A Dime A Dozen - Part III

Part III - Decorated Coffee Mugs

   If there were ever a project you've seen 95 million times, this is it.  It makes sense; an inexpensive, practical gift that you can personalize for the people you love.

   While I am the self-professed "Princess of Christmas" and I craft nearly 5 days a week, I've still had my fair share of epic fails.  Last year, my personalized mugs were totally it.  I picked up mugs from the dollar store, cleaned, decorated with permanent markers, and baked in the oven.  Yeah... the pictures all washed off.  I felt pretty ridiculous when I saw my mom using her "cute", blank mug the week after Christmas.

   As it turns out, you have to use a special kind of permanent marker for this project and they are not inexpensive.  I loved this idea SO much that I considered investing in a set (and I still might for future projects) until I stumbled upon something else.

   At a local craft store, I found a mug that came with 4 small tubs of special paint and a brush.  They were $1.99!  They turned out perfectly, do not wash off, are dishwasher safe, and food safe. We made a couple and decided to go back for a few more and they were on sale for 2 for $3.  Are you kidding me???  We bought 8.  I also bought a bottle of enamel craft paint in black for about $2.  With that, I added names to the mugs.  In the end, The Little Lady decorated all her mugs using only 1 set of  the included paint so I saved the rest for future projects.

   Regardless of what you purchase (these inexpensive kits, individual bottles of enamel paint, or the special enamel paint markers), wash your mug before you start and follow the directions on the kit or your painting medium of choice.  Some paints/paint markers will specifically state what type of dishware you need to purchase.  Start by shopping for the paint!  If you start there, you'll avoid an epic fail like I had!

   These make awesome Christmas gifts!  Here are a few ideas:

•    The Little Lady has 2 dance teachers and guess what they're getting?  A mug, pretty hot chocolate, a gourmet chocolate bar, a pair of slipper socks, a mug cake mix, mini rubber spatula (I found Christmas ones), and a kitchen towel (with a crocheted top).  With a basket and a basket bag from the dollar store, it came to $15/gift.
•    A family member will receive a mug, coffee, coffee spoons, mug cake mix, little bottles of coffee liqueur, and  a fleece blanket.  Wrapped in a basket, the total came to about $25.
•    A sweet couple in our family will each get a mug, hot chocolates, coffee liqueur, box of microwave popcorn, a Christmas movie, a fleece blanket to share, and we couldn't forget some treats for the puppy.  Also wrapped in a basket, the total came to $35
•   Make your own coffee spoons (Simple instructions to follow)!  Purchase individual bags of ground coffee or a big box of single serve coffee cups.  Include one bag of ground coffee or a couple cups and a chocolate spoon with each mug. Cost should come to about $5 per gift.
•      Melt chocolate, pour into ice cube trays, put a popsicle stick in as they set up, top with crushed    candy canes.  Pop out of tray when completely set.  
•    There are a few children we do something small for each Christmas. This year, they will get a mug with their name on, a book, home made bookmark, hot chocolate, and slipper socks. Cost was less than $5/gift!
•    Fill your completed mugs with candy, chocolate, a gift card, the sky is the limit.

   I love this gift idea because it's personalized and can be as inexpensive as $5 or you can really fill it out and spend whatever you're comfortable with.

   I included a photo of our mugs for inspiration but use your imagination while decorating your mugs.  If you have children, let them do the work!

Cheers,
Alyssa

The Little Lady and Chunky Monkey dotted their fingerprints all around the mug, each in their own color.  I connected with black, swirling lines and topped each fingerprint with a dot of yellow.  The result looks like a string of Christmas lights!  On the bottom where my finger is, I painted a tiny heart in the color corresponding to each child and their name.

These the Little Lady did on her own after I painted names on.  I did let the names air dry before I gave the mugs to her to paint.