DIY Sharpie mugs are still all over Pinterest, but do they really work? This step-by-step tutorial shows you how to make them and tells you exactly which markers won’t wash off! Great gift idea!
For the past year or two, I’ve been seeing these Sharpie mugs all over Pinterest. And every time I see them, I think, “those are so cute. I should totally try that! They look SO easy!” But then I started noticing a lot of comments on those Sharpie mug photos, most of them complaining that while these darling little mugs are indeed the easiest craft ever, the marker is not actually wash resistant when applied to ceramic. And who wants a coffee mug they can’t wash?
But then I was on a hunt for some cute mugs for my new office and I couldn’t find a single one I liked, probably because in my head I was envisioning all those cute Sharpie mugs I had been drooling over. A little research helped me figure out how to make them permanent and washable!
I found out that plain old regular Sharpie markers do not work at all for this project. The trick, I discovered, is that the markers must be OIL BASED, not water-based (which regular sharpies are). Thus, if you want to attempt this project, be sure to ONLY do it with the oil-based Sharpie paint markers!
Even so, as my field testing proved, these cute little mugs will NOT be dishwasher safe. They do just fine with soap and water but the dishwasher means sure and sudden death to all your artistic effort. That said, they really are a fun & easy DIY project, and turn out SO cute without much effort. The possibilities are practically endless, and they would make a fantastic gift idea for just about anyone. (Just make sure to include washing instructions!)
UPDATE:
LWSL reader Ana shared the following comment on Facebook: “I used oil-based paint markers and even after curing them, they smudged when they got too hot. Instead, I bought DecoArt glass paint markers, followed the directions to a T and I have washed it in the dishwasher several times, no smudges or washing off.”
DIY Sharpie Mugs
Step 1: Wash and dry your mug, if new. Decide on a design and prep design with masking tape, if necessary.
Step 2: Use a pencil to rough out a design for any words or lines. Remove masking tape.
Step 3: Carefully draw your design with Sharpie paint markers.
Step 4: Add accent colors, if necessary.
Step 5: Bake mugs at 350 degrees for 20 minutes to set paint; let cool completely.
Finally, remember that these will NOT be dishwasher safe! Be sure to hand wash ONLY!
Want more? Check out these other handmade gifts you can make!
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Ruth Soukup
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Do Deco color sharpies work on mugs?? I’d rather get that in a set of colors, instead of just one black Deco Art. Does Deco color work the same- no smudging?
Not sure if the Decocolor markers would smudge or not? It says they work on porcelain. 🙂
The paint always stays on my mugs but the red turns maroon and all of the blues turn green. Any ideas on how to get reds and blues to stay true?
I’ve purchased oil based sharpies and let dry completely and drew on a cheap mug, baked for 30 min at 400. Most of the colors faded badly. There’s so many tips that are different. Is there something I need to do to make the color stay nicely ? Or did I do something wrong?
This is awesome! Do the glass paint markers off gas when you bake the item? I want to try this but I’m not sure about baking them in the same oven I cook food in. That’s also why I haven’t tried polymer clay yet.
Do you bake the cups in the oven as it’s cold and let oven and cups heat up together or preheat oven and throw cups in there once given temperature is reached? I’ve read people do it either way but not sure what’s better.
Hi Ruth. Do you guess that a Sharpie die based alcool ink can be used for paint mugs? Thanks in advanced for your attention.