My family loves getting handmade personalized gift. The favorites are always ones from the grandchildren. This year we made coffee cups. It’s hard to find handmade gifts a 3 year old and 9 year old can both make. Coffee cups were super easy and fun for my entire family to create.
Project estimate:
- Coffee cup, $1
- Enamel paint, on hand or $1 and up
- Sharpie, on hand or $1
Total: $1 and up
Before you begin wash your coffee cup and remove the sticker from the bottom of the cup. Once completely dry decide where to place your reindeer thumb prints. Paint the thumb with brown paint. Coat it well to get a good print, then press evenly onto mug. Allow paint to dry.
After it is dry using a black Sharpie put antlers on the reindeer, draw eyes on the face and write the name of the person under the thumbprint. Next using the red paint place dots on the thumbprint for the nose.
Before baking you may write any message along the bottom of the cup. I wrote “Merry Christmas”, but you may write your own message making it more meaningful to your family. Don’t forget the date!
Once everything is on the cup, place on a cookie sheet in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. This will set your design.
Let cool completely before handling. It will be very hot.
The cup can be used for drinking. I would suggest hand washing only. I have never tested in a dishwasher and am a little afraid of what may happen. I don’t want to lose my treasured memories!
8 Comments
heather
Great idea!
Lisa
So I keep seeing these Sharpie tutorials like, ALL OVER the place, and I have to say, I tested it out and it doesn’t work. First wash in the dishwasher and it comes off. I also tried handwashing and the Sharpie came right off. I tired baking it for longer. The Sharpie came off. You have to use an enamel pen or the enamel paint designed for glassware. With the sheer number of the “Sharpie on the Mug” posts floating around the interwebs, I see a lot of dissapointment on the faces of gift recipients when the cute gift they received goes down the drain.
heather
@Lisa, Thanks for your input! I have heard conflicting info from different bloggers who have tried this.
lizz
Love this idea. While shopping for the stuff to create this craft I had a bit of difficulty trying to find a mug that could be placed in the oven. Most said diswasher save as well as microwave safe but I am terrified of something shattering inside the oven. Does anyone have any input or suggestions,thanks
Ryane
I have tried several of these $1 sharpie plates, mugs etc and they all wash right off…Yes I did hand wash. It was very sad when are Thanksgiving plates that my boys decorated washed/dryed right off.
amber whitehead
I just put ours in the oven. Thanks for the cute idea love it.
Haley
You dot have to bake it if you paint it with mod podge and let dry. The sharpie will stay on as well. Hopefully that helped!
Diane
I have tried 350 for 20 minutes and it will not stay on (sharpie that is). Try 450 30 minutes and let cool in oven, that is the best I have found so far, but haven’t washed mine yet.