DIY / Sharpie Mug

I've see this tutorial around the web few times - Instagram especially - so I decided to give it a bash too and I have a few Ikea cups that are the perfect blank canvas for this project. 

You need:

- Sharpie marker

- Mug/Cup

- Pencil

First of all, wash the mug with soap to remove any greasy residue and try to touch it the less possible because also the oil on the skin can interfere with the ink;

Start off with a pencil to trace your decoration and have fun and be creative!

Once you're happy with your design, retrace with the Sharpie. You can also use different colours and really come up with a unique and original piece.

I'm not great at drawing, myself... but I'm pretty please with my wee puppy :) I took inspiration from Gemma Correll - the queen of pugs illustrations.

Finally, place your mug in the oven and then turn the oven on at 200/220 degree Celsius. Putting the mug inside the oven when it's still cool, will prevent the glaze from cracking... and 'cook' for 30 minutes;

Once the timer is up, again wait for the oven to cool down before removing the mug - same reasons as above.

TADA! You new mug is ready for the first cup of tea!!!

Tips:

- if you make any mistake, you can use an earbud with some alcohol to remove the marker;

- these glossy mugs are actually not the best for this project. Ideally, you should use a matte ceramic item which has a more porous surface so that the ink can really penetrate.

- obviously, don't start scrubbing with a kitchen scourer and your drawing should hold pretty well!

Have you tried this DIY before?

Pimp Your Glassware!

 I have these boring looking glasses in the house that I've been tempted to throw them away few times; we just have too many glasses and running out of storage in the kitchen... until I saw some pretty marbled glasses tutorials on youtube.

 It's pretty simple once you get the hang of it and follow the instructions strictly: you will also only need stuff that you probably already have around the house and it's a great way to finish those dried up, half empty polish bottles that you can't bear to chuck in the bin.

You'll need:

- boring looking glasses (any glass really, I also saw this technique being used to decorate Christmas bubbles)

- nail polish bottles (including a clear top coat)

- nail polish remover

- plastic cup

- toothpicks (actually, these were incredibly hard to find! I went to 2 Tescos and they were out of stock in both... I resorted to use some braun ones from my electric toothbrush, but please use ordinary wooden cocktail sticks yourself)

- masking tape

Step one: tape off the bottom of your glasses;

Step two: fill the plastic cup with room temperature water;

Step three: the fun starts! Make sure you open all the nail polish bottles that you're going to use and start dripping the varnish into the water. You need to layer the colour one on top of the other;

Step four: take a toothpick and start moving the polish around, making patterns; you need to work quickly because the polish will start to dry.

step five: The most delicate step, where you need to practice and master the technique in order to get good results - It's time to transfer your design into the glass!

Now you need to place your glass on top of the water and, to avoid air bubbles to form, start from one corner and then flatten the whole glass on the water. You need to find the right balance here: you don't want to go too fast and break the polish but either too slow.

Let the varnishes collect on the glass, then give a little shake and remove the glass from the water carefully.

You should be left with something like that - I used glitter polish here too... the sparkle looks really nice in the sunlight.

step six: patience! You need to leave the paint to dry completely and, to be on the safe side, I recommend overnight.

step seven: add a layer of clear top coat to seal the pattern and again, let it dry!

step eight: remove the masking tape and use some nail polish remover on a cottonbud to clean up possible smudges. 

TADA! You're glasses are done :)

Tips:

=> you can reuse the same plastic glass, but just make sure to remove any polish residue from the water before starting dripping the new colours;

=> make sure the water is at room temperature, otherwise the varnish will sink at the bottom of the cup;

=> not all polishes and brands are going to work well; I can recommend NOT to use fast drying formulas, for example;

=> don't have your nails done the day before because you'll be left with a messy manicure, that's for sure! ;)

=> handwash only.

Have you tried this project before? I thought it was a lot of fun and I will definitely try it again - Show me your masterpieces on Facebook, if you decide to give it a go. :)

xxx