3 DIYs to Personalize Your Travel Coffee Mug

published Nov 17, 2017
(Image credit: Rikki Snyder)

You and your travel mug spend every commute together, so it’s very appropriate you two complement each other’s styles. These three DIY projects give a ho-hum mug a little sophistication. We’ll be marbleizing, monogramming, and leather-stitching our way to a much cuter morning.

Oh, and did we mention these make great gifts, especially alongside a bag of delicious ground coffee?

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Choose from 3 DIY mug designs. (Image credit: Rikki Snyder)

Who doesn’t want their very own monogrammed mug, artsy marble cup or a chic leather sleeve that they can keep on a mug or in a bag for drinks-on-the-go? Seriously, just buy a bunch of to-go ceramic mugs, set aside an afternoon, and this year’s holidays will be solved.

(Image credit: Rikki Snyder)

Marbleized Mug

This faux marble mug was made with nail polish! It’s so fun, cheap and easy to do, you might start marbleizing all your mugs.

What You’ll Need

  • Basic white ceramic travel mug
  • Nail polish (we used pink and white)
  • Warm water
  • Disposable bucket
  • Newspaper or drop cloth
  • Rubber gloves
  • Mod Podge dishwasher-safe sealer

What You’ll Do

  • Put your bucket on top of a newspaper or dropcloth. (This project can get a little messy, which is why you want to use a disposable bucket.) Fill it about 6 inches deep, and put on your rubber gloves.
  • Drip your nail polish onto the surface of the water, using a gentle back-and-forth movement as you drip to create the marble pattern. Don’t worry about making it perfect; just work quickly so the polish won’t set.
  • Dip your mug into the water, so it’s fully submerged up to about 1/2″ from the rim. (You don’t want the nail polish to touch any part of the mug that will come into contact with your mouth.) Hold it straight while you dunk, and quickly lift it from the water. A marble pattern will instantly appear!
  • Put the mug on a surface it won’t stick to, and allow it to dry overnight (or about 8 hours).
  • When it’s fully dry, apply a thin coat of Mod Podge dishwasher-safe sealer to protect it. Make sure the gloss doesn’t coat the lid, rim or any part of the mug you’ll touch with your mouth. Follow the sealant instructions for drying time.
  • Fill your new mug with your favorite flavor of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee, add the lid, and you’re all good to go!
(Image credit: Rikki Snyder)

Stitched Leather Cup Sleeve

You can find leather, cord, and other supplies at your local craft store. It’s not only great for travel mugs, but works as a reusable alternative for paper cups from the coffee shop, too.

What You’ll Need

  • Basic white ceramic travel mug
  • Paper coffee cup sleeve
  • Pencil and ruler
  • Leather sheet or scrap
  • Scissors (sharp shears are best)
  • Leather awl for punching holes
  • Leather lacing needles
  • Waxed cord

What You’ll Do

  • To cut your leather just right, take a paper coffee cup sleeve, pull it apart, and lay it flat on the unfinished side of your leather.
  • Trace the sleeve with a pencil, then cut your pattern using your shears. Wrap the leather sleeve around your cup to test it. If it’s too long, trim a bit off the edges.
  • Flip the leather over to the unfinished side again. Using your ruler and pencil, mark 8 evenly spaced holes along each end of the leather strip.
  • Use your leather awl to punch small holes at each mark.
  • To stitch, thread the cord through your leather lacing needle, and knot an end on the unfinished side of your leather (so it faces in toward the mug). Start at the bottom, lacing the seams up as you go. As long as you pull it tight enough, the waxed cord will help to hold itself in place.
  • Once all the laces are done, knot your cord at the top, on the unfinished side of the leather. Cut the cord, and you’re finished!
  • Pour some hot Dunkin’ Donuts coffee into your travel mug, and your reusable leather sleeve will keep you comfy.
(Image credit: Rikki Snyder)

Monogrammed Mug

With this DIY monogrammed mug, you’ll always know whose coffee is whose. They also make great personalized gifts.

What You’ll Need

  • A basic white ceramic travel mug
  • Metallic adhesive vinyl paper
  • A computer and printer
  • Tape
  • Pencil
  • Scissors
  • Optional: X-Acto knife and mat

What You’ll Do

  • Design your monogram on the computer, in whatever program you prefer. You can use a simple font or add a border if you like. You’ll want your letter to measure between 1 and 2 inches high. A 72-144 point font should work. To test it, print your monogram and hold it up against your mug.
  • Once you’re happy with your monogram, print it, then cut out your pattern. This pattern will be your template.
  • Tape your template pattern to the back side of your vinyl, and trace it.
  • Using your traced template as a guide, cut the inner parts of your letter first (the insides of the “B”). For this kind of detailed work, using an X-Acto knife on top of a mat makes the process a lot easier.
  • Next, cut around the edges of your letter.
  • Finally, cut any additional borders or shapes.
  • Peel the backing off your vinyl paper, and stick it to your mug.
  • Note that vinyl shouldn’t go through the dishwasher, so you’ll want to handwash your mug.
  • Fill your personalized travel mug with Dunkin’ Donuts coffee, and think about all the other things you might want to monogram. iPhone case, anyone?

Now that you’re looking good, make sure what goes inside is worthy. You can bring home and brew up the Dunkin’ coffee you love. Choose from bold, sweet, or classic roasts — all rich, all smooth.

This post is sponsored by Dunkin’ Donuts and was created by the Apartment Therapy Creative Studio with our DIY Expert, Ashley Page Norton.
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