Watercolor Ink Mug With A Cricut Pen: Color Your Coffee Mugs

Instructions

STEP 1: GET MY FREE WATERCOLOR INK MUG DESIGNS

First, download my Watercolor Ink Mug designs at JenniferMaker.com/595. You can either download right from that link by saving the project, or download from my entire free design collection -- to find it, look for Libraries in the red bar at the top, then click either Get a Password, if you don't yet have one, or click Enter the Library. Search the page for design number 595 and click the link to download the designs.

There are two designs, one with butterflies and the other with flowers. In the SVG folder, both designs include templates that fit the 12 oz. or 15 oz. Cricut Infusible Ink mugs.

In this tutorial, I will show you how to prepare and assemble the 15 oz. butterfly design on a 15 oz. mug.

TIP: If you’re not sure how to upload, go to jennifermaker.com/svgs to learn how to unzip and upload SVG files.

STEP 2: PREPARE YOUR WATERCOLOR INK MUG DESIGN

CRICUT DESIGN SPACE

1. Open Cricut Design Space and click “New Project.”
2. Click “Upload” and then “Upload Image.”
3. Click “Browse.”
4. Select the “SVG” file you want to use. I’ll demonstrate with the butterflies template, but the steps are the same for the other design and either size.
5. On the Prepare to Upload screen, it will say “Cut image” with the design preview.
6. Click “Upload.”
7. Find the design in Recent Uploads and add it to the Canvas.
8. On the Canvas, the design will be visible with the 12 oz. template below it, and then the slightly larger 15 oz. template.
   
   
9. Ungroup the design so the design and templates are on separate layers.
   
   
10. Delete the template for the mug you don’t want to use.
11. With the design Layer selected, in the Operation menu, select “Pen.”
12. Click on the color swatch next to the Operation menu to open the Pen dropdown.
13. Select “F - Fine Point (0.4mm)” and then select the color pen of your choosing, making sure to select a color with “Infusible Ink” in the name. I’ll use black to draw the outline.
    
    
14. With the design still selected click “Arrange” and “Bring to Front” to move it above the template Layer.
    
    
15. Leave the template Layer as a “Basic Cut” Operation.
    NOTE: Other mug sublimation projects that use thinner paper include extra template shapes to cut from buffer paper to protect the inks from high heat. The watercolor paper is thick enough that you only need the one layer.
16. Hold Shift and select both the illustration and its template.
17. Click “Align” and select “Center” to move the design to the middle of the template.
    
    
18. Click “Attach.”
    
    
19. Your layers are ready to draw and cut!
20. Make sure the correct machine is selected in the top right.
21. Click “Make.”
22. On the Prepare Screen, select the Material Size that fits your paper. I’m using “8.3 in x 11.7 in. (A4)” watercolor paper.
23. Toggle on “Mirror” since we’ll use heat to apply the design.
    
    
24. Click “Continue.”
    
    

DRAWING/CUTTING

1. On the Make Screen, search for and set your Base Material as “Heavy Watercolor Paper 140 lbs (300 gsm).”
   
   
2. Change the Pressure to “More” for a cleaner cut.
3. Adhere a sheet of watercolor paper face up on a Green StandardGrip machine mat so the orientation matches the screen preview,
4. Use a brayer to ensure it is completely attached.
   
   
5. Make sure your Fine Point Blade is clean and loaded in the clamp.
6. Take off the cap of your black Infusible Ink pen and put it on the end of the pen to avoid losing it.
7. Then test the pen on scrap paper to make sure it’s flowing well.
   
   
8. Put it in the clamp as prompted.
   
   
9. Load your mat and press the flashing button to begin cutting.
   
   
10. When it has finished drawing and cutting, unload the mat, flip it over, and carefully peel it away from the paper.
    
    
    
    
    

STEP 3: COLOR YOUR WATERCOLOR INK MUG DESIGN

1. Place design face up on your work surface.
   TIP: The watercolor paper is pretty thick, but you can put scrap paper underneath to protect your table in case any ink bleeds through.
2. Take a scrap of the watercolor paper and draw a little shape for each marker, then write its name next to it.
   NOTE: This helps make sure the inks are all flowing well, and shows you what each color looks like on the paper, which doesn’t necessarily match the plastic casing.
   
   
3. Pick the first element you want to color and the markers you’ll use. I’ll color a large butterfly with Sky Blue at the wings’ edges and Sage, which is a lighter blue, inside.
   You want to work pretty quickly and complete a shape before the inks dry to get even results.
   
   
4. Starting with the darker ink, color the first section – like along one wing’s edge – just like a coloring book. You can add quite a bit of ink to the paper without damaging the texture, which will impact the final look on the mug.
   TIP: You can color over the black outlines some. It may pick up some of the black color, but the slight differences make the end result look more handmade, like a true watercolor painting.
   
   
5. While the color is still wet, use the next color to overlap some of the first and keep coloring the section, like moving to where the wing’s halves meet.
   TIP: You can use the lighter color to slightly pull the darker color into the new area, helping to blend the markers.
   
   
6. Before moving to another section, go back over the dark color with the light to help blend them and make sure you don’t have white spots.
7. Continue coloring the shape in sections, blending the colors when you want to. It’s ok if you go outside the lines a little, that’s normal with watercolor painting and handmade items.
   
   
8. You can use the same technique on the flowers. I used Orange Peel as the dark color on the petals and Sunflower to fill them in.
   
   
9. For the flowers’ middles, I used Sunflower as the darker color and Butterscotch to fill it in.
   
   
10. I used "Green" and "Lime" together, as well as "Green Apple" and "Lime" for the greenery.
11. Let the mug wrap sit to dry completely, which might take a few minutes.
    
    
    
    
    

STEP 4: SUBLIMATE YOUR WATERCOLOR INK MUG

IMPORTANT: Infusible Ink is a form of sublimation, so remember to open a window or turn on a fan to help with ventilation!

1. Place a heat resistant pad on your table.
2. Set the Cricut Mug Press on top of the pad and plug it in.
3. Press the power button to turn it on.
   
   
4. While the press warms up, take a lint roller and roll it around the surface of your mug to clean off any lint that can interfere with the transfer.
   
   
5. Make sure the inks are completely dry on the paper.
   NOTE: When positioning the wrap on the mug, damp ink can smudge onto the surface. Even if they’re tiny, the marks can become more pronounced after the pressing.
6. Watercolor paper is thicker than normal printer or sublimation paper, so taking some extra time to tape the design very tightly around the mug creates a better transfer and creates the detail we want from the paper’s texture.
   
   
7. Take a piece of heat transfer tape and fold one end over onto itself to make a tab that isn’t sticky, which makes removing the paper easier later.
   
   
8. With the drawing facing up and toward the mug and oriented correctly, wrap the design tightly around the mug with the ends coming together under the handle.
   
   
9. While holding the paper tight, attach the tape’s plain end to one paper end under the handle.
   
   
10. Bring the ends under the handle together as much as you can (there will still be a gap of uncovered mug, that’s ok) so the paper is flush against the surface and the uncovered areas at the top and bottom are even.
11. Secure the other end of the tape to the free design edge.
    
    
12. Press the tape down very well on both paper ends and the mug in between.
    
    
13. Check if the thicker paper is allowing the edges near the handle to lift away from the mug.
    NOTE: The thick paper might lift a little on the shaped ends, and any gaps can let the ink escape when the heat turns it into a gas.
    
    
14. If they are, make another tabbed tape piece, and attach the free end diagonally to the corner so the tab can reach either inside or the bottom of the mug, but don’t press it down yet.
    
    
15. Use one thumb to press the paper tightly to the mug, then move your thumb along the tape to make sure the lifted paper is smooth.
    
    
16. Secure the tape to the mug.
    
    
17. Use Steps 14-16 to secure the other three corners.
18. Look closely along the top and bottom edges of the paper and check for gaps between it and the mug.
    
    
19. If you see any, add more tape pieces using Steps 14-16 to make sure the entire design is tight against the mug.
    
    
20. With the Cricut Mug Press’s power button green, hold your wrapped mug by the handle and place it in the heating chamber, with the opening at the top.
    
    
21. Pay attention to where the mug handle is and make sure the heat plate appears to be covering all of your design.
    TIP: I usually move my handle a bit to the left rather than center it.
22. Close the clamp on the top of the Cricut Mug Press and check that the heat plate is still covering your design. If not, immediately open the clamp, reposition the mug, and close the clamp again.
    
    
    TIP: Closing the clamp starts the pressing process. There is no other button to push or settings to worry about. The Cricut Mug Press takes the temperature of your mug and the ambient temperature of your room, and determines the correct settings for you. The little lights on top of the Press indicate the progress — an average mug takes about six minutes to press.
23. When the Cricut Mug Press is finished, it will beep at you.
24. Lift up on the clamp to release it and pull the mug out by the handle, which will NOT be hot.
    NOTE: Be careful not to touch the heat plate with the back of your fingers or touch any other part of the mug, as it WILL be quite hot.
    
    
25. Immediately place your mug on a heat-resistant surface to cool.
    TIP: I place my mug on the same mat I am using for the mug press itself.
26. Allow the mug to cool down for 15 to 30 minutes.
    
    
27. When the mug is cool enough to handle, remove the tape from under the handle and unwrap your beautiful mug!
    
    
    
    
    

STEP 5: SHOW IT OFF!

Here is what my watercolor ink mug designs look like completed!