Sharpie Mugs

 Ok, everyone wants a personalized mug, right? But going to a ceramic painting shop and buying an expensive mug and struggling to paint it is tiring and can cost about $20-$40. But... I have a surprise for you! Dollar store mugs have thinner glaze so Sharpies can be used on them permanently (as long as you hand wash them)! So how do you make personalized mugs for about $5 tops? Read on to find out!

Sticker Letter Mug

To make a sticker letter initial mug you will need:

~ Mug (From $ store)

~ Sharpies

~ Letter Stickers

~ Rubbing Alcohol

~ Q-Tips

~ Latex Gloves

Step 1

Wipe your dollar store mug down with rubbing alcohol and put on gloves. The oil on fingers can make it difficult for the Sharpie to become permanent.

Step 2

Choose what you want your mug to say, it can be anything from your initials to your name or even a short quote. Place your sticker letters on your mug where you think they look best.

Step  3

Make sure your stickers are firmly pressed down and then take your Sharpies and place dots anywhere and everywhere. Once you are satisfied with how it looks, peel the stickers off and make sure to clean up any mistakes with some rubbing alcohol on a Q-Tip.

Step 4

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Once the oven is to the proper temp, put your mug on a cookie sheet and place it in the oven for 45 minutes.

Step 5

After the mug has been in the oven for 45 minutes, turn the oven off, but be sure to not open the door! After a while, slowly crack open the door and let the mug cool the rest of the way. If the temperature changes too quickly your mug will crack, so be sure to be careful.

Step 6

Always hand wash your mugs to keep the design from fading or chipping, or put it on the top rack of your dishwasher.

Step 7

ENJOY! :)

Free-hand Writing

To make a free-hand writing mug you'll need:

~  Mug (From $ store)

~ Sharpies

~ Something to write 

~ Rubbing Alcohol

~ Q-Tips  

~ Latex Gloves

Step 1 

Wipe your dollar store mug down with rubbing alcohol and put on gloves. The oil on fingers can make it difficult for the Sharpie to become permanent.

Step 2

Choose what you want your mug to say, it can be anything from your initials to your name or a silly saying, whatever you want!

Step  3

Use your Sharpies to carefully outline what you want to write on your mug. If you have any mistakes clean them up with some rubbing alcohol on a Q-Tip. Once you are satisfied, finish coloring in or decorating the letters!

Step 4

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Once the oven is to the proper temp, put your mug on a cookie sheet and place it in the oven for 45 minutes.

Step 5

After the mug has been in the oven for 45 minutes, turn the oven off, but be sure to not open the door! After a while, slowly crack open the door and let the mug cool the rest of the way. If the temperature changes too quickly your mug will crack, so be sure to be careful.

Step 6

Always hand wash your mugs to keep the design from fading or chipping, or put it on the top rack of your dishwasher.

Step 7

ENJOY! :)

Free-Hand

What you will need for a free-hand mug are:

~ Mug (From $ store)

~ Sharpies

~ Imagination

~ Rubbing Alcohol

~ Q-Tips  

~ Latex Gloves

Step 1

Wipe your dollar store mug down with rubbing alcohol and put on gloves. The oil on fingers can make it difficult for the Sharpie to become permanent.

Step 2

Choose what you want your mug to look like, it can be anything from a flower, to a bunch of hearts, a smiley-face, or whatever makes you happy!

Step  3

Use your Sharpies to carefully outline what you want on your mug. If you have any mistakes clean them up with some rubbing alcohol on a Q-Tip. Once you are satisfied, finish coloring in or decorating!

Step 4

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Once the oven is to the proper temp, put your mug on a cookie sheet and place it in the oven for 45 minutes.

Step 5

After the mug has been in the oven for 45 minutes, turn the oven off, but be sure to not open the door! After a while, slowly crack open the door and let the mug cool the rest of the way. If the temperature changes too quickly your mug will crack, so be sure to be careful.

Step 6

Always hand wash your mugs to keep the design from fading or chipping, or put it on the top rack of your dishwasher.

Step 7

ENJOY! :)

 Transfer/Stencil

 What you will need for a transfer/stencil mug are:

~ Mug (From $ store)

~ Sharpies

~  Picture/Design (Black and white)

~ Tape

~ Exacto Knife/Something to cut outline

~ Rubbing Alcohol

~ Q-Tips  

~ Latex Gloves 

Step 1

Wipe your dollar store mug down with rubbing alcohol and put on gloves. The oil on fingers can make it difficult for the Sharpie to become permanent.

Step 2

Print out a black and white clip art of what you want on your mug. Take an Exacto knife to cut out your design or find a cute stencil and tape it to your mug.

Step  3

Use your Sharpies to carefully outline your design. If you have any mistakes clean them up with some rubbing alcohol on a Q-Tip. Once you are satisfied, finish coloring in or decorating!

Step 4

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Once the oven is to the proper temp, put your mug on a cookie sheet and place it in the oven for 45 minutes.

Step 5

After the mug has been in the oven for 45 minutes, turn the oven off, but be sure to not open the door! After a while, slowly crack open the door and let the mug cool the rest of the way. If the temperature changes too quickly your mug will crack, so be sure to be careful.

Step 6

Always hand wash your mugs to keep the design from fading or chipping, or put it on the top rack of your dishwasher.

Step 7

ENJOY! :)

I got this idea from Pinterest and did some research on how to create this. I am not the first person to think of this so I have no ownership. I simply made this blog to help others with their DIY projects!

River Rock Mat

So everyone seems to love these super cool mats, but buying them at a store can cost around $30-$50. Yikes! With this DIY you can create a similar, personalized, weather-proof rock mat for about $5-$8.

Here's what you'll need:
~ Scissors
~ Strong Glue Epoxy (or a Weather-proof/Water-proof adhesive)
~ River Rocks (Can be bought at $ store)
~ Rubber Shelf Liner (or similar water-proof material)
~ Cardboard of other surface that can be trashed

Step 1
Cut your shelf liner into the shape and size that you want your mat to be. I suggest leaving about an inch of extra space and trim it off once the project is finished.

Step 2
Begin placing the rocks on the shelf liner in the positions and pattern that you like best. Remember not to use glue yet, seeing as you are just mapping it out right now. You can use different colored rocks in a random pattern or to make your own design. Some popular designs are to use a certain color of rocks to make initials, words, pictures, or borders! Aim for all of the rocks to fit closely together so that the shelf liner is hidden and you have a nice semi-flat surface instead of large gaps that can be unsightly, stub toes and collect miscellaneous objects that may be difficult to remove.

Step 3
Now that you have your fancy rock mat all planned out, get your adhesive and begin to glue the rocks down one by one. Be sure you are doing this over cardboard so that if the glue drips or you drop a rock with glue it won't get all over. If your rocks shift a tad it's no big deal, try to re-adjust it or leave it be, whichever you prefer.

Step 4
 Let the glue dry so that your rocks stay in place and don't shift.

Step 5
Add another layer of shelf liner to the back using your adhesive and let dry. This way even if one liner somehow rips, your mat is still intact.

Step 6
Trim the extra length of shelf liner off and place your mat wherever you want!

Tip:

You can use your mat as a stepping stone, a shelf liner, or even a place mat!

I got this idea from Pinterest and did some research on how to create this. I am not the first person to think of this so I have no ownership. I simply made this blog to help others with their DIY projects!

From an Old Refrigerator to an Ice Chest

 Everyone loves re-purposing old things into better-looking items. And of course, who doesn't love a well decorated patio?! This DIY lets you turn an old refrigerator into a beautiful ice chest at an affordable cost.

The first step you should take to turn your old, run down fridge into an awesome ice chest is to remove all of the accessories that make it run. Be sure to remove the evaporator cell and fan, the compressor, the condenser fan, shelves and drawers, and any other unnecessary items that will take up space in what will be the ice chest.

After you are done removing the unneeded pieces, you can start creating the design. Then put the fridge on its back and start making measurements. Start from one side of the fridge and measure the center line running the length. After this, measure the center line of the top and bottom halves. Screw a 2" x 1/4" slat in the length of the top and bottom halves using #3 screws in the center and 6 inches from each end.

Then take 4" x 1/4" slats, cut to the height of your soon-to-be ice chest, and screw them into the 2" x 1/4" slats using two #3 screws for the top slat and three screws for the bottom slat. Be sure the top and bottom of the fridge are decorated the same. Then do the same for the doors that once belonged to the freezer and fridge sections. Drill a hole in what was the back of the fridge (what is now the bottom of your ice chest) and insert a plug so you can drain water later on.You can also create legs and a support for your new ice chest. The design is up to you and what you think would go best for your patio or in your back yard.

Now just put your awesome ice chest where you want it and fill it with ice! You can also use hinges to make the doors stay open so you can take things out, it depends on your preference. Personally, I would use hydraulic openers, which open and close softly.

If any of you need more instructions, here is a link to a similar DIY project. By looking between the two, you should be able to do this easy-peasy! http://www.killerbdesigns.com/rustic-cooler-a-how-to/

I got this idea from Pinterest and did some research on how to create this. I am not the first person to think of this so I have no ownership. I simply made this blog to help others with their DIY projects!