DIY Sharpie Mugs

Y'all.  I made these mugs.

OK, I didn't actually make them, but I did decorate them.  I am so pleased with how they turned out.  Want to make some?  Here's what I did.

Online consensus is that cheap mugs are best, probably because they're not glazed as well as more expensive ones, so I just grabbed these from the dollar store.  I used graphite to transfer the design onto the mugs, as explained here. 

All you need to do is create or find a design, then print it out on regular paper.  Cut out the design and turn it over.  Using a pencil, shade over the entire design on the back side of the paper.  Tape it, graphite side to the mug, then using a pen (or pencil), trace over the entire design, pressing firmly.  When you remove the paper, you will see that the design has transferred over to the mug. 

I know.  I could hardly believe it, either (sorry I didn't take pictures--I wasn't sure it would show up on camera, and I was anxious to move on to the next part of the process).

I made this one for someone who could use some hope,
which comes from faith,
which means one must believe. 
I gave her some vanilla syrup, as well as some instant flavored coffee.

Next, I used an oil based sharpie to trace over the design.  Here's the one I used:

The fine point was perfect for "Believe," but I found myself wishing for an extra fine point on "All is calm; all is bright."  The important thing is that it needs to be oil based--regular sharpies will wash off.  You might want to keep some rubbing alcohol and cotton swabs handy to clean up any oopsies.

I'm kind of shaky when I'm trying to trace, but even so, I think they look great.

Next, I let them dry overnight, then I was ready to set the paint.  There is all sorts of advice out there about how to do that.  I've seen suggested temperatures as low as 250°F and as high as 450°F, and suggested times as low as 30 minutes, all the way up to 2 hours.  The internet disagrees on whether the mugs should be placed in a cold or preheated oven.  Most of the blogs I found suggested baking at 350°F for 30 minutes, so that's what I did.  Sort of. 

I put the mugs in the cold oven, set the temperature to 350­°F, and then when the oven was preheated, I set the timer for 30 minutes.  When the timer rang, I turned off the oven, and left the mugs in the oven until they were completely cool.  According to lots of bloggers, baking will make the design permanent.  I'm not sure how many of them tested that theory for longer than a couple of weeks before posting about it, though, and I would definitely recommend hand washing.

I made this one for someone who has had an anxious sort of year. 
She could definitely use some calm in her life,
and next year is looking brighter. 
I filled it with hot chocolate mix, mini-marshmallows,
and a couple of candy canes to stir.

In the meantime, I realized that I hadn't put supper in the slow cooker that morning, and had a moment of panic trying to think of something easy to make that we had all the ingredients for, and didn't require use of the oven.  Breakfast for dinner to the rescue!

Tragedy averted, I wrapped the mugs and goodies in tissue paper, and sent them off to their new homes.

What do you think?  Ready to make some of your own?