Monday, February 4, 2013

Caffeine Molecule Mug

Hi guys! The project I wanted to share with you today is a Sharpie mug. If you're on Pinterest, you've definitely seen this at some point. So why would I want to do this tutorial? Well, I know everyone and their mom have made this mug but I just wanted to share mine with you guys, so here it goes.

The materials you'll need for this project are a mug and a Sharpie. You might also want a stencil if you're scared to ruin your mug or are not a good artist but I think that it doesn't really matter, just have fun with it! You can use any mug, really. Just go to Walmart,Target or even the dollar store and buy a white mug, or a mug in any color you like. I got my mug at the Dollar Tree.


The first thing you'll probably want to do is wash your mug, just to make sure you have a clean surface do draw on. Next, draw whatever design your little heart desires on your mug. I chose a caffeine molecule because I'm just nerdy like that/ I didn't take one full year of organic chemistry for nothing!  NOTE: If you mess up while drawing your design, use rubbing alcohol to erase the mistake and after the alcohol dries off, continue drawing. Finally put your mug in the oven and bake at 450°F for 40 minutes and leave it in the oven while it cools off. (I did some research and found that the above temperature and time are the best to do this if you want to use regular Sharpies.) Just remember to hand wash them and not put them in the dishwasher. Enjoy your mug!


UPDATE (2/21/2013): Unfortunately, after using this mug daily since I made it, the paint started to wear off so I'm probably going to repaint it using markers for ceramics. And, after reading a bunch of reviews, I think I'm going to go with the Vitrea 160 markers by Pebeo. I'll post an update once I buy them and redo my mug.

UPDATE (4/2/2012): I finally got around to fixing my molecule mug and instead of the Vitrea 160 marker, I got the Porcelaine150 marker also by Pebeo because it's the only one I could find locally. I followed the instructions according to the package and air-dried the mug for 24 hours after painting it and then put it in the oven at 300F for 35 minutes. I think it looks pretty well and it's supposedly dishwasher safe. Unfortunately, I can't test it out because I don't have a dishwasher but if what the marker advertises is true, then it should hold up just fine. Here is the picture of my new-and-improved mug!


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