DIY: Workplace Coffee Mug Tutorial

So one year I got my boyfriend a whole basket of red things. You see we’re both a little bit “different”. This is why the basket had things like a red shirt that said “Chuck Norris doesn’t call the wrong number. You answer the wrong phone” and weird candies I ordered from the internet. Just a bunch of weird totally not romantic stuff.

And in the past few years V-Day isn’t nearly as big of a deal as it had once been so the gifts have gotten smaller. Since Mr. Man was complaining about not having an awesome enough coffee mug and one that everyone knows is his I thought this would make an excellent gift.

I know exactly what it’s like to work someplace and have someone constantly jacking your stuff. They walk by carrying your mug and when you say “hey, are you using my mug?” knowing good and well that they are, it’s super irritating when they say “no, it’s mine.” Like heck, buddy.

So even though Russell works in a gigantic courthouse with tons and tons of floors and people, I have a feeling everyone will remember that this is HIS mug and no one will be able to lay claim to it!

For this project you need:

• An attack mug (they have several different creatures like a shark and octopus) You can find at Amazon.com
• black glass paint
• contact paper or self-adhesive vinyl
• x-acto knife OR Silhouette cutting machine
• alcohol
• cotton swabs

So this is my porcelain mug. Awesome. It was about $9 with free shipping for Amazon Prime users.

And I had to look at the inside IMMEDIATELY. Unfortunately, my incessant giggling and squirrel jokes caused Russell to come into my office and see what I was up to so the jig is up, but he still loves it anyway 🙂

Using the font of your choice cut out the words that you want your mug to say either with a Silhouette cutting machine or an everyday x-acto knife out of vinyl or contact paper. Pattern or whatever totally doesn’t matter. Just use whatever you have on hand. Remove the bits you don’t need from the piece.

Carefully wrap your adhesive to the mug. As long as the edges of each letter are firm against the mug, the other ripples and whatnot don’t matter at all. If you’re having a hard time getting things flush because of the curve of the mug, feel free to use scissors to snip darts in the adhesive so that it lays flush more easily.

Using a dauber or a sponge brush, apply glass paint to the stencil.

Remove immediately, while the paint is still wet, or prepare to start all over again. Like I did. Ugh.

Because you removed the stencil while the paint was still wet, there is the possibility of smears. Simply take a cotton swab and clean up any messes. If it’s already drying on by the time you get to it, dip your swab in a tiny amount of water to help you out.

Follow the directions per your glass paint. Some will have you air dry for, say, 21 days. Others cure the paint in a warm oven. If time is of the essence, be sure to check these specifics when purchasing your glass paint.

And I totally know the focus of this mug should be the thing I painted on it, but dang, that squirrel peeking his head out of the coffee is just too awesome. AND he’s smiling. Gah!

And even though his gift isn’t a surprise, Russell really likes it. In spite of the fact that it has to air cure for 21 days. Whoops! But when he does eventually take this guy to work, I guarantee that everyone in the workplace will know it’s his!

Allison

A crafter since her earliest years, Allison spends a little time every day making something. She crafts, sews, paints, glues things onto other things, and is a firm believer that a life spent creating is a life worth living. Visit Allison’s blog, Dream {a Little} BIGGER.