This is by far the funnest thing I’ve ever done. Why? Because I love coffee, I collect coffee mugs, I love art, I love crafting…well, you get the point. Anyways, I think homemade gifts speak louder than the two hundred-dollar jeans you bought someone. If you are a last-minute person like me, don’t want to mess with the shopping crowds, and still want a unique gift then this is something you should definitely consider.
Not Just a Sharpie Mugs
My mug reads, “I can fall in love with the sound of words.”
You will see these all over pinterest, except some people will lead you to believe that this can be done with just a regular sharpie. Well, yes, some people do it that way, but you will soon see your design fading away. I encourage you to instead purchase the super permanent, and perfect for this project “Sharpie Paint Pen.” Make sure to get the oil based pen, NOT the water based. They have a variety of colors to choose from, and since I’m dark and twisty I stuck to black. Moving on!
I put a ring on the handle! Have fun with it!
I had hell trying to find cute ceramic mugs. Of course, they were right under my nose the whole time at walmart. This place has a whole section of just plain white ceramic dishes that excited the artist in me! I shall definitely be trying other things soon. Find the cups you will need, I chose a large more rounded mug. It’s all about your preference.
I love surprises! Had to write this on the inside.
Once you get the mug home, make sure to clean it to get any hand oils and dust particles off the mug. After that you can start your work of art! You will need to shake the paint pen for a little pit, then press the tip down to get the ink flowing to it. DO NOT press it down on the mug. Once a mark is made, it cannot be removed, so carefully plot out your design. Also, the paint pen is moody. It’ll seem like its running out, and sometimes if you try to go over a part of the mug again it’ll look awful. Keep trying until the ink is in “full flow” mode again after shaking it and pressing the tip down again. If you can’t think of a design, get on Pinterest. For the person you’re gifting use their name, obsessions, loves, or whatever. It’ll make a fabulous personalized gift.
Whiskers on the other side of course!
Once you are done designing, put the mug inside your NOT TURNED ON YET oven. You want to mug to preheat INSIDE the oven to prevent cracking. Turn it on, set the dial to 425 degrees, and then let the mug bake. Turn your timer to 35 minutes, and keep checking on your mug to make sure it doesn’t turn brown. It didn’t happen to me, but ya never know! The house will smell weird, but once checking on your mug after 35 minutes, if it looks good I gave mine another five minutes just in case. Once your extra optional time is up, turn off the oven and let the mug sit in there for another hour, almost two. It needs to cool down with the oven to prevent cracking.
After you pull your mug out of the oven, it should look the same! If there were some spots where your pen wasn’t as dark, it will seem even lighter on the mug now. Its okay, you know what to do next time. The pen will still have texture on the mug, I tried picking at mine to see (carefully) but nothing came off. Just remember, and tell the person this, NO DISHWASHER! Other than that your mug should be fabulous. Another idea? Get something small like jewelry, a gift card or whatever to wrap and put on the inside. Double surprise! 😉 Enjoy loves! Merry Texas Christmas!
-haley.
haley ann 
you can remove the permanent market with alcohol on a cotton ball before you bake it.
How are the mugs holding up after a year?
They have been great!!! (Mine.) Never have they been put in the dishwasher, only hand washed and they look fantastic. A friend has used hers in the dishwasher, and the design has faded horribly. Thanks for reading! 🙂
I love the idea for a surprise message inside the mug but I was curious, are sharpie paint pens non-toxic? I would worry about having food or drinks touching the paint if they aren’t.
I notice you did this for black sharpies, but what about with colored sharpies?
They definitely have different colored sharpie paint pens! 🙂