Say hello to Jessica Hill from mad in crafts! She’s a blogger who has been wowing me with all her great dollar store ideas. (You have to visit her blog to be introduced to her little friend Cheapy Cheaperson!) Check out this great idea for holiday gifting! – Heather

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Personalized Travel Mugs by Jessica Hill, mad in crafts

Okay, this holiday gift really is only for a very specialized group of people.  Bear with me as we find out if you have someone on your shopping list who would appreciate this present.

Show of hands.  How many of you have someone on your Christmas list who enjoys drinking beverages?  Good.  Now, how many of you need a gift for someone who occasionally likes to move from one place to another?  Perfect.  Here’s where it gets tricky. Who of you needs to find a present for the pickiest of gift recipients: the person who enjoys drinking a beverage WHILE moving from one place to another?

Really?  Well, I guess this holiday gift works for just about everyone.

Step one.  Go to your local Dollar Tree.  Find the aisle where they are displaying these travel mugs.  Make a strong, straight line with your dominant arm.  Slide that arm behind the display of mugs.  With one smooth motion, sweep all of the mugs into your cart.  Seriously.  Once you see how easy this project is, you will want to make about a gajillion of them.

The only sneaky part of this project is that not only does the lid unscrew off of the travel mug, but the inner cup unscrews and comes out too.  Voila!  A crafting opportunity!

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Remove the paper liner from between the outer plastic cup and the inner cup.  You will use this liner as the template for your project.  Trace the liner onto your paper of choice: scrapbook paper, wrapping paper, newspaper, toilet paper… probably not toilet paper.  Cut your paper along your tracing lines.

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Once you have your paper traced… EMBELLISH!  I made 4 different styles of mugs which would make great, inexpensive gifts for just about anyone on your list.

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You can make a great keepsake for a grandparent or babysitter using your child’s own artwork. (“Gi” is what my son calls my mom :P )

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Need a last-minute gift for Secret Santa exchange?  Bust out your leftover Christmas scrapbook embellishments for a pretty gift.

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A favorite photograph is a nice personal touch for a friend or relative.

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Has your nephew outgrown his sippy cup (but is still a little klutzy with the drinks)?  Dollar store die-cut stickers make a great quick travel mug for his lunch box.  Yay, boy crafts!

The possibilities are endless.  Decorate the mugs with vintage postcards, favorite quotes, the answers to next week’s Physics test.  Whatever!

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