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Painting ceramic coffee mugs with sharpies are not permanent! Today I am sharing a way to create those cute pinterest mugs that are actually dishwasher safe. These coffee mug crafts are for valentine's day, but who needs a holiday to create cute mugs.
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5 from 11 votes

How To Paint Coffee Mugs

These DIY painted coffee mugs are dishwasher safe and make a cute keepsake or DIY gift. From paint to glitter, learn how to decorate your own coffee cups.
Active Time30 minutes
Baking30 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Yield: 1 cup
Author: Rachel
Cost: $8

Equipment

  • Paintbrush
  • Oven

Materials

Instructions

  • Clean the mugs well. Wash and dry them. then use some rubbing alcohol and allow to completely dry, maybe 30 minutes. This is to break down any oils that may be left on the surface.
    Two coffee mugs on white background.
  • Draw or trace outline of a shape with a pencil. Pencil wipes off easily but also provides a good guide. You can also use a sticker as a stencil to get the basic shape.
    Close up shot of detail brush painting small red and pink dots onto DIY Valentine's themed mug.
  • Paint your design. Make sure to mix the paint or paint pen very well. If you make a mistake, you can rub the paint off with q-tips. Some paints are easier to remove if you dip the q-tip in rubbing alcohol.
    Painting ceramic coffee mugs with sharpies are not permanent! Today I am sharing a way to create those cute pinterest mugs that are actually dishwasher safe. These coffee mug crafts are for valentine's day, but who needs a holiday to create cute mugs.
  • Let paint dry for 1 hour at least to make sure all layers of paint have dried.
    Painting ceramic coffee mugs with sharpies are not permanent! Today I am sharing a way to create those cute pinterest mugs that are actually dishwasher safe. These coffee mug crafts are for valentine's day, but who needs a holiday to create cute mugs.
  • Bake Method: Place the mug 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.
    Oven door open with light on.

Notes

  • There are a few different paints you can use on glazed ceramic mugs.
    You can find these at craft stores and those are decent. If you are looking for something with better quality, I recommend the Pebeo Porecelaine paints, which come in a variety of colors and have a watercolor style, or these professional paint markers.
  • You can wipe off small oopsies with a q-tip or a q-tip dipped in rubbing alcohol if you use oil-based paint pens. You will have to let it dry completely again to paint over that area.
  • The mugs must cool in the oven, so do this project on a day where you won't need your oven for several hours.
  • While these will hold up great in the top rack of the dishwasher, it's still best to protect them from scratches and dings. Don't scrub or use abrasive sponges.
  • If you use a paint or medium you aren't totally sure of, you can try sealing it with dishwasher safe mod podge. However, you will have to allow it to air dry or wait until after baking and cooling.