Finding the perfect gift for aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, friends and teachers can be absolutely exhausting.
Before your brain goes into overdrive, why not put your little ones to work? This marble coffee mug is a win-win — a fun craft idea for kids and a budget-friendly gift for everyone on your list.
Want to give the mug to your child's teacher? Fill it up with pencils (or a gift card) and stick a bow on it. A relative? Put his or her favorite candy in the mug. There are endless ways to add a special touch to the mug after it's hand-crafted by a child.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- White ceramic coffee cups
- Non-toxic nail polish in two (or more) colors
- A disposable bowl
- Toothpicks
- Mod Podge dishwasher-safe water-based sealer
Step 1: Pour 2-3 inches of warm water into a bowl.
Note: It is best to use a bowl that you don’t mind parting with or even better, a disposable bowl or container. Even though the nail polish is non-toxic, we don’t recommend using the container to eat from after the project is finished.
Step 2: Lightly drizzle the first color of nail polish into the bowl, making a zig-zag pattern. Repeat for the remaining colors you have picked out. Drizzling lightly is the key to making this work! Don’t plop the nail polish into the bowl or it will sink to the bottom (we learned this the hard way, three times.)
Step 3: Use a toothpick to slowly swirl the pockets of nail polish, creating a “marble” effect.
Step 4: Dip the bottom of your mug straight down into the water and hold for 2-3 seconds.
Step 5: Take out of water, and put somewhere safe to dry, such as a paper plate.
Step 6: Let dry overnight.
Step 7: Apply a coat of Mod Podge dishwasher-safe waterbase sealer, or any other water-based sealer to the mug.
Step 8: Let dry.
Ta-da! Your mug is complete!
