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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.

white cups with love u more love u most painted with paint pens



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.

plain white coffee cup from cost plus


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.

painted coffee cups with black paint craftsmart pen


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

painted coffee cups with paint marker


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.

love u more love u most painted coffee mugs with gold dots


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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30 Comments

  1. Holly says:

    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?

  2. Dee M says:

    Thanks so much, Marty! I just love them. 🙂

  3. marty (A Stroll Thru Life) says:

    Cute cute, cute. What a fun idea. Thanks tons for linking to Inspire Me.

  4. Dee M says:

    Thanks for the invite, Sharon. I'll make a note to swing by. 🙂

  5. Dee M says:

    Thanks, Sami. I thought the colors would be great for the whole year instead of red for Valentine's Day. 🙂

  6. Dee M says:

    We've been washing them by hand, and they're holding up so far. I'm sure yours are fine too! 🙂

  7. Dee M says:

    They are so easy to make, Lauren, and I'm sure you'll love them! 🙂

  8. Dee M says:

    Thanks so much, Pam. Christmas was rushed for us, but this is a great time for projects. 🙂

  9. Dee M says:

    Aren't they fun to make?! I'll be making more too! 🙂