For most of last week I was sick and in bed with the most horrendous cold. After fighting it off for two weeks with the boy and kiddos sick as well, my body finally said uncle, you’ve joined the sick club too lady. Trying to make the most of my down time, I of course perused Pinterest! I’ve been meaning to do a quick and easy DIY on the blog and was looking for some inspiration when found this DIY Watercolor Mug project I thought was super cool! I had seen marbling techniques on nails but on household items, it was soooo fresh. That’s when the lightbulb lit up above my head while sipping on tea and honey out of plain white boring mugs. These puppies could use a bit of pep! Let’s hop outta bed and do this! Here we go! How to create a DIY Watercolor Mug!
So there’s a good chance you might have everything you need.
THINGS NEED TO CREATE A DIY WATERCOLOR MUG
• mug (I got mine from Target)
• nail polish
• old container you do’t mind ruining
• bamboo sker or toothpick
• paper towel or parchment paper
Fill an old container with warm water. The warmer the better. Just be sure it is something you don’t mind having nail polish on since this process can leave some residue behind. When you fill it, don’t fill it too full. Take whatever piece you are going to dip and do a test run.
Grab some pretty nail polish from a cupboard in your bathroom. There’s really no need to buy new, and you’ll only need a few drops to make a small swirl. Also, be sure NOT to grab a quick dry polish. Time is of the essence here, we don’t need to shorten our time even more with a quick dry. Also, don’t grab your Essie “Ballet Slippers”. You will want something with some pow! A bright or dark color works well.
Pour a few drops of polish into the water. Swirl with skewer if necessary. A film will start to form (it is starting to dry already). Grab your mug because we’re finally ready to create that awesome DIY Watercolor Mug! Dip and swirl to pick up the paint. Place your mug on the paper towel to dry. Don’t touch it until it’s completely dry.
That’s it guys! That is all you’ve got to do! How cool is that? I think it looks a little like watercolor. What do you think?
DIY WATERCOLOR MUG HELPFUL TIPS:
Pour the polish close to the surface of the water. If dropped too high, it will sink to the bottom and not dissipate.
Trying using a plastic Solo cup first to get the hang of it.
Use 2 colors to get a really fun marbling effect.
Don’t use the brush to add the drops, pour it from the bottle.
Your mug is no longer dishwasher safe nor is it microwave safe. And if possible, don’t put the polish on an area where you would have food or place your lips. It’s just not healthy.
Only dip your item once. If you feel like it needs more. Let it dry and start again until you get the desired effect.
This process moves very quickly so be swift on your feet!
Don’t touch the mug until it’s dry. You don’t want to smudge it. If you really messed it up,you can take some nail polish remover to it.
When emptying out the water, be sure to scoop out all the extra polish with paper towel first or you will have a very colorful sink.
And that is the easiest way to create a DIY watercolor mug!
Those sure are purdy, Kyla! Sorry you were so sicky, though! Hope you are on the mend.
On the mend, slowly but surely! Boy, this one was a doozy! Hope you are staying healthy lady!
wow, what a cool effect. you’ve got me looking at every ceramic piece in my house to see which one should be a victim. i’d love to try using this to make something pretty for my bookshelves!
Victimize…you crack me up! And OMG, I can’t believe how pretty these turned out!
Oooohmygoodness, it turned out so GORGEOUS. (I confess) this is one of those ‘crap, wish I though of it first’ … like those little inventions that you say to yourself “wish i had invented that”. Bravo bravo! Now I need to go to $1.00 store and get white cups to experiment on this DIY. And what the heck …. even when you are feeling under the weather, u r still super creative (AWESOME SAUCE!!). Hope you r feeling better!
The antibiotics have treated me well Ada! Thanks for stopping by! If you try this yourself, you’ll have to post some pictures! Would love to see!
Fun tutorial! Just found your blog and love your look. 🙂
Awe, thank you Michelle! And thanks for stopping by my little nook on the internet!
Genius and gorgeous! Visiting from The Winthrop Chronicles linky Party 😉 come visit me
at http://kraftmint.com {modern and quick crafts }
Thanks Ursula and thanks for stopping by!
So in love with these! Pinning and thanks for linking up with us at the The DIY’ers!
Thanks Ashley! And thanks for stopping by again! You guys are awesome as always!
These are gorgeous! I love how simple it is and that every one is unique. I bet a cabinet full of these is like an artpiece! Thanks for linking up on Merry Monday.
Thanks Rachel and thank you so much for stopping by!
do you think if you bake the mugs? like the sharpie-written mugs? that the nail polish will stick and be safer for sink washing and for drinking? you should try it and let us know!
I know someone who did this and baked them at 350 for 30 minutes, it makes them microwave and dishwasher safe
That can go in the oven for about 30 mins and they will become microwaveable and dishwasher safe, what kind of dish did they put them in? just curious
Thank you so much for sharing on The Inspiration Board at homework. I loved your project and featured you today!
Have a wonderful weekend!
carolyn ~ homework
Oh WOW! Thank you so much Carolyn! That is awesome!
What pretty mugs. I love them. A great way to jazz up some plain mugs. Thank you for linking up to Tips and Tricks. This will be the feature on Fearlessly Creative Mammas this week. Hope to see you this week.
Oh wow! Thank you so much for the feature! How exciting and I’m so happy you liked them! I will for sure be returning!
This looks so good! awesome idea. Pinned. We had so much fun partying with you at our last party. We hope to see you tonight’s party at 7 pm. We love to see what you have been working on! http://loulougirls.blogspot.com/
Happy Monday! Lou Lou Girls
Thanks Lou Lou Girls! Done and done ladies! Thanks for always hosting a great party!
that is beautiful! I LOVE IT so much I need to do it to my cups lol. I know you cant put it in the dishwasher, but have you had any troubles hand washing it? I just dont want it to ever come off lol. I am going to stock up on white mugs from the dollar tree tomorrow to do this YAY!
thanks for linking up at http://liverandomlysimple.com/totally-terrific-tuesday-linkup-party-1/
Glad to have you on board!
Jess
Hey Jessica! So far I’ve had no issues handwashing…but it’s only been a couple weeks.
Hi,
I have tried to using clear finishing spray which has worked wonders! Considering that they are only marbled on the bottom no health risks should occur either (which is what I was worried about)
That’s so creative! These would make great gifts for the holidays especially for teachers!
Thank you! They would make a great gift for teachers! And thanks for stopping by!
How beautiful! Such a pretty way to jazz up some plain mugs. Stopping by from the Wonderful Wednesday Blog hop!
Thanks Bev and thanks for stopping by!
What a fun and easy project! I guess it’s a good thing you were sick in bed, if it led to such craftiness! Thanks for sharing at Fridays Unfolded-just pinned!
Alison
Nancherrow
HAHA, Thanks Alison! And thanks so much for stopping by!
what a great idea!
Thanks Carmen! And thanks for stopping by!
i bow to YOU…this is awesome von awesome. bravo, hipsters!
You just won the award for funniest comment EVER! We must become friends! Love your blog lady. Thanks for visiting my little space on the internets =)
OMG! Love it! I love coffe, thus coffee mugs, and now I love you(r idea).
Thanks Mary Elizabeth and thanks for stopping by!
What a great idea, I have to try this!
Wow, I really love the purple one. What a great idea.
That’s my favorite one as well! Thanks for stopping by! Now I need to make that granola!
These are so unique! I love the look of them. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thanks Jolena and thanks for stopping by!
WOW, this is UNREAL! Thanks for the tutorial! Here’s hoping mine turns out half as nice as yours!
Stephanie @ Mommyzoid
Thanks Stephanie! Glad you stopped by!
What a great idea, can’t wait to try it and thanks for linking up at the Project Parade Linky Party.
Thanks Rosemary and thank you for stopping by!
Stopping by from LiveRandomlySimple Totally Terrific Tuesday Link Up Party! Thanks for linking up last week! Party is NOW live, hope you can make it back and link up some more awesome content!!
Jess
These are so cute! thanks for linking up to DIY Inspired!
Thanks Angela and thank you for stopping by!
How easy and cool. Definitely giving this a try!
Chloe, they are so easy, it’s crazy! Thanks for stopping by! If you do try it, please upload a picture to my Facebook page. I’d love to see how it turned out!
These are gorgeous! I love the use of nail polish to make them! I’m featuring this project at my weekly link party! http://www.thelifeofjenniferdawn.com/2014/10/a-little-bird-told-me-link-party-111.html
Oh Awesome! THank you so much for the feature! I’m going to go over and stop by now!
This is so freaking cool!!! I think I have a couple of vases that are going to be getting a marble treatment soon!
Jenn, they will look amazing! You’ll have to post a picture of them to my Facebook page so I can see how they turned out!
Featuring Friday at Bacon Time!
Thank you so much Mindie! You are too sweet! Hope you’ve had a better week health wise! Been thinking about you!
This would be really cute for mugs that are used as pencil holders – or for vases, etc! I probably would not attempt it for mugs that I actually used for food and beverage though, even if the color was not near the mouth/food area.
They would be cute if dipped, dried then dipped in a 2nd color for a layered effect, too.
Thanks for sharing your post at the Say G’day Saturday Linky Party. I’ve just shared this on Pinterest/Facebook/Twitter.
Hope you can link up with us again this Saturday!
Best wishes,
Natasha in Oz
Thanks so much Natasha!
Oh wow!! I really love these, the effect looks stunning. I will be featuring these on tomorrows #SerenitySaturday link party x
Awesome! Thank you sooooo much for the feature Natasha! If you try it out, post a picture of it to my Facebook page! I would love to see it!
I was wondering, if “top coated with mod podge would this look stay safe longer?
It might? I’m not as familiar the mod podge. I always look at it in Michael’s…mainly because I love it’s retro looking label =) I tell ya what though, if you try it, would you let me know?
sure thing!
i will do it with only one and see what happens. 🙂
I am so gonna try this ! In love !!! That’s just clever!
Your mugs turned out beautifully! Thanks so much for linking up with us at The Makers. 🙂
These are so beautiful~thanks for linking up at Do Tell Tuesday~
Sorry to hear you got sick but look at the beautiful project that came out of it! I love that you took an inspiring idea and made it all your own. I’m so glad you shared this at the Frugal Crafty Home Blog Hop–this is going to be one of my features at our next party!
WOW! Thank you so much Carrie! That is awesome!
they turned out really beautifull! I’m going to give it a try too! stopping by from Bewitchin’ Projects Block Party
Post a picture of them to my Facebook page…I’d love to see how they turned out! Good luck and thanks for stopping by!
Hi Kyla, You were featured on Etcetorize this week! Stop by and grab a button. I hope you’ll link up again tonight 🙂
Oh awesome! Thank you so much Tamara! See you tonight!
Those cups look beautiful. You should totally be a hand model!! 🙂
Ha! It’s funny you say that Nikki! My mom was a hand model for Avon back in the 70s!
Just gorgeous. Pinned this to remind me to make these. We have a bunch of white mugs that are dying to be painted. 🙂 These would make such a great gift…Thanks for the tutorial!
Awesome! So glad you stopped by! Be sure to upload a picture of yours to my Facebook account. I always love to see how everyone’s projects turn out!
Great idea for brightening up the kitchen with such beautiful personalised mugs! I think some of my friends will be getting personalised mugs for Christmas 😉
Oh awesome! Thanks for stopping by Charlotte!
I saw these and had to give it a try. I wanted to ask you about how they’re holding up these days? Also, do you have any issues with the paint when you put hot liquids in the mugs?
Mine are holding up well! I don’t use them as much for drinking anymore though. I hand washed them a few times which is my least favorite thing to do, so they became pencil holders! LOL! But they look really pretty on my desk, and I can enjoy them every day. How did yours turn out?
Here’s a tip; line your container with glad wrap first s you don’t have to worry about getting nail polish on it! This is a good tutorial. I tried one from another website which says to drip the polish from the applicator, and you end up with splodgy polka dots. NOT the look I was going for!
That’s a really great tip! Thanks for chiming in! And I’m so happy it was a good tutorial for you. Splodgy polka dots is no good!
Please advise if you could do this using terracotta plant pots or on glass??
Thank you.
S x
Hi Sarah! I’ve only done it on these mugs, but I have seen it on glass and it’s gorgeous. Especially in a hot pink. The terra cotta I’m unsure of, but if you try it, let me know. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Thank you for your reply!! I will let you know my findings!! X
Awesome! I can’t wait to hear. Good luck!
Hi there, my daughter and I did this recently and are really pleased with the results. Unfortunately we now can’t get rid of the smell of nail polish on the mugs which makes using them rather unpleasant. Can anyone suggest a fix for this problem please x
Hi Alex, I’m so sorry you are having that problem. Oddly, mine do not smell. Maybe it’s the polish? When you paint your nails with it, does the smell stick around?
Not sure as I rarely paint my nails, I’ll do so now, if it still smells I’ll take it of the mugs and start over with different polish.
Love the marble dipped mugs. Might have to try this sometime.
Oh you should! They are so fun to do!
Love this idea! The mugs are beautiful! Stopping by from the Creative Inspiration Link Party.
This is so cool! You’re much more productive on your sick days than I am! I definitely want to try these.
Ha! Sometimes…other times, not so much =) Thanks for stopping by Meredith.
No two will ever be the same! I love it. It would be so much fun to have a set of 4-6 all different and all beautiful. I’m so glad you linked up with us at the Creative Inspiration Link Party!! I can’t wait to see what you link up next week.
Thanks so much for stopping by Trish!
Wow those are gorgeous! You really did a great job explaining the process, and it turned out wonderful. I loved your addition of the helpful hints at the end, it will come in handy when I try this out. If you are ever looking for a different how-to on this, check this one out: https://omghow.com/articles/diy-marbled-coffee-mugs. It describes how to make a design with the nail polish in the water. Thanks so much for this detailed description, and I can’t wait to make one for myself using this technique.
Hey! Just wanted to let you know I shared a link to this on my blog! Great DIY! <3
This is so awesome! Thank you! =)
Awesome! Thank you soooo much!
I tried his unfortunately I got a lot of air bubbles D: where did I go wrong?
Can’t wait to make this for a friend as a gift. Quick question: Is there way to ‘seal’ in the polish to make it last longer?
I haven’t tried this yet, but i came across a few tutorials that suggested either dish-washer safe mod podge or a clear acrylic sealant to seal in the nail polish…though both also said not to put sealant or mod podge near spot you would drink from. Hope that helps. I can’t wait to try this..going to the thrift shop toda to find some white mugs!
i’m going to try this for my christmas presents!!! Quite excited to see the results:)) yours looks so pretty!
Oh do it! They are so easy! If you do, Instagram them and tag #HOHinMyHome I’d love to see them!
I tried to water marble my mugs but it’s not working:( is it possible to water marble clear, transparent mugs?
Has anyone found the polish gets flaky…does baking it help with this, or putting a gloss finish on it?
Does it benefit to add dishwasher safe mod podge? any advice would be greatly appreciated 🙂
is it safe to microwave these??? I want to give some of them as gifts, but I’d like to know if this is hazardous at all…
This is so cool! I have not seen this before!
Can i know the material or quality of the mug??
I’m guessing this technique could be used for most ceramic/porcelain items? Possibly cabinet knobs and ceramic drawer pulls?
Yes! Definitely! After I did the mugs, I swear I wanted to marble everything in my house.
Can I do this with glass paint or enamel craft paint instead of varnish?
Hello, I was wondering–is there any way to seal the mug so it’s dishwasher safe?
Hi Mackenzie. I’ve never tried to seal them.
I love this, I was wondering, when you set them down to dry do you put them so the open end is facing up or down (against the paper towel)
I laid mine face down on paper towel =)
i’ve tried it before but it kinda fail, thanks for the tips!
breepluse.blogspot.com
doesnt it wear offand is it safe to drink from? one other thing, How do I clean the mug?
This was easy great amd cheap!. It literally rook me less than five minutes to find the things needed and complete a piece. Amazing idea! Ps. You dont to stick to just mugs!
Also fyi . . Quick dry nail polish appears to sink right to the bottom, howwever i stir it ( i used chop sticks) it added a tint of the color that sank in a more watercolor wash way. Was pretty cool against the marble design of the polish that did float and create a film.
It’s so fast and easy! Glad you had fun with it too!
Those are very pretty! I am going to make them for my grandma and aunt on Christmas!
What a great post. I wonder with this painting idea. I can’t believe till I do it my own. This Sunday I will paint my skin color coffee mug.
How well does the paint hold up? Does it stay over several uses and washes?
Perhaps the coolest DIY mug stuff I have seen this week! Cheers!
That’s really cool, but I have a question…. can you use a pre-colored mug? If it is a light color, i would think it would be fine, the design just wouldn’t show up AS well. But I don’t have access to a white mug, sooo……. BTW SRRY BOUT UR COLD LOL
Thank you for the awesome feature!
Thank you for the awesome feature!
Thank you for the awesome feature!
Thank you so much for the feature!