This year for my boys’ teachers I decided to make personalized mugs filled with goodies for their Christmas gifts.
If you have been on Pinterest at all then you have probably seen all of the DIY Sharpie mugs people are making. I thought this would be a fun idea.
However, after some research I realized Sharpies probably weren’t the best thing to use on the mugs. So, I purchased a DecoArt Glass Paint Marker
It took me several tries to get the hang of writing on the mugs but that was alright. I simply used a paper towel to wipe away the paint, rinsed off the mug, dried it, and tried again.
As long as you clean the mug off right away you can try again. And again. And again. And…you get the picture. 🙂
The directions said to let the mugs dry for 4 hours and then to bake them anytime after that but before 8 hours have passed.
I placed the mugs on a baking sheet, set them in the oven, and then turned the oven on to 375 degrees. Once the oven was preheated I set my timer for 40 minutes.
After 40 minutes had passed I turned the oven off and opened the door until the mugs were cool. Then, they were ready to go.
I tested them in the microwave and dishwasher and the paint stayed on well.
The phrases I wrote were as follows.
“Keep calm and pretend it’s on the lesson plan.”
“I teach. What’s your super power?”
I also wrote each teacher’s name on the handle.
For the women teachers’ mugs I crocheted mug cozies using the pattern I found at Tutus and Tea Parties.
I used cotton worsted weight yarn and I like how they turned out. However, I would recommend purchasing mugs before crocheting the cozies. I think next time I would make them less wide.
One of the things I added to each mug was a baggie filled with snowman soup. I had to provide treat bags for James’ class so Julia helped me make 40 bags for the students and the teachers.
I had seen many different versions and some cute free printables. However, if you know me, or have read this blog for long, you know I like to do things myself. So, I made up my own snowman soup bag topper.
Of course, I am offering it to you for free so you can make some, too. 🙂
To print the bag toppers either click the picture above or the link below. You can print them on regular paper, but card stock is even better.
You will cut around the solid red lines and fold along the dotted red line. Then, staple them to a zip-top bag filled with a hot chocolate packet, a candy cane, a few mini marshmallows, and two chocolate kisses.
Snowman Soup Bag Topper
I also added some herbal tea bags and homemade goodies to the mugs. The boys said their teachers liked the gifts.
Also, be sure to check out my other teacher gift ideas if you need more inspiration for the end of the year or next Christmas.
Update 1-28-14: Here are a few of the other DIY mugs I made for Christmas.
The mugs pictured below were for my brother and sister-in-law and they only make sense when they are together.
On the back I wrote, “Love is patient, love is kind.”
For my parents I decorated soup mugs.
My mom’s says, “A garden of love grows in a grandma’s heart.” Along the bottom I drew flowers and wrote all of the grandkids’ names inside.
My dad’s mug says, “My greatest blessings call me Papa Don.” Along the bottom I drew hearts and wrote each grandchild’s name inside.
