For the Couple Relocating - DIY Moving Mugs

So my friend Giulia decided to drop two big bombs on me last week:
1.) She is ENGAGED!!!  (Huge yay)
2.) She is MOVING TO LONDON with her new fiancé.  (Huge yay for her but boo for me)

I once saw these adorable state-to-state "moving mugs" on Etsy and then again on Pinterest.  They are pinned on my "Perfect Gift" board and boy are they coming in handy.

 

Giulia and I worked together in NYC and went on many, many coffee runs together so I knew as soon as she told me about her happy news that her engagement/relocation gift would have something to do with coffee.  Giulia was born in Italy so she has an appreciation (more like obsession) of coffee like no one I've ever met.

Since I'm on a budget (who isn't) and one of the purposes of this blog is to see how many DIY projects I can get myself into, I decided to try and replicate these mugs for Giulia and Marco (her fiancé), with my own twist of course.

So here it is, step-by-step instructions (including some tips I learned along the way). 

1. Purchase 2 plain white mugs.  (The Dollar Tree - I bought 4 just in case I messed up.  I'm glad I bought 4).
2. Get your supplies ready - all you need is a pencil, a fine point black Sharpie, a regular black Sharpie, a regular red Sharpie, print-outs of the cities (or states or countries) you want to draw on the mugs.
   
3. The hard part - Draw on the mugs.  I decided to draw the NYC skyline and the London skyline because I'm pretty artistic.  But if you're lacking in those skills, you can always draw a simple outline of the state or country.  I used pencil first.  Don't worry if you mess up using the pencil or even the Sharpie.  **TIP - Don't use a regular pencil eraser on the mugs.  If you want to "erase" you pencil, simply use a damp tissue.  If you want to "erase" you Sharpie, take a Q-tip and dip it in alcohol.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. "Bake" the mugs in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.  This ensures that your beautiful artwork will remain permanent and dishwasher safe.
   
5. Remove the mugs from the oven (with an oven mitt!) and allow them to cool.  YOU DID IT!

Here's a couple quick videos of the mugs so you can have a 360 view:

I'll let you know how Giulia likes her home-made gifts.  I have a feeling the message, "Home is where the heart coffee is", will make her smile.  And isn't that what gift-giving is all about?

As always, if you'd like me to make these for you, I can customize it to any country, state, city, town... email me at backyardbridenj@gmail.com.  I'm planning on opening up an Etsy shop soon so stay tuned for that!

For the Couple Who Loves to Spoon

Confession - I'm addicted to Pinterest.  Like seriously addicted.  But here's another confession - I haven't even attempted about 99% of my pins.  Especially the ones on my "Craft-tastic" board.  While I consider myself a crafty person, I also consider myself a busy person and the last time I checked - busy people don't have time for arts and crafts.

Not the case with this adorable DIY gift I recently made for a bride-to-be.  I wanted to give her a silly little gift at her bachelorette party, especially since I can't make it to her destination wedding.  She and her fiancé just purchased a beautiful new home and I was racking my brain trying to come up with a gift that would be suitable for a housewarming/happy-bachelorette-party.  Pinterest to the rescue! 

I went to The Dollar Tree for most of my supplies; the others I had left-over from my wedding:

• Large silver spoon
• Small silver spoon
• 8" x 10" frame
• Burlap
• Twine
• Sharpie marker
• Pencil
• Hot glue gun/glue sticks

Ready to get my craft on.





1. I removed the glass from the frame and set it aside.  I ended up using it as a straight edge when I did my lettering. 
2. I cut the burlap to fit the frame.
3. I tied the spoons together with a piece of thin twine.
4. I hot glued the spoons to the burlap at the top of the frame (I used the frame horizontally).
5. I wrote out "Spooning since 2007" in pencil first on the burlap. 
6. I traced over the writing with black Sharpie.
7. I messed up on the word "since."
8. I cut another piece of burlap and re-wrote "since" and glued it over top of the messed up "since."  I actually really liked the 3D result.
9. I inserted the burlap into the frame.
10. I hot glued a piece of twine tied into a little bow at the bottom of the frame for a finishing touch.

Total cost: $4 (not including the stuff I already had)
Total time: 20 minutes
The look on my friend's face when she opened this unique gift: PRICELESS.