Over the holidays I spotted a beautiful mug for sale at Starbucks. I liked the simplicity and elegance of the metallic handle coupled with the white mug, and immediately knew I could make it myself. As a matter of fact, I could make 4 or 5 of them for the price of one of the store bought mugs! If you’ve never tried glass and ceramic paints before, this is a great beginner project.
I used plain white mugs from Dollar Tree and Martha Stewart Glass Paint in Copper. You can use a coupon to save on the paint at your local craft store, making the project even more budget friendly. One bottle will be enough to paint multiple mugs. I think these would make adorable Valentine gifts! Fill them with chocolates wrapped in a matching foil color for a sophisticated presentation to a simple gift.
Project estimate:
- Mug, $1
- Glass Paint, on hand or about $3 and up
- Brush, on hand
- Painters Tape (or washi tape), on hand
- Cutting tool, on hand
Total: $1 and up
Step one: Cover the area around the handle of the mug using the painter’s tape. If you don’t have painter’s tape, masking tape or washi tape will work, too.
Step two: Paint a light application of the copper paint on the handle. Let it dry (it only takes a few minutes) and repeat until you achieve the desired color. I found that using a 3/4 inch brush (not the one pictured) provided the smoothest finish with the fewest brush lines.
Step three: Use a cutting tool, like a razor, to cut along the edge between the paint and the tape. I do this because sometimes the paint will dry onto the tape, and when you remove the tape you create a jagged edge instead of a clean line.
Step four: If you find that the paint has bled under the tape, use a razor to scrape off the excess paint.
The paint will be permanent and dishwasher safe after air curing for 21 days. If you don’t want to wait that long (I never do!) you can bake the cup following the manufacturer’s instructions. Different brands have slightly different instructions, so do what’s advised on the label of the paint.
I’m really happy with my “glamorous” coffee mug! Glass paints are available in other metallic and glitter colors, so if copper isn’t your thing you could try silver, gold, or maybe red if these are Valentine’s gifts. Have fun crafting and creating!
6 Comments
tearose
Wow, that is really elegant, and copper is my favorite! I’m just wondering if it is microwave-safe due to the paint? I just found your site and am excited looking around at all the great projects!
Thanks for posting all the projects and thanks in advance for the answer about microwaving the painted mug…
tearose ~*
Margaret
I have one question. Tried to find it in the article but couldn’t. Is the mug microwave safe once it has been oven baked to set the paint? If hand washing is preferred I’d like to know so when giving this as a gift, I can inform the received of whether they can or cannot microwave. Thank you for your response.
morena
I checked the instructions that came with the paint, and the FAQ on their website, and found no mention of it being microwave safe. They did say it’s not recommended for an item that will be baked repeatedly, as the paint will over dry and chip off. I will try mine in the microwave tomorrow and see what happens!
morena
Hi Margaret, it is top rack dishwasher safe. I can’t find any mention of whether it is microwave safe in the instructions that came with the paint, so probably not. I will try mine out in the microwave this week and post an update!
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Looks awesome!