This project has been on my mind for more than a year, and recently, when I was cleaning out my studio, I found my porcelain paint pen and days later found a blank travel mug at the thrift store. It seemed like it was meant to be. I don’t know about you, but I see these little plain white travel mugs at thrift stores all the time. Well, I see lots of travel mugs at thrift stores (maybe because we’re up here in “Coffeetown Central,” where a coffee addiction results in a surplus of travel mugs), but these seem relatively easy to come by at the thrift store. So if you’re a cheap-o like me, I’d check a local thrift shop first before dropping some bills for a new one. We thrifters are well-caffeinated folks, so you should have plenty to choose from.
Materials
- Porcelain travel mug
- Pencil (optional)
- Pebeo Porcelaine paint pen
- I used a white mug, but these porcelain travel mugs come in many different colors, so if you want a more colorful version, just buy a solid color instead of white and draw on your pattern. The sky’s the limit!
- I sketched this herringbone pattern in pencil first, to have some light lines to follow. Something more simple, like polka dots, probably won’t require this. I used a straw to help guide my vertical pencil lines so they were parallel and straight, then I drew in the angled lines.
- Next, follow your pencil template with the paint pen. You’ll have to push down on the pen tip pretty frequently to get the ink flowing. Have a scrap piece of paper on hand to prime the pen when you need to. Be careful not to smudge the wet paint.
- Set the mug aside and let it air dry for 72 hours. If you want to make your design dishwasher-safe, put the mug in the oven at 300 degrees for 30 minutes to bake the paint on permanently. Voilá! Fancy, custom, reusable travel mug! Drink your hot beverages in style!
