How-To Tuesdays - Making a Warm Cup

Have you seen these mugs decorated with Sharpies on Pinterest?  They are so cute and easy, and I had to try it out.  I drew up a cute little design on a mug, and popped my mug in the oven, just to find that the marker came right off in the dishwasher.  (((humph.)))

So I headed to the craft store, where a very nice kid swore that these are the right markers to use on ceramics....

Then I took my boys to a nearby thrift store and let them pick out a mug of their own.  (Yes.  I was very brave for taking my two rambunctious boys to a store with breakable objects!)  We found some plain ones we liked and spent a whopping $.25 a piece.  You can use any oven-safe, ceramic mug.

I washed and dried the mugs thoroughly, then let my little artists got to town.

Look at that concentration. 

Gotta stick your tongue out if you want to get it just right.  (The boy wears a costume for everything!)

And then a miracle happened.  They went off to play nicely together and I got a whole 20 minutes to MYSELF!  I told you....a MIRACLE!!!!

Idea book, blank "canvas" and a warm cup of tea...perfect!

I found this book at a thrift store a couple of years ago with Victorian stencil images.  (I had great plans of embroidering a bunch of these designs, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.)  Anyway, I thought it would make the perfect design on a mug.

Lots of pretty inspiration!

I sketched a design on the mug with pencil...(Can you see it?)

then filled it in with the black paint pen.

Now, the directions on the markers said that you had to heat-set the paint if you used it on fabric, but said nothing about ceramics.  So, after drying, I tested the paint, and it chipped right off.  (((double humph!)))  So, I attempted to heat set it.  (Disclaimer....the pens say that they're non toxic, but I opened a window when I put the mugs in the oven, just in case.)

I put the mugs in a cool oven and turn it on to 350 degrees.  Once the temperature reached 350, I let the mugs cook for 30 minutes, then shut off the oven and let the oven return to room temperature (a couple of hours). And another miracle....the paint set!  (I am still going to hand-wash my little works of art, just in case.)

Give it a try!  You too can have yourself a pretty new mug to send to your mug swap partner... or keep it for yourself and try this dangerously easy recipe for a molten chocolate brownie cake.  You'd think that since you're cooking it in the microwave it would be gross, but seriously...  Seriously.  It's amazing.  You will love it!

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons butter
4 Tablespoons flour
4 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons water
a pinch of Kosher salt (I use Kosher salt for almost everything)
Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream (optional)

Put the butter in your mug and microwave for 20-30 seconds, or until the butter is completely melted.  Add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, water, vanilla extract and salt to your mug and whisk together with a fork.  Place in the microwave and "bake" it on high for 1 minute 30 seconds, or until the center is set.
Attempt to resist taking a bite right when it comes out of the microwave.  It will seriously burn your face off (and it would be almost worth it).  Let it cool for at least 5 minutes, add a dollup of whipped cream or scoop of ice cream if you wish, and enjoy!

If you haven't joined our mug swap, please check out the details here.