Looking to paint some cute coffee mugs? This tutorial is dishwasher safe for super cute mugs.
I love cute and easy crafts, don’t you? These valentine’s day painted coffee mugs are a snap to do and, then, you and your honey can spend a quiet morning reminding each other how great your life together is!
Have you seen all those adorable sharpie painted coffee mug projects on Pinterest? Although I am a big fan of sharpies, they aren’t dishwasher safe or even remotely permanent on surfaces such as ceramic, glass, or even most fabrics (horrible fading). I shared my chalkboard message board last week and I was using a multi-surface craft paint from FolkArt. Guess what?! It is top-shelf dishwasher safe for ceramics. That got me thinking about making some cute painted coffee mugs for Valentine’s Day.
I used an old technique from art class called stippling. Stippling is basically creating any shape or object out of drawing only dots. I once did a project making a picture of a tiger on safari with this technique. I love to look at it but I think my hand cramped so many times from making all those darn dots. Slowest form of drawing ever! But not these mugs. Total time drawing took maybe 15 minutes.
Instructions for Painting Ceramic Mugs
1. Draw or trace outline of a shape on ceramic mug with a pencil. Pencil wipes off easily but also provides a good guide.
2. I used FolkArt Enamel satin paint to make the little dots in the shape of a heart.
3. Let paint dry for 1 hour.
4. To cure the paint and make it top-shelf dishwasher safe, you can use 1 of 2 methods: Bake Method: Allow painted item to dry for 1 hour to be sure all layers of paint have dried. Place project in a cool oven. Set oven temperature to 350ºF. Once temperature has reached 350ºF, start timing for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, turn the oven off. Glass must heat gradually with the oven to avoid breakage. Do not place glass in a hot oven. Let glass cool completely in oven. Do not use for 72 hours. Air Dry Method: Air dry project for 21 days before use.
Hope you get to make you sweetheart a painted coffee mug! I think I am going to show these babies off with breakfast in bed or maybe just a quiet coffee in the morning before the little one wakes up. Whatever you do, I am sure it will be lovely.
Check out a few more of my easy holiday DIY craft ideas here:
- How to Fold a Felt Bunny
- Love Letter’s Simple Valentine’s Day Craft- Make It Pink Challenge
- ST Patrick’s Day Craft Ideas
- Stamped Transfer Candles
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Sarah says
Hello Friends!
Thank you for this great tutorial! I haven’t been able to find something as well layout as this.
I have a few questions that I cant seem to find the answers to:
*Can do this same process with glasses (like drinking glasses)?
*For ceramic, does it matter if the purchased white ceramic has a shinny glaze on it? Will this still work?
*What kind of paint is FolkArt? Can I used another brand of the same type of paint?
*Can I put the paint on the inside of a mug or on a dish and still have it be safe to drink or eat from (& will the heat break down the paint)?
Thank you again for a easy to understand tutorial!
Happy Painting!
Rachel says
Hi Sarah! Thank you for the nice compliment. Yes, you can do this with drinking glasses and ceramic with a shiny glaze on it. Since I did this tutorial in February, I have used the mugs occasionally although we have lots of mugs so I wouldn’t say they are used frequently but they have held up pretty well. I did scrub a couple of the dots off with a scratcher pad. That was definitely user error, haha.
FolkArt is a line of craft paint from a company called Plaid and I know that it is sold in Micheal’s Craft Stores. It is just a brand that I used since I already had it on hand. Paint can be finicky so I always list the products I used in my tutorials. You can use another brand but you will need an Enamel paint and it should say “for use on ceramic or glass”. Here is some pretty good information about glass painting: https://www.plaidonline.com/glass-painting/dept/home.htm (I am not paid or anything by plaid. I am just going off what I used). The FAQs on that site do state that although the paint itself is non-toxic, it should not come into direct contact with food. And lastly, enamel paint is generally the type of paint that is generally more durable and resitant to heat. However, I would always check a particular brand as sometimes Enamel paint can also be used to describe any glossy, hard paint. Hope that answers your questions and feel free to contact again if you have more. I will do my best! Good luck and let me know how it turns out!
Bonnie @ The Pin Junkie says
Love these painted mugs! Thanks for sharing at The Pin Junkie! They’re part of today’s Valentine craft roundup!
Christie says
These are so perfect for Valentine’s Day! I love them! Thanks so much for stopping by and linking up at Totally Terrific Tuesday!
candace says
I always wondered about the Sharpies and the dishwasher. Thanks for sharing this method! Thanks for linking up with the Creative Spark Link Party!
Glenna @ My Paper Craze says
I love the stippling technique you used on your mugs! It adds so much more interest to the design. Thanks for sharing with Creative Spark Link Party. I hope you can join us again this week.
Glenna @ My Paper Craze
Jennifer Dawn says
These turned out so cute! I’m wanting to give it a try now. Just wanted to let you know that I’m featuring these at our weekly link party! http://www.thelifeofjenniferdawn.com/2015/01/a-little-bird-told-me-link-party-125.html