DIY LOVE Coffee Mugs

Every time I shop at Target I always buy more than I originally plan. I know I’m not alone when I say Target has that incredible effect on me. One Tuesday evening I found a beautiful white 4 piece stackable coffee mug set on clearance (under $7!) To no surprise the coffee mug set landed in my shopping cart and away I went home happy.

When I saw the coffee mug set I knew I wanted to decorate and personalize them. I had played around with porcelain paint markers for the past few weeks, and have grown fond of things I’ve come up with. So I was ready for another DIY project! Ladies and gentlemen, in honor of Valentine’s Day I created my LOVE coffee mugs!

Before starting on this project, I envisioned each mug spelling out L-O-V-E, which would look beautiful since the coffee mug set is stackable. And of course, simple, yet decorative detail needs to make its appearance to complete the look. Since any creative process is rather an organic one for me, my LOVE coffee mugs turned out better than expected with some lessons along the way.

Items Needed

Stackable coffee mug set (4 piece set)

Porcelain Paint Markers (or Sharpie Markers)

Windex and Papertowels ( for clean ups)

Oven (to permanently set paint on mugs)

The Decorative Process

I will show you how I decorated one mug since you will be repeating the steps for the remaining mugs. For this project I decided to use Pebeo Porcelaine 150 markers which are very hard to find locally. I ordered my markers through Marker Supply, and received my ordered within 2-3 business days. I highly recommend them. If you do want to use porcelain paint markers you can opt to use Sharpie pens. However, in my personal experience they do not stay on permanently after baking ceramic pieces in the oven. Porcelain paint markers deliver a glossier finish and will endure any dishwasher. Before starting, make sure the coffee mugs are clean and dry. I used windex and dried with a lint free towel. Keep paper towels and Windex on the side for any boo-boo’s. The porcelain paint markers can easily be wiped off if needed.

I got a bit creative and did an alternative design so everything wasn’t too matchy-matchy. I also wrote a quote about love on the other side of the mug incorporating a heart within the quote. I was really pleased with the way everything turned out!

Here the picture of the LOVE coffee mugs all spelled out:

Here’s a picture of LOVE coffee mugs stacked:

Once you are done painting your coffee mugs placed them on a cookie sheet and bake them in the oven for 30-35 minutes at 300-350 degrees. Let them cool down completely in oven before taking them out. Note: I had to air dry my coffee mugs for 24hrs before placing them in the oven for 35 minutes at 300 degrees to ensure dishwasher resistance. Please follow directions listed on your porcelain paint markers. If you need more creative ideas for Valentine’s Day check out our DIY tutorial on how to create an Infinity scarf