Kids can use a Sharpie on a mug to be creative. This is a great way to decorate mugs with kids art. We at Kids Activities Blog are excited to see new ways to enjoy kids art that doesn’t involve adding one more picture to the fridge. You can get further inspiration on ways to decorate mugs over at DIY Candy.

Sharpie on a Mug: Kids Art

Decorate a Mug

Our kids love to give gifts with meaning, gifts that they have made, gifts with their fingerprints, gifts that they have created. Using a Sharpie on a mug with your kids art work is a great way to capture their joy and creativity. As I am practical, we also needed a way to create art work that lasts – through every dish washing. I tweaked the tutorial found at A Beautiful Mess. I tried it first on plates, only the regular sharpies writing washed off in our dishwasher. We tried it a second time with oil-based sharpies and *so far* it’s been working great! I will update this post if the paint flecks off.  This post contains affiliate links.

Supplies Needed for Sharpie Art

Kids art is adorable when using a sharpie on a mug {It's dishwasher safe!}

Kids Art with Sharpies

We broke out the markers after folding our 8 1/2 and 11 page into four smaller sections. The kids filled in the scenes in the paper sections – we picked our favorite pictures and cut them out.

To prep our surface we wiped the mugs with rubbing alcohol. You do not want any grease on the surface. If there is grease, even from a fingerprint, the paint will not cure on the surface of the mugs.

Once our mugs were clean, we put the pictures into the mugs and I traced the pictures my kids had drawn onto the mugs with the oil-based sharpie markers. The kids were excited to see their pictures canvassed on a mug.

Dishwasher Safe Kids Art {Sharpie on a Mug}

Dishwasher Safe Decorated Mug

We left the mugs on the counter overnight, allowing the paint to fully dry and cure. The next day we put them into a cold oven and turned it onto 350 degrees and baked the mugs for an hour. We then turned off the oven and allowed the mugs to cool slowly before we pulled them out of the oven. The mugs can crack if the temp changes too quickly!Try a Sharpie on a Mug! {Dishwasher Safe Kids Art} My mugs have been washed in the dishwasher and the paint “stuck” – love them!

More Kids Activities

What would your child draw with a Sharpie on a mug?  This is such a great way to enjoy your kids art everyday.   For more artsy kids activities, you may be interested in these ideas:



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9 Comments

  1. Id like to know where you got clear mugs like that also! Would they be at walmart. .. and does it usually say on cups if they can b baked?

  2. hi! can you please email me to let me know how your mugs are doing after washing in the dishwasher all these months? Thank you!

    1. If the dish is oven safe I would assume so… BUT check to see if you can bake the dish. Some acrylic dishes melt at high temps.

  3. I found these markers half off at Michaels. I finally found a white mug to try on. I wondered about glass…I can’t wait to try!

  4. I LOVE the way your mugs turned out. And using clear mugs makes them look so cheerful…I had only seen this on opaque mugs. Such a fab idea – we will have to try this! Thanks for the tute 🙂