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Writer's pictureSavanah

Sharpie Mugs | DIY Gifts for Teachers | Create Your Own Coffee Cup | Cheap Gift Ideas for Adults

I loved making these cute coffee mugs! They were so easy and turned out better than I expected. I originally made them for Christmas gifts for my daughters' teachers.


I don't like to leave anyone out, because everyone works so hard at their schools, so we ended up giving out at least twenty of these mugs. You can't leave out the bus drivers, the specials teachers, counselors, and school secretary.


But I didn't want to spend a ton of money, so I needed to make something that would be fairly inexpensive. That is why I decided on these mugs, and I included some K-cups and wrapped the whole thing in tissue paper.

diy gifts for friends christmas, three sharpie mugs

The whole gift including me buying the markers and k-cups cost less than $2 a gift. I used cheap dollar store mugs, that were $1 a piece. You will also need to invest in oil-based markers.


I got so many compliments and thank you cards from the recipients of these gifts.

sharpie decorated mug tutorial

Supplies:

  • Plain Mugs: try to find plain ones, without much glaze. If the mug has too much glaze on it the marker with not set properly. That is why the cheaper ones usually work the best!

  • Oil-Based Sharpies: They need to be oil-based, do not use a regular sharpie

  • rubbing alcohol

  • Optional: Stickers, contact paper, or painter's tape to use as a stencil on the mug.


best diy teacher christmas gifts

Directions:

  1. Clean off the mugs with rubbing alcohol and dry them, you will need to get all the dust and stickers off.

  2. Apply any tape, contact paper, or stickers you would like to use as stencils. For most of my mugs I just freehanded them and skipped this step. Or you could also dry a design lightly on your mug before using markers.

  3. Draw your design with the Sharpies.

  4. Remove any tape or stencils you used to design your mug.

  5. Time to bake your mug! Put the mug into a cold oven, do not preheat it. Also, leave your mug in the oven until it cools completely. That way your mugs will heat and cool slowly to prevent cracks. Bake your mugs in the oven at 300 for one hour.

  6. Let your mugs sit for 48 hours before using them.

  7. Hand wash your mugs, do not put them in the dishwasher.


sharpie marker mug directions

Please note that some colors are prone to change colors while baking. This did not bother me, and I looked forward to seeing what colors everything would turn. If you do not want any color change, you can try using dishwasher-safe Mod Podge and skip baking the mug. I did not test this method, let me know how it goes if you try it.


how to make a sharpie mug dishwasher safe

FAQ and Troubleshooting:

  • Do I need to use oil-based Sharpies? Yes, if you use a regular Sharpie marker it will wash off. You will need to get a high-quality oil-based marker.

  • Why did my colors change during baking? Some colors such as blues, greens, and reds, are more prone to change color during baking. You can skip the baking and use dishwasher Mod Podge.

  • I don't know what design to make?! Try using dots, drawing flowers, Initials, lines, or zig zags... pretty much anything you can think of.


what is the best gift for christmas for friend

**WANT TO PIN THIS DIY SHARPIE MUG FOR LATER? CLICK ON THE PIN BELOW TO SAVE THE SHARPIE MUG TO YOUR FAVORITE DIY BOARD ON PINTEREST. ***





JOIN THE DISCUSSION! WHAT DESIGN DID YOU PUT ON YOUR MUG? WHO DID YOU GIVE THE MUG TO?


If you loved this DIY Sharpie Mug tutorial, I’d love for you to leave a comment and review!


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Hello! I'm Savanah from Vanah Lynn Designs. Come join me in a journey through motherhood. Find the joy in DIY, crafts, birthday parties, and cooking. Be sure to check out my handmade ribbon tutus!

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