How to Paint Coffee Cups
Hand-painted coffee cups make thoughtful gifts and attractive conversation pieces for your home. The versatility of this craft makes it ideal for creating mugs to coordinate with your kitchen decor, celebrating an occasion, or as a fun activity for kids. All you need are a few supplies from your local craft store and an oven. Start with a simple ceramic coffee mug of your choice and let your caffeine-assisted imagination run wild.
Things You'll Need
- Paper and pencil
- Ceramic coffee cups
- Dish soap
- Newspaper
- Enamel paints
- Paintbrush
- Stencils (optional)
- Sponges (optional)
Instructions
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Draw your idea for a design on a piece of paper as a mock-up. You will have better results if you know what your design will be before you put anything on the cup. Practice any difficult painting techniques on a piece of plain paper before trying them on a mug.
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Wash the coffee cup and dry it thoroughly. Lay the cup on its side on a piece of newspaper so it is in an easier position to paint. Brace it with a book if you have trouble keeping it in place, since you do not want it to roll while you are painting.
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Replicate the design you made for the mock-up on the mug itself. Use enamel paints and a thin paintbrush. If you will be covering large areas of the cup with a single color, paint with brush strokes all moving in the same direction. Vertical strokes will be easier and neater on a tall mug, while a teacup-sized mug will look cleaner using horizontal strokes. Wipe the excess paint from the brush each time you dip it into the paint to help the paint go on evenly. Turn the cup over or stand it up to paint the opposite side. Apply several coats for more vibrant shades; allow paint to set between coats.
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Place your coffee cups in the oven when it is still cold. Follow the instructions on the bottle of paint for baking times and temperatures. You will be using the oven only on a low temperature for a brief time. Do not overbake.
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Tips & Warnings
To make a set of coffee cups, start with cups that are all the same base color and give them different designs, or use the same design on several different colors of cups.
Check at your local craft store for kits that allow you to adhere a photo to a coffee cup and also include paints or markers to decorate it.
Use sponges instead of brushes for an artsy look, or try using stencils for precision.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit coffee cup image by andrew chambers from Fotolia.com
