What does a DIY mug for Christmas gift and big news at Birdz of a Feather have in common? Read to the end to find out! All will become apparent when I reveal the mug design. Shhh! Don’t tell Hubs, but this mug for Christmas gift is for him.

If you think a mug for Christmas sounds too simple, think again—this everyday item can be turned into the most memorable and creative gift under the tree. When you DIY a mug gift, it’s even more meaningful because it can be personalized, filled, and made into something truly unforgettable.

Cool Things You Can Learn at the Library

It never even occurred to me to make a DIY personalized mug until a few weeks ago when Hubs was at our local library and picked up the latest edition of the ‘What’s On’ booklet.

As I leafed through the pages, I saw that ‘Hot Beverage Mugs’ and ‘Holiday Cookie Stencils’ as being taught at our own library, not even 5 minutes away! I couldn’t sign up fast enough. I’ve always wanted to learn more about how to design for the Cricut Mug Press; now I had an opportunity to try it out for practically free (registration was only $5)! 

I have an idea for a holiday cookie stencil I can’t wait to try too, but that course isn’t for another few weeks. In the interim, I have a really fun cookie idea you’ll see on Sunday for the 12 Days of Cookies.

So, if you want to learn a new craft but don’t want to have to buy all the fancy equipment just to see if you even like it, my best advice is to check your local library! You might be amazed at the types of things you can learn. Our library even has a laser cutter that’s free to use!

Designing Your Mug for Christmas Gift

I didn’t know how we would be creating our design at the library. But I played around at home on Canva in advance of the course. Canva is my go to for design, like this surface design post where we showed how easy it is to design your own custom fabric!

I thought showing up with a pre-made design would save a lot of time. Turns out, I was right – kind of. The library didn’t have enough laptops for the number of people taking the course. Luckily I got there early and nabbed one. However, the computer wouldn’t recognize the USB with my design on it. So much for preparing ahead!

As luck would have it, we were using Canva too! ‘Great’, I thought! I could just pull up my design right from Canva. But, unfortunately, I could not remember my password. So I had to create a new profile on Canva and start from scratch.

Challenges aside, here are some of my best tips for sublimating with a Cricut mug press.

Tips on Cricut Mug Press Sublimation

There are two ways to sublimate a mug:

1. Use Cricut’s special sublimation paper and cut it out on a Cricut machine; or

2. Using a sublimation printer to print your own design. For the library course, we were using sublimation paper. With this method, you can skip the need for a Cricut cutting machine altogether.

You do need a sublimation printer to print out your design. However, don’t need a special sublimation printer for this method! If you ever want to make mugs at home, you can buy an Epson Ecotank printer (even the cheapest ones will work). Then convert it into a sublimation printer by installing sublimation ink into it instead of the ink supplied.

Materials

[If you’re looking for some of the things we used, we’ve got you covered (disclosure): The blue links in this post may be affiliate links. We earn a commission from qualifying purchases which we proudly donate to Alzheimer’s research. But don’t worry, you don’t pay a cent more! Thanks for helping to support our fundraiser!]

• Cricut Mug Press
• Canon EcoTank 2800
• Sublimation Paper
• Sublimation Ink

Sublimation Printing

The only thing you have to remember is to mirror your image or you won’t be able to read any text. You can do this either in Canva, by mirroring before you export, or you can also do this through the printer. I prefer to do it in Canva so I don’t forget!

By the way, when printing in colour, your sublimated print might look dull. That’s to be expected; it will come to life once heated and permanently applied to the mug.

Once you have your print, tightly wrap it around the mug and tape it securely using special heat resistant tape. You must use the special tape shown below and tape it well.  Because if your design shifts at all, you’ll end up with a blurry print.

Now it goes into the mug press.

Notice the scorch marks on the inside of the Cricut Mug Press? It’s also a good idea to add butcher paper around the mug after applying the sublimation paper to protect the machine, which our instructor doesn’t do.

Place the wrapped mug into the press; it only takes 6 minutes. It will be hot, so use a heat resistant glove or only touch the handle when you remove it. Place it on a heat pad to cool.

Once cool, remove all the paper.

Another thing our instructor didn’t teach us is to clean our mugs first with a lint roller. Specs of dust can result in blue dots on your sublimated mug. You can see an example of that here. You can well imagine how that could ruin a design if your mug is really dusty!

Key Steps in Using a Cricut Mug Press

When you sign up for a library course, it’s important to keep in mind that your instructor might not be a craft specialist. As a result, they might overlook a few key steps that are crucial for achieving the best outcome. To help you succeed, here are my top tips for using a mug press:

1. Clean your mug with a lint roller to remove all specs of dust before applying the printed sublimation paper.
2. Remember to mirror your work before you print.
3. Tape the paper well so your print doesn’t shift.
4. Apply butcher paper on top of the sublimation paper to protect the mug press.
5. If making a two-sided design, determine whether your gift recipient is right or left handed. You may want the most ‘important’ side facing in.

Remember at the beginning of this post I mentioned that you can really personalize your mug to make it special? Well, here’s our big news!

Mug for Christmas Gift Reveal

After 23 years of running the Finishing Department at our local Science Centre, Hubs will officially retire by the time Christmas rolls around.

On one side of the mug is a personal ‘dictionary quote’. Hubs’ co-workers nicknamed him ‘Ender’ because he’s the last person to have hands on the exhibits they build. Then you flip the mug around to the other side to reveal a more colourful graphic. You can see how incredible Canva is for bringing my creative vision to life – with colourful dripping paint so integral to Hubs’ line of work!

I hope Hubs appreciates the humour; I’m pretty sure he’ll get a kick out his Christmas present. How long into retirement this will still be humorous is anybody’s guess!!!! While, he may have retired at work, there’s still plenty of upcycling and crafting to keep him busy here at Birdz of a Feather :).

SPOILER ALERT: I spoiled my own surprise; I couldn’t wait to give it to him. He’s still laughing as I type this.

I hope this post has inspired you to think about giving a personalized mug for Christmas. What would YOU design? Here’s one more idea for a Christmas mug that’s Santa approved and our crochet mug cozy pattern is free!

FAQs About Mug Sublimation

Can the Cricut Mug Press be used for sublimation?

Yes, and it couldn’t be easier! Just convert a regular printer with sublimation inks and print out a mirrored design. The Cricut Mug Press will permanently transfer the ink onto the surface of the mug.

How long to sublimate in Cricut Mug Press?

Sublimating a mug in the Cricut Mug Press only takes 6 minutes. Wait until cool to remove the paper to reveal the design.

Do you need a sublimation printer for a mug press?

No, you don’t need a special sublimation printer. You can buy an EcoTank printer and covert it by installing sublimation inks instead.

Do you need to use butcher paper with Cricut Mug Press?

It is advisable to add butcher paper over your sublimation design to protect the inside of the Cricut Mug Press from sublimation ink.

Pin Mug for Christmas Gift

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