We present one of the simplest ideas for decorating a mug and creating an original gift. Any housewife-needlewoman will always have a small ball of thread for knitting. They can be completely different in quality, in this case it does not matter. The main thing is that the threads are suitable for your idea and bright. Look at what leftover threads you have, think about how you can combine them beautifully. In our version, the simplest solution was chosen to decorate the mug.
How to decorate a mug with your own hands?
What will be required:
- Mug
- Knitting
- Crochet or knitting needles
- How to decorate a mug with your own hands
Take a mug and measure its circumference and height. No need to decorate the entire height of the mug - reduce it by about 3 cm.
Since we are making a winter New Year's version, we choose blue or red threads.
And now, with a crochet or knitting needles, as you prefer, we knit the rectangle obtained in size.
From the end sides we knit white ties or sew on narrow satin or decorative ribbons. The length should be sufficient to wrap around the mug and tie a bow. You can decorate it with beads, bows, flowers.
Now our mug is dressed in warm clothes, and in winter the tea in it will not cool for a long time.
As a pleasant surprise, put a small soft toy in it, you can - a symbol of the coming year or just cute and pleasant.
To give as a gift, add a greeting card to the mug and wrap everything in a transparent film. Tie a ribbon or foil bow on top.
As you understand, instead of knitting, you can use other methods:
- These can be beautiful fabrics that you can decorate with lace or beads.
- You can order an original print on a mug of any pattern or inscription.
The mug can be decorated for the New Year, St. Valentine's Day, February 23, March 8, birthday.
Show your imagination, decorate the mugs with the children.
Useful video
Often, you need to give something not very expensive, but at the same time with all your heart and with love. At such moments, you need to think about the question: what can you do with your own hands? After all, the most dear to the heart are gifts made by hand.
An excellent option for a gift for the New Year, for example, for the whole family, or for Valentine's Day, for a couple and for many other holidays - mugs. This is the item in the house that is always needed in everyday life and is used every day. And most importantly, you can surprise any person with such a gift, and it is very simple and not expensive.
All you need to create a unique mug is:
- an ordinary white mug bought in any dishware store (the material does not play a role). The cost of such a mug does not exceed 500 rubles;
- a large, deep plate or pan (which is not a pity to spoil);
- colored nail polishes. Absolutely different firms and colors for every taste;
- nail polish remover and some cotton pads.
1. So, the first thing to do is to thoroughly wash the decorated mug with soap and wipe it dry.
2. Pour water into a saucepan or other container. The water should be at such a level that when you put the mug in the pan, it will stand and not float, but at the same time, the water level should not reach the top of the mug.
3. Prepare and open varnishes that you want to use. For example 5 different colors. Drop a few drops of each varnish into the water, in different directions, but closer to the center.
4. Dip the mug in the very center of the accumulation of varnishes and make a couple of circular movements, movements up and down. Here you need to turn on the fantasy.
5. Remove the mug from the water and turn it over, let it dry for 24 hours.
6. After the mug dries, wipe off unnecessary varnish from the bottom of the mug. You can also correct the drawing, remove unnecessary elements, with nail polish remover.
That's it! A wonderful, bright, and most importantly unique mug as a gift is waiting for the right occasion! A nuance to remember: it is better that the lacquer decoration zone does not reach the place on the cup that is touched by the lips. And these mugs are absolutely not dishwasher safe! Only with hands. The impact of dishwashing sponges on them is absolutely safe, and the dishwasher will ruin the whole pattern in a couple of tricks. This moment can be reported to the recipient of the gift in a comic form upon delivery, or you can write about it in a small postcard that will be included with the main gift.
Polymer clay was invented relatively recently. Masters have known about this material for no more than half a century. Today, sculpting from it is a very popular hobby for amateurs and a professional activity for experienced designers.
Buying polymer clay a couple of years ago was very problematic. Residents of various Russian cities ordered it from the capital or from other countries. Now, almost all art salons or needlework stores offer such plasticity, where it lies next to knitting yarn, paints and floss that are familiar to us. Many interesting crafts can be made from this amazing material. These are not only souvenirs, but also a huge number of other things that will decorate our lives. You can also decorate the mug with polymer clay, the master class of which is described in this article.
Principle of operation
Today, polymer clay is one of the most common materials used for needlework. Masters are attracted by its elasticity and non-toxicity. In addition, crafts obtained from such material look simply fantastic.
You decide to decorate mugs. Then you should learn how to work with this material. Half the success of your event will depend on choosing the right polymer. It should be borne in mind that ordinary self-hardening clay can be used to decorate mugs and other dishes. However, this material hardens in air after a certain time, which is not enough for beginners, in order to give the product the necessary shape.
What is the best thing to buy in order to decorate a mug with polymer clay? The material can be of any kind. The main thing is to study the instructions and learn the rules for handling it.
polymer clay brands
Today, art salons and needlework stores offer their customers many varieties of material. Which one to buy to decorate the mug with polymer clay? Consider the brands of this material in more detail:
- The domestic manufacturer offers St. Petersburg plastic under the name "Tsvetik". This is the cheapest option, but working with it is somewhat difficult. Products of the brand "Tsvetik" are quite solid and easily soiled. However, a person who has patience and skill can make beautiful things out of them.
- In order to decorate the mug with polymer clay, you can buy the material of the German manufacturer Cernit. For some, it may seem, on the contrary, too soft in work. However, many craftsmen are attracted by the quality and color range of this sculpture.
- The Fimo brand is the most popular in our country. It is produced by the German company Eberhard Fabe. There are several varieties of this polymer. So, "Fimo Classic" is more solid. The Fimo Soft brand is soft and easy to knead. Both types of material are available in a wide range of colors. The manufacturer offers polymer clay with sparkles, transparent, and also luminous in ultraviolet. All these types are perfect for those who decide to decorate the mug with polymer clay.
- Some craftsmen use material brought from America. This is polymer clay of two brands - "Kato" and "Scalpi". It is not offered in Russian stores, but those who were able to purchase it need to be prepared for a fairly strong smell of the material, similar to the smell of Soviet gouache. In terms of its other qualities, this polymer is similar to other brands.
- The whole polymer line is offered by Poliform Products. But this material is chosen, as a rule, by sculptors.
In addition to solid, all of the above companies produce liquid plastic, which is a gel. This is a viscous transparent material that hardens after heat treatment. Decorating mugs and spoons with polymer clay can also be done using a gel, the possibilities of which are also endless.
Before you buy this amazing material, you should choose a product that will be decorated. Based on its color, you will need to decide on the tone of the plastic. Let's start with two or three. Among them should be a white bar, which can be diluted with more saturated colors.
varnish
If you are decorating a mug with polymer clay, how to make the finished item the most attractive? To do this, it should be varnished. This will give the mug a gloss and more expressiveness of the colors. In addition, varnish is necessary to enhance the strength of things. In addition, he fixes tinting paint on it.
What are plastic clay varnishes? The manufacturer offers matte, semi-gloss and glossy coating material. Such varnishes are sold in hardware stores. What can be done to make a polymer clay mug look the most attractive? Experienced craftsmen advise purchasing acrylic water-soluble varnishes with a polyurethane base. Such material is practically odorless, dries quickly and is easily washed off the brush. In a day, a mug with a polymer clay decor, covered with a similar varnish, will become resistant to mechanical damage and moisture.
Those who are engaged in such work for the first time should remember that before applying varnish, the surface should be washed with dishwashing detergent or degreased with alcohol, and the coating process itself is best done with a synthetic brush.
Working surface
How to prepare for sculpting with polymer clay? To work with this material, you need the smoothest possible surface. It can be glass or ceramic tiles, as well as a simple sheet of white paper. The main condition for such a surface is the absence of pores into which plastic can eat.
Knives
A block of polymer clay should be cut into pieces of the required size. For this, the master who decorates the mug with polymer clay (see photo below) will need knives.
They must be sharp enough. This will prevent deformation of the product during cutting. To complete the decor of the mug, a regular or blade can be used.
Rolling pins and stacks
These tools do not have to be purchased in art salons. Stacks when working with plastic can be knitting needles or toothpicks.
In order to roll out plastic, many lovers take a glass bottle. Suitable for these purposes and other material at hand, which may be, for example, a bottle of hairspray or deodorant.
Gloves
After heat treatment of polymer clay, the master's fingerprints may remain on it. In order for the product to be neat and not to spend too much time polishing it, it is necessary to wear latex gloves. You can buy them at any pharmacy. Sometimes they are not very convenient when sculpting, but they greatly increase the quality of the work done.
Gloves should be selected according to the size of the hand. After all, the denser the latex adheres to the fingers, the more convenient it is for the master to decorate the mug.
Other
What other materials will be needed to complete the planned work? In general, in order to make a thermoplastic thing, you can use:
- special forms (boats), with the help of which figures are easily cut out;
- a special syringe (extruder) equipped with various nozzles;
- pasta machine;
- texture sheets;
- powders, etc.
However, all this can be bought after you understand that sculpting products from polymer clay is your calling.
What a Newbie Needs
As a rule, they decorate mugs with polymer clay of a girl. A master class on carrying out such work begins with an explanation of what beginners in this business should prepare:
- the mug itself;
- nail polish remover or glass cleaner;
- polymer baked clay;
- wooden skewer or toothpick;
- clean wet cloth;
- epoxy adhesive;
- stationery knife;
- varnish for plastic clay.
Preparatory stage
So, you have decided to decorate the mug with polymer clay. How to do this work with your own hands? To begin with, you should take some boring mug, which should become bright and original.
It should be laid on the surface in such a way that it is as convenient as possible to work. For this, for example, a baby blanket can be used.
Beginning of work
If your idea is to decorate a mug with polymer clay, how to make this work? To begin with, a piece of plastic of the desired size is cut off. Next, it should be well kneaded. Only in this case, the clay will become soft and plastic. To improve the working properties of the material, you can use a special tool. It's called a plasticizer. Experienced needlewomen are advised to purchase Moldmaker brand products. A few peas of this product are enough to soften a whole pack of clay. Vaseline or creams can serve as alternative materials. Suitable for softening and warming procedure.
It happens that clay, especially fresh clay, sticks very strongly to hands. In such cases, experienced craftsmen mix it with a harder brand or leave it on a piece of paper for several hours. However, it should be borne in mind that all the above manipulations will not help the material into which the paint has already got.
It is very important that no air bubbles remain in the clay. In the future, this will ruin your product. When heated, the air will expand, which will warp the plastic.
After that, you should take a cotton swab and, moistening it with nail polish remover or glass cleaner, wipe the surface of the mug. After that, we make an application on it.
baking
A mug with a polymer clay application should not be afraid of water, fade and lose its original appearance over time. To preserve all these qualities, the product must undergo heat treatment. What device is suitable for this? For baking polymer clay, use a gas or electric oven, as well as an electric mini-oven. Microwaves are not suitable for this purpose. The hardening process of polymer clay occurs only when exposed to high temperature. The principle of heating food in the microwave is to create waves. However, there are exceptions to the rule here as well. Some models of modern microwaves are equipped with a function that allows you to set the desired baking temperature. If there is such an opportunity, then clay can be placed in this household appliance.
What else should be considered when decorating a mug with polymer clay? MK (master class) involves accurate monitoring of the temperature indicated on the clay packaging. Exceeding it will cause the material to burn and release toxic substances. As a rule, this temperature is in the range from 110 to 130 degrees. That is why it will be very convenient for the master if the oven he uses has a built-in thermometer. Clay is baked for a short time. Duration of hardening applied to the mug application - ten minutes.
End of process
After heat treatment, the mug should be removed from the oven. From it you need to carefully separate the baked application. Next we need epoxy glue. It is made independently, adhering to all the requirements of the instructions. A thin layer of glue should be applied to the reverse side of the completed application, as well as to the mug, which we wipe again with nail polish remover or glass cleaner. After that, the appliqué is pressed tightly against the mug and subsequently adheres to it very well.
At the next stage of work, you will need a matte or glossy varnish. They cover the finished application. The varnish will protect the surface of the product from damage.
How does the application behave in operation? A cup made in this way can be safely washed. But do not put it in the dishwasher or use abrasive products on the decor.
And prosperity. Creating a floating cup with your own hands is a creative process, very exciting and low-cost, and its result will delight you!)
The flying bowl looks very attractive and will add additional coziness and comfort to any home or office interior. Can be a great gift for your family and friends! Making a floating mug is not difficult, the main thing is to know the basic principle of its manufacture and pay special attention to details and colors.
Master — Yaroslav Ovchinnikova
materials
1) tea or coffee pair (cup and saucer)
2) glue for connecting the "pouring" design with a bowl and saucer. It is better to use Moment universal gel glue for ceramics, plastic or glass. Any other adhesive designed to work with smooth surfaces can serve as an alternative. A glue gun is also used, but it is mainly designed to work with rough surfaces. There is a possibility that the cup will peel off in the near future, after gluing.
3) thick wire, or triple wires. You can use other well-flexible objects, for example, old aluminum forks or spoons, a metal hanger.
superplastic) is a self-hardening thermoplastic. When heated, it becomes plastic and convenient to give it the desired shape. When cooled, it becomes hard, elastic and durable.
5) painting scotch- they can replace superplastic
6), can also replace polymorphus. It resembles plasticine, but unlike it, it hardens well in air. It contains natural ingredients (cereal flour dough), therefore it is absolutely safe for children.
7) decoration items cups: coins, flowers, cones, feathers, candies, beads, buttons, ribbons and much, much more.
Cup assembly process
The process of creating a floating mug is not at all complicated, but there are several important nuances that must be taken into account when creating it.
The main secret in creating a flying bowl is to choose the right tea pair. The cup and saucer should not be too heavy. Given this condition, it will be easier to create a flying bowl!
We construct the base of the floating cup, this is the element that connects the saucer to the cup. To do this, take the wire of the desired length. It is important to consider that the distance between the bowl and the saucer should be approximately two cups. With these parameters, the flying cup will look the most balanced.
Inside the bowl, we form a loop from the wire, the diameter of which should be 2-4 cm. This will help to achieve a better fixation of the wire in the cup. We twist the second end of the wire into a flat spiral in two or three turns. Thus, we get a kind of stand, which we will fix in a saucer.
The tilt radius of the resulting structure should not exceed 45 degrees, otherwise the structure will be unstable!
Polymorphus is the best material for making a flying cup.
We take a piece of polymorphus, immerse it in hot water for 20 seconds. During this time, the material is converted into a soft plastic.
With the resulting plastic, like plasticine, we stick around the base, giving the desired shape. If the plastic hardened before you had time to finish the work, then simply dip it again in hot water. The prepared base will completely harden within 15 minutes.
If you do not have this material at hand, you can use the modeling mass. An alternative to these two materials can be masking tape, which is simply wrapped around the wire base. Or you can wrap the wire with felt or other cloth, after smearing it with glue.
An important aspect is the constant fitting of the base on a saucer with a cup in order to see the shortcomings in time!
Pay special attention to the edge of your cup in the place where the structure will be attached!
In this place it is necessary to make a kind of step in the form of a prop. So the design will hold much more reliably.
When the base is ready, you can begin to fix it on the cup. Lubricate with glue all the contact surfaces of the base with a saucer and a cup. Press firmly and hold for 3-5 minutes. Don't forget to glue a step to support the cup!
We fix the flying cup on soft objects in the right direction and leave it in this position for 5 hours. During this time, the glue will dry well and securely fix the resulting floating bowl.
When the floating cup is well glued, you need to check how stable it is.
If the saucer is not able to hold the cup, then it is necessary to reduce the radius of inclination of the structure until it becomes stable.
The last stage of making a flying bowl is the most interesting and creative. Decorate a cup! We apply glue-gel to the decorative elements and glue it.
It is better to glue the large elements first, and glue the smaller ones last. This will hide small visible flaws and gaps between the elements.
After all the decorations are glued, it is necessary to let the cup stand for 5 hours so that the glue dries.
The process of assembling a flying bowl is discussed in detail in the master class.
Hand-made from the Masterclassy website:
Flying flower mug
Nata Liana tells how to make a floating cup "Summer Mood":
Flying mug of fruits and berries
With the help of plastic fruits, berries, mushrooms, you can create such a fruit and berry abundance pouring from a cup. perfectly complement your fruit and berry
A floating cup can be decorated with bright gifts of autumn. Dried leaves and flowers can also be used. The mug can be replaced with a wooden barrel made from simple ice cream sticks.
Flowers and fruits are harmoniously combined in a soaring stream. Butterflies, dragonflies, ladybugs will be a wonderful "live" addition.
Floating money mug
A floating mug and looks very stylish. The design trick with the use of a zipper will also add originality to your mug. Keys, bells, old small toys - everything can be used as decorative elements for your mug.
With coins, you can also use imitated banknotes, in which.
The secrets of creating a money mug can be found in the Sveta DIY video tutorial:
A money tap is created on the same principle as a flying mug. Instead of a mug, we respectively use a plastic tap, and a saucer can replace a small chest or. Coins will look more spectacular if they are covered with gold spray paint or varnish.
Master — Anastasia Spitsyna
Cash flows can be depicted using paper bills.
Master — Oksana Ankudinova
How to create a money faucet can be seen in the master class
DIY gifts:
Flying mug with birds
The bird is a symbol of lightness and freedom, it is very often found in interior solutions in various styles and variations. This motif is also reflected in the decoration of the floating mug.
A floating mug can be a wonderful nesting house for birds. The nest resembles a hearth and an idyll in it.
A cup with daisies and a bird with a nest looks like a real symbol of family, love and fidelity.
A bird with delicate roses, fluttering butterflies and other decorative elements will help create a summer soaring composition.
You can decorate a flying cup with simple pasta. It is better to take pasta in the shape of a bow, paint them with acrylic paint, decorate the middle with pearls. We decorate a mug with them and the waterfall of bows is ready!
Such a mug looks elegant both in pastel colors and in classic colors - black and white.
Flying bead mug
Pearls are the most noble element of decor that will add festivity and pomposity to any craft! A simple white tea pair can be transformed into such a pearl miracle!
A very delicate floating bowl will turn out from pale pink and matching pearls. A white dove will perfectly complement the composition).
Beads of various colors will also help to create a unique pouring cup. Flowers and ribbons in the same shade as the mug will perfectly decorate and complete the look of your mug.
Make yours more magnificent and elegant:
Masterpieces of needlework cover in their master class how to make an Easter hovering bowl:
He talks about another type of Easter composition in the DelkiRu master class:
Unusual flying cups
Instead of a flying cup, you can make a flying teapot. Such a composition will look very original on the table of your kitchen. When performing such crafts, it is better to choose a teapot of small size and weight so as not to overload the structure. A “pouring jet” from a teapot is best made from thin, strong wire (for example, knitting needles) and superplastic.
Hanging flying cups with flowers can become an original decoration of the decor! The main thing is to secure them securely.
Perhaps the mug is the most versatile and popular gift. But giving an ordinary one is too commonplace, so we are looking and looking for something new, original and interesting. And designers only support our desires and come up with new creative items. How unusual can we surprise ourselves and our friends?
Thermal effect
Such a mug itself will remind you that the drink has cooled down.
Now you will not surprise anyone with the presence of a thermal effect in a mug. Therefore, we have to look for new original solutions, when the picture does not just appear or change one another, but at the same time it looks funny and has additional meaning. For example, a great idea is to make a temperature gauge on the cup, stylized as a gas tank indicator or a battery charge scale. Such a mug itself will remind you that the drink has cooled down.
Not just drawings
Mugs with images are also not new to anyone, so you should pay attention to copies with witty drawings.
second person
One of the variants of the image on the mug is drawing details of the face and muzzles of animals on its surface. The owners of such mugs can try on a stylish mustache or turn into a funny animal for a while.
Shape games
It is worth looking for a mug of an unusual shape.
If none of the pictures seem original enough and you want something more, then you should look for an unusually shaped mug. It can be a stylization that has already become popular under a camera lens or an imitation of a crumpled plastic cup. You can choose a cup not of a standard rounded shape, but of a square shape, or in the form of a half, or flattened, with various notches and deformations.
Anatomical details
As a result of games with shape, circles with anatomical details appear - ears, teeth or fingerprints.
Pen experiments
But do not forget about the important detail - the handle. That's where the scope for imagination! Mugs with brass knuckles or a pistol - for brutal men, with a carbine - for tourists, with wings - for angels and demons. But that's not all: if you mount buttons in the cups, you can link them to each other or fasten handles to them.
Taking care of the bag
A great idea is a mug with a slot and a button on which you can fasten the thread.
An integral part of tea drinking is a bag, which often either interferes or sinks in a cup. A great idea is a mug with a slot and a button on which you can attach a thread, or a pocket where you can put a used bag.
For those who don't want to share
If co-workers or family are always trying to use your cup, then you can fight this with a mug with a stopper - just take it out and it will become impossible to drink. And if someone is in the habit of carrying sweets from you, then a mug with a secret place will help, especially since she looks menacing.
Chips
For special aesthetes, there are mugs with unusual effects. On the surface, it may be the most ordinary cup, but which does not stand upright until you pour it into something, or a levitating mug, or a cup with an octopus inside.
Elegance and sophistication
Especially refined persons will appreciate the thinnest porcelain cups with female legs or in the form of a doll's head.
Where to look?
Of course, such original mugs are not sold at every turn. You need to look for them in specialized design and creative stores. But the easiest way is to find them in one of the online stores, which are now a great many. Prices for unusual mugs vary from 200 to 1500 rubles depending on the model.
