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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I love these mugs! I've been meaning to make some I just haven't gotten around to it. I want to find the bigger mugs to hold my ice cream, hehe. Happy Tuesday!
Hi Dee! thanks for sharing these great tips on writing on mugs and for doing the research for us. Yours turned out darling. They would be good Valentine gifts or really any time of year gifts (for others or just a gift for ourselves).
The sayings your daughter chose are perfect! Very cute mugs.
Thanks so much, Miss Kitty. I'm hoping they last a long time. 🙂
Ooh, ice cream mugs or bowls would be wonderful — great idea! 🙂
Thanks, Beverly! I'm glad I finally got around to doing this. 🙂
Love how these turned out. I have not tried these, but my daughters have made some for x-mas gifts for their brothers and I always hand wash them, just in case. I'm afraid to put them in the dishwasher. Please let us know how yours do if you put them in the dishwasher.
I've been handwashing these since we made them. I guess I could try the dishwasher and redo the ink if necessary, but I'm being a chicken! 🙂
I made similar mugs at Christmas and they were a huge hit! I used Sharpies and didn't have any issues. One of the tips I found in my research was to wipe the mug down with Rubbing Alcohol. Then if you made a mistake you could wipe it away with the Rubbing Alcohol. Worked perfectly and probably made the project take longer as I wanted perfection. Of course it is a homemade gift so slight imperfections are what makes it special. Great post!
I saw the tip about rubbing alcohol, but I wasn't sure if it applied to paint pens. Thanks for letting me know it worked for you — I'll try this next time! 🙂
This is such a great project. My son in law did this for everyone for Christmas and I thought at the time "I should do this". Now I am further inspired. Good choice on the mugs, too. These look perfect. Thanks for sharing. Stopping by during the Blog Hop from Katherine's Corner.
Don't blame you. The cups my daughter did were made 2 years ago – and by hand washing, they still look just the same as they did when the boys opened them . . . obviously I'm a chicken too! lol
Thanks so much, Sue! I wish I hadn't waited so long, but I'm glad we finally made them! 🙂
2 years? That's wonderful that they lasted — thanks for letting me know! 🙂
Beautiful! So glad I came over to look at your mugs! Now I want to make some more.
super cute! I love this idea and the black and gold.
Beautiful job! I tried this with paint markers for a swap present in the past, but I have no idea if it washed away after being washed. 🙁 I hope not.
Happy #SITSBlogging Saturday!!
XOXO
I've been racking my brain for valentine's gift ideas for my family (all the girls have a Valentine Tea together). Finally! You've saved me!! Thanks. These will be a big hit!! #SITSBlogging
Thanks for sharing your directions and finished product. I thought about making these for Christmas gifts, but I was too rushed then to enjoy doing it. Things are more calm this time of year so making them now sounds like more fun. I'm making a Valentine's Day one for my husband and may go ahead and make a few for Christmas gifts while I'm at it. Thanks for getting me ahead of the game. Take care.
I love painted mugs. I just get scared that I will mess up! The colors are perfect and this is such a great gift idea. I'm going to share and pin this! I would love if you linked this up to Totally Terrific Tuesday! It will be LIVE tomorrow at 9pm CST. Thanks so much for sharing and hope to see you there!
Sharon
herorganizedchaos.com
Aren't they fun to make?! I'll be making more too! 🙂
Thanks so much, Pam. Christmas was rushed for us, but this is a great time for projects. 🙂
They are so easy to make, Lauren, and I'm sure you'll love them! 🙂
We've been washing them by hand, and they're holding up so far. I'm sure yours are fine too! 🙂
Thanks, Sami. I thought the colors would be great for the whole year instead of red for Valentine's Day. 🙂
Thanks for the invite, Sharon. I'll make a note to swing by. 🙂
Cute cute, cute. What a fun idea. Thanks tons for linking to Inspire Me.
Thanks so much, Marty! I just love them. 🙂
These are so cute! I attempted to make Sharpie mugs once, but didn't realize I needed to bake them to get the color to stay. Needless to say, it all came off as soon as I washed them. Ooops! Live and learn, right?