Shapie Decorated Mug: A Tutorial

This craft was also inspired by this post that I saw on Pinterest by A Beautiful Mess. I wanted to make a customized mug with which to drink my tea this September. I really liked the simplicity of the Sharpie on the white mug and the drawn-on teabag.  Here's my version.

Tutorial

What You Need: a white mug (I got mine from the Christmas Tree Shop for $1), and a Sharpie marker

Step 1: Draw your design on the mug.  This is where you can be creative.  I'm a fan of quotes, so I chose to write a quote by C. S. Lewis that reads: "You can't get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me."  I also drew the tag of the tea bag like on the inspiration mug.

Step 2: Bake the mug in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.  After it is finished, let it cool in the oven, because it will be very hot.

That's all there is to it! I would recommend hand-washing the mug just to ensure that the design stays on.  Sharpie markers are not actually meant to write on glossy surfaces like mugs.  If you want the design to stay on better, invest in an actual ceramics marker. However, for a $1 investment, I'd say that this is pretty good.

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Painted Canvas Quote Poster: A Tutorial

This project was inspired by this post that I first saw on Pinterest and comes from the lovely ladies at A Beautiful Mess.  I decided that I wanted to make my own to hang in my dorm room.


First I used large canvas that I got in at Micheal's and painted it with rainbow splotches.  You can really paint any background you want.

Then, I chose my quote and cut out the stickers that I need.  My quote is, "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imaged" by Henry David Thoreau.  After I placed the stickers, I drew guidelines on the canvas and stuck them on.

After I made sure the stickers were down securely, I poured white paint all over the canvas.

Then I spread the paint around.  It took three coats of white to sufficiently cover the rainbow underneath.

Once the white was dry (I used a hairdryer to speed up the process) I peeled off the stickers, and ta da! A great poster with one of my favorite inspirational quotes.