine's Day is coming up, I thought it would be fun to try this craft, and my little crafting assistant and I made these sweet little DIY painted coffee mugs.

I love the plain white coffee cups that are sold at Cost Plus, so these are what I used. They cost slightly over $2 each, which is higher than the ones at the Dollar Store but not by much. I think just about any white cups would work for this project.

I'm addicted to research, and it's one reason why it takes me longer to get around to doing some projects -- I always have to research everything before I try things out. I had the regular Sharpies, but it seemed that oil-based markers were the way to go. So, I thought I would try using a paint pen instead, since I had a few on hand. I've used these CraftSmart paint pens for lots of other crafts, including painted plates, and never had any problems with the designs wearing off. 

I wanted the cups to be suitable for anytime, so I used black instead of red. My little Diva suggested writing the words love you more on one of the mugs and love you most on the other mug. So, I did.

Then, she used a gold paint pen to make little gold dots all around the words. I love how they turned out!

From what I have read, there seems to be a million ideas on how to make the writing last after the cups have been washed. I ended up baking the cups at 300 degrees for about 30 minutes and allowing them to cool down in the oven before I took them out. The colors are still nice and bright, and the design seems pretty well set.

I washed them in the sink, and they're fine. I haven't washed them in the dishwasher yet, so I can't say how they would look after going through the wash cycle. I even tried to scrape a bit of paint off, but it's pretty well baked on, which is good because I think these little guys are darling! Perfect for sipping coffee, tea or hot chocolate!

These painted mugs would make a great gift for your sweetheart, or you can make them for yourself. Have you ever done anything like this? Did the design last after you washed the cups? I'd love to hear about it.

Thanks so much for visiting. Have a fun day!

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