Decoupage a Coffee Cup DIY tutorial

I love to decoupage and was looking to upcycle something different from the usual trays that I do. While at one of the local second hand shop recently I spied quite a few coffee cups for sale, the cogs in the brain started turning and the next project was born.

Read on if you want to learn how to decoupage a coffee cup and save it from the landfill.

What you need:

Supplies

• Coffee mug
• Mod podge
• Paper to decoupage
• Paint brush
• Plastic chopping board or something similar
• Oblong Dish or similar half filled with water
• Scissors
• Clear coat (optional)

Please read instructions through fully before starting.

Decoupage Instructions

In this tutorial I have kept my print in one piece, if you prefer you can cut your paper into smaller pieces.
1. To start, I wrapped the sheet of paper around the mug, making creases in the paper along the edges of the mug.
2. Using the creases as your cutting guide, cut the paper including the piece under the handle. When I cut my paper, I
cut it so it was just below the outside edge of the lip of the coffee mug to make a neat edge.
If your mug is shaped similarly then it should look like this:

Applying Mod Podge

3. Take your paper and place it into the dish of water. While the paper is soaking up the water grab your brush, and paint the
outside of your mug with the mod podge. Remove your paper from the water and apply mod podge to the back of the paper
(this is where the plastic chopping board comes in handy)

4. Lay the piece of paper over the outside of the cup. Carefully use your fingers to smooth out any creases or bumps and to
move the paper around. Use small pieces of paper to cover the handle. Once the cup is covered with the paper, take your
brush and cover the outside with the mod podge. Set mug upside down to dry.

I applied a total of two coats of mod podge and two coats of clear coat. You may want to leave covering the handle in paper until after the main part of the cup has been completed with mod podge. Please note: This isnt going to be perfect and flat it may have creases

Seal your Decoupage to protect it from water

5. Finishing your mug with clear coat is entirely optional, but if it’s going to be near water it will pay to seal it otherwise any
moisture can affect the mod podge.

Ideas for Using

• Pen holder
• Earring Storage
• Succulent planter

Decoupage a Coffee Cup

I hope you enjoyed this beginner tutorial if you’d like to try something else then check out the Upcycle and make your own clock kit.