Holiday Painted Wine glasses

How many of you have seen those Sharpie DIY mugs all over Pinterest? They say just write on your mugs with your regular Sharpie, bake and you’re done. It’s the ideal way to get a personalized gift without spending a ton.

How many of you know that the Sharpie will actually wash off in the dishwasher? Yup. Unless you are handwashing those mugs – your masterpiece will probably go down the drain. Even hand washing will probably make the design go away after time. It’s actually a very flawed concept.

So after doing some research, I have discovered what does work. Oil based paint pens! Sharpie happens to make these type of pens too and your local craft store will probably have them in stock. I happen to pick up mine in The Home Depot paint aisle, a few months back. They are a bit more pricey than a regular Sharpie, but if you weigh the pros {the whole not wasting your time for it to go down the drain} than it’s probably worth it. Invest in the right pens and grab your mugs from Dollar Tree ;) Plus I’m sharing a really cute way to monogram those boring mugs. Can we say stellar Christmas presents this year???

Here is what I used to make my mugs:

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* Mugs {$1 at Dollar Tree}
* Oil Based Sharpie Paint Pens
* Scrapbook Stickers
* Oven

1. To do a monogram design you will need a scrapbook stickers. Pick the monogram/design you want and stick it on your mug. I did a “G” for our last name. You will want to make sure it’s in the right place/angle etc.

2. Next you will want to make dots ALL around the scrapbook sticker. Follow the directions on the markers to get the paint going. Do some practice dots on some cardboard before hand. Once ready, start filling in the area around the sticker with dots. Really fill in the area. Add a second color if you like. If you mess up, wipe away with some rubbing alcohol on a q-tip.

3. Once you have the design you want and it’s dry – carefully peel off the scrapbook sticker to reveal your design. Do touchups if you need to.

4. Making sure your area is well ventilated – turn on your oven to 350, set your mugs inside and let them bake for 30 minutes. Once 30 minutes is up, turn off the oven and let the mugs cool down inside. I left it in the oven for a few hours.

5. Then of course, fill and enjoy with your favorite beverage.

Here are a few other mugs I made the same day. I made another one similar to the monogram G but with the phrase JOY for Christmas. Instead of just filling a small area around the letters, I did the entire mug. Then my other two mugs, I free styled with a design.

P.S. – we ran my mugs through the dishwasher the next day and my designs were unharmed. YAY! I’m loving this quick DIY and can’t wait to make some specials mugs for friends this Christmas season. Wouldn’t this be great with some hot chocolate packets and a nice bow?

I also tried this technique with wine glasses and absolutely loved the result. Just a simple dot pattern. I did the same exact technique for the wine glasses, as the mugs. Just turn them upside down on a cookie sheet, so they don’t move around.

And I know a few people are commenting that the paint has rubbed off when washed in the dishwasher. This blog post was in the works a month before this post went live. All my pieces have gone through the dishwasher several times now, with no flaw. If you don’t feel sure about the dishwasher – handwashing is recommended to preserve piece. This technique is still far better than regular Sharpies. To truly get a customized mug that won’t ever wash away, please check out your local pottery shop. They can help you pick a piece, make a design and seal it off for you. I even took my son this past summer to a pottery shop and he had a blast!