With Valentine’s Day approaching, many college couples are tempted to show their affection through exorbitant gifts, but nothing says “I love/like/tolerate you” more than a personally designed mug from a do-it-yourself Pinterest project.
Or for singles, these mugs could attract the eye of a potential beau or babe. I’m not promising these mugs will turn a friend zone into a desired end zone, but it’s worth a shot.
To begin, this project cost me about $10. And since craft projects are fun with company, I invited my friend Kyrie Mason, a senior psychology major from St. George, to help me.
The project is fairly simple: Draw on a ceramic mug and then bake it. We bought black and red oil-based paint Sharpies from Michael’s for $3 each. If the markers are not oil based, the ink will not become a part of the glaze after baking. We got several mugs at Tai Pan costing between $2 to $4 and a tea pot. I had rubbing alcohol and cotton pads at home.
I was a little skeptical about this project since those “Nailed It” galleries started appearing on the Internet, which showcased immaculate Pinterest project photographs side-by-side with failed replications. However, I surprised myself with the results: The ink didn’t scratch or smear after it was baked.
The only problem I ran into was the red Sharpie ink turned a purple-maroon hue after baking. It still looked cool but a surprise nonetheless. To avoid this, try using solely black Sharpies or test different colors on a prototype before the final project.
This process can work for anything ceramic: bowls for cereal, candy and popcorn, vases for flowers and potpourri, or platters for the dinner table.
This project is definitely worth a go. Even without an artsy friend, the project is entirely do-able. And there is nothing wrong with a Helter Skelter gift from the heart. A significant other will appreciate the time, effort and personality imbued into a personally designed mug for Valentine’s Day.
Materials
- Ceramic mug
- Oil-based paint Sharpie marker (non-toxic)
- Rubbing alcohol
- Cotton pads
- Cookie sheet
- Oven
- A friend who’s talented at art and drawing (optional)
Directions
- Use rubbing alcohol and pads to wipe away dirt and smudges from mug.
- Draw designs.
- Let designs dry.
- Place painted mug in oven on cookie sheet.
- Set oven to 425º F, allowing mug to heat up with oven.
- When oven reaches 425º F, set a timer for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, turn oven off, allowing mug to cool with oven.
- Remove mug from oven when cool (hand wash only.)
