Tape painted coffee mugs

Remember how I mentioned I’m slightly obsessed with tape painting right now? Well, I took the tape painting off the canvas and onto a group of coffee mugs.

There have been a few coffee mug crafts floating around Pinterest. Like the monogrammed mugs, the chalkboard mugs and the sharpie inscription mugs. I don’t know if that last one actually works, but I was inspired. Plus, I chipped one of my favorite coffee mugs at the lip and I needed a replacement.

I spent a fair amount of time scouring stores and the internet for white mugs. I found a bunch at the Dollar Store. Got them home, and they don’t fit my single serve coffeemaker. ::facepalm:: I kept looking and eventually found a set of 12 white mugs on Amazon that cost about $2 a mug. Perfect.

I decided to try paint that could be used on ceramics, specifically the Martha Stewart paints in the Satin finish.

I didn’t set out to try tape painting mugs. It came out of me stenciling something on a mug, like the word coffee, and then washing it off cause it wasn’t straight or the paint wasn’t even enough. Hence, the tape painting.

Supplies: Thin tape, ceramic paint, foam pouncer or paint brush, coffee mugs

First, you need to clean your mugs. Wash with soap and water. Then I’d run a little bit of rubbing alcohol over the sides. Let that dry before the next step.

Tape out your design. Now, this paint is listed as non-toxic, however it’s not food safe according to staff over in the Martha Stewart crafts department. So I taped off the lip of the mug.

Next, paint over the tape. You need to make it a bit thick because you get a texture with the pouncer and the paint moves.

You have to remove this tape while the paint is still wet. Let me stress: Still wet. Otherwise, the tape will start pulling up the paint and you won’t have straight lines. I learned this the hard way with the red mug you see in the photos. I had to touch up the edges of that one slightly.

Let the paint dry for an hour. Then put the mugs on a baking sheet and stick them in a cold oven. Turn the oven to 350 degrees and bake for half an hour. Turn off the oven, but leave the mugs in there until they cool down. This is to cure the paint. Otherwise, you could air dry them for 21 days.

You still need to wait 72 hours (3 days) before they are dishwasher safe. I waited six days before washing them. I just left them on my window sill to wait. You’re left with some pretty cool looking mugs. The paint isn’t flat. It gives the mug texture. It’s pretty cool a great way to drink your coffee in the morning.

If you plan on making one of your own, post a link in the comments or send a trackback!

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