Repurpose one from home. Use a special mug your friend or family member loves from home as long as it is plain and has no design. You will also want to make sure it’s in decent shape–you don’t want to personalize a mug that’s on its last legs. Purchase one from a craft store. Many craft stores sell a variety of plain, white mugs in a variety of sizes for a low price. Wash and dry the mug before personalizing. Even if it’s a mug from home, make sure it’s been thoroughly washed and dried before you being your craft.
Search online for designs you like. Print the design and create a template using tracing paper. Look for a design with bold lines that will fit nicely on a mug. Avoid complicated designs as painting/transferring it to the mug may be difficult or too time consuming. Purchase letter stencils that will fit the mug. Personalization means that you may want to put a name on the mug or even a cute “inside” saying. Find lettering that will compliment your design so your overall mug flows.
Select a color that will compliment and not conflict with your overall design. You should choose something neutral but soothing to cover your mug. Consider only painting one side of the mug or go for a two-tone mug. Depending on how you plan to design the mug you could just paint one side or you could select two colors for either side. Make sure the colors work well together-for example, you could select school colors from the recipient’s university for the dual colored mug. Wait for the background to completely dry before painting the main design. Otherwise, paint could combine and create a messy look.
Consider using thin masking tape to block off certain areas of your design to help keep paint lines clean. Cut out the design so you can paint around it. In the event you will be creating more of a graphic type design comprised of circles and shapes, you could cut out your shapes and lightly tape (using tape rings on the back of the paper) the shapes to your mug. Then you could paint over or around the shapes to create a “reverse” effect.
Consider using a paint pen instead of a brush. Unless you are working with wide-set lettering, try a paint pen for more control over the letters. Make sure the paint is made for ceramic application. Include a few special personal touches inside the mug such as an insider saying or even a few handmade hearts or stars. Nothing like a little unexpected surprise says, “personalized” so add an intimate saying or joke between the two of you inside or underneath the mug.
