DIY Vinyl Mug Cricut Gift for Teachers

In this post, I’m sharing how to make cute custom mugs for teachers with your Cricut. This mug will be great to give as a teacher appreciation gift. It comes with a FREE SVG cut file that you can use on a coaster, tote bag or a tee. The choice is yours!

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DIY Vinyl Mug Cricut Gift for Teachers

Supplies Needed to Make Vinyl Mug

For this project you will need the following supplies:

• • Cricut Maker/Cricut Explore
  • Light Grip Cutting Mat
  • Essential Tools Set
  • Adhesive Vinyl (I used Oracal 651 and Cricut Premium Vinyl) If you’re not sure what type of vinyl to use, check out my post Different Types of Vinyl and How to Use Them
  • Cricut Transfer Tape
  • Ceramic Mug (in a color of your choosing)
  • Free SVG cut file “thank you for helping me grow” (you can grab this by signing up for the VIP list below).

Instructions:

To layer vinyl perfectly, we need to create registration marks before we start cutting. The registration marks help in aligning one layer on top of the other layer perfectly.

1. Gather supplies.
2. Thoroughly wash mug with soap and hot water and let them dry completely before using.

Preparing the Images:

1. Open Cricut Design Space.
2. Click on the “+” sign to start a new project, opening up a blank canvas.
3. Click on the “Upload” button from the toolbar and browse your downloaded files to insert the SVG file.
4. The cut image will appear on the canvas.
5. With the image selected, click on the “Ungroup” button.
6. Next, click on each individual layer with the same coloring and click on the “Attach” button.
7. Maintain the size or adjust to fit your mug. To adjust the size, highlight the image and click on the size box in the top toolbar. Change the measurement to suit your mug size accordingly.
8. Change the image color if desired to match with the material color.

Cutting the Permanent Smart Vinyl:

1. Select “Make It” in the upper right corner to proceed with cutting.
2. If using Cricut Joy Smart Vinyl, choose “no mat” for cutting.
3. Note the size of the Smart Vinyl needed and cut the length of the vinyl accordingly for each material color.
4. Choose the Smart Vinyl, Permanent from the list of options in the drop down menu.
5. Following the instructions prompted on the screen, cut out the vinyl.

How to Assemble the Mugs

1. Cut around the images with a pair of scissors.
2. Using the weeding tool, peel away the excess vinyl around the cut images and discard.
3. Cut a piece of transfer tape a bit larger than the full size of the image combined.
4. Peel away the transfer tape backing and place the transfer tape over the top of the cut images. Gently rub the vinyl to help it stick to the transfer tape.
5. Peel away the vinyl backing, leaving just the image adhered to the transfer tape.
6. Repeat for the other portion of the image in the other vinyl color, positioning the lettering so they are centered. Gently rub the vinyl to help it stick to the transfer tape and peel away the vinyl backing.

1. Carefully consider the placement before applying as the permanent vinyl can’t be removed if placed incorrectly. Position the image with the transfer tape on to the smooth side of the mug and press in place.
2. If your mug has a curved surface, clip the transfer tape along the edges to help it wrap around the mug.
3. Press the image down with your fingers to help it to stick to the mug.
4. Slowly remove the transfer tape leaving the vinyl image on the mug. 

How to Seal Vinyl

If you’re using vinyl for utensils or for outdoors like a car, it’s best to seal the vinyl to make it long-lasting. Sealing will prevent the vinyl from shrinking and peeling off when it comes in contact with water.

There are three different types of sealants that you can use to protect your projects. The type of sealant that you use to seal your vinyl project depends on the type of project. To read more about sealing vinyl, check out my post How to Layer Vinyl in Cricut Design Space. At the end of this post, I share the details on using the right type of sealant to seal vinyl mugs.

 

That’s it for this post!

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More Helpful Cricut Posts

With that, we have reached the end of this post. Please share this tutorial on how to apply layered vinyl with your Cricut buddies. Also, check out these helpful Cricut posts.

1. Different Types of Vinyl and How to Use Them
2. 11+ UNIQUE Craft Vinyl Storage Ideas
3. 5 Epic Reasons to Create Your Own SVGs