DIY Tutorial - Aztec Mugs

Whilst browsing Morrison's on my weekly shop, I spotted basic white mugs for only 35p. These mugs were screaming out for a DIY, and I had the perfect one in mind! So I decided to part with 70p and buy 2 to try out my idea. On returning home I hopped on the inter-web and purchased myself some porcelain paint markers . A few days later they arrived and here is the result.

Supplies:

• White Mugs
• Porcelain Paint Markers
• Elastic bands or hair bands
• An oven

Just to prove I made these from scratch,  here are the mugs in their original condition.

To create the pattern I wrapped 2 elastic bands around the top and bottom of the mug as a guide to draw the horizontal lines. Then I drew vertical lines, all different thicknesses.

Finally I drew pretty aztec patterns in between each line. I let mine dry overnight then went over the patterns I had drawn again just to make sure they were as crisp as possible. You can see in the picture above that the pen can come out a little blotchy in areas. I found this to be a particular problem when I was going over the same areas before it had dried, so best to leave it overnight before trying that! When the pattern was finished I popped them in the oven at 160c for 90 minutes as instructed on the packet. I put them in the oven at the same time I turned it on, and I took them out once it had cooled down again to make sure the mugs didn't crack.

I decided to leave a gap with no pattern at the back as I thought it would be tricky to work around the handles.

And they match my nails! Perfecto!

Laura xXx