So, I decided I needed something bright on my desk, and my old tea cup was looking pretty sad. Thought I’d try making my own colorful one.
Getting Started
First step, obviously, was getting a cup. Didn’t want anything fancy, just a plain white ceramic mug. Found one easily, cheap too. Then came the tricky part – the colors. Went to the craft store, and wow, so many options. Paints for glass, paints for ceramics, bake-on, no-bake… it was a bit confusing. I just wanted something that wouldn’t wash off after the first use. Grabbed a set of ceramic paints that you need to bake in the oven. Figured that sounded durable enough.
The Actual Work
Got home, washed the cup really well with soap and water, like the paint instructions said. Had to let it dry completely. Patience isn’t my strong suit, but waited anyway. Then, laid out some newspaper – knew this could get messy. Squeezed out some colors. Wanted something cheerful, so went with bright blue, sunny yellow, and a splash of green.
I didn’t have a real plan, just started painting some wavy stripes. Okay, it’s harder than it looks. Keeping the lines smooth and the colors from mixing where I didn’t want them to… yeah, that didn’t quite happen. The paint was a bit thick. Made a few smudges. Tried to wipe them off quickly with a damp cloth, which kinda worked but also kinda smeared things a bit. It wasn’t looking like a store-bought cup, that’s for sure. More like… unique. Yeah, let’s call it unique.
Covered most of the outside. Decided against painting the inside or the rim, figured that might not be great for drinking out of. Let the painted cup sit. The instructions said 24 hours for drying before baking. Longest 24 hours ever, almost.
Finishing Touches
Next day, time for the oven. Checked the paint instructions again – temperature, time, put cup in cold oven, let it heat up, let it cool down inside. Followed it step-by-step. The kitchen smelled a bit like warm paint, not terrible but noticeable. Waited for it to cool down completely in the oven before I dared to touch it.
The Result
And there it was. My finished colorful tea cup. The colors definitely got brighter after baking. The lines are still wonky, there’s a thumbprint smudge I missed, and it’s nowhere near perfect. But honestly? I kinda like it. It’s got character. It’s definitely colorful, and it holds my tea just fine. Plus, I actually made it myself. Felt pretty good, actually. It sits on my desk now, a bright spot. Might even try making another one, maybe attempt polka dots next time. We’ll see.
