Have you purchased the Valentine’s gifts you want to give this year? Personalized gifts always add a nice, thoughtful touch! As a volunteer member of the Salvation Army’s Public Relations Committee, the Communications team gives each member a gift for the holidays. They are a non-profit and cannot afford to purchase gifts, so they rely on “gift item” donations from businesses and get creative with the gifts they give us. This year, they gave us a personalized mug with our initial. It was a thoughtful gift!
I contacted the Communications Manager to thank her and tell her I wanted to share this gift idea on my blog. She sent me pictures of the blank mugs and told me how they decorated them. They already had the mugs in the storage room from years past. The mugs are from Hallmark. I tried to find these specific mugs on Hallmark’s website, but did not see them listed. I did further research and found out you can make these personalized message mugs with pretty much any ceramic white mug and Sharpie’s oil based marker (not the permanent marker type). Below are the instructions on how to make a personalized mug at home. I think it is a nice gift for a spouse, friend, or anyone, and can also be used for any occasion, even a party gift. It also makes a sweet gift from a child to any family member (parent, grandparent, sibling, aunt) or teacher. The price is low, and it is a creative and fun gift for anyone to make.
If you are not a fan of do it yourself gifts, you could order a Photo Mug from Walmart (starting at $9.42). They also sell stainless steel Photo Water Bottles ($16.42) and Travel Mugs ($14.42), along with many other items you can personalize with photos. My sister gifted me the mug included below, with a picture of my nephew and me. It always brings a smile to my face! Or, you could purchase an Initial Monogram Ceramic Mug from Hallmark ($9.95). I found many of those & other mugs with personalized messages on Hallmark.com.
Most of us use mugs often, for coffee, tea, or hot chocolate! This is a thoughtful gift, which will last for years and is not expensive to purchase.
Have you received a personalized mug as a gift? Or, a photo mug?
Hugs,
Paola
PS – The story behind the photo mug my sister gave me, Today’s Cup of Happiness: Nephew. And, Reasons I Love My Career: giving back to the community through my volunteer work with the Salvation Army.
The gift came with a card, tissue paper, and a tiny Salvation Army bell.
They included the Salvation Army seal on the back. Another idea is to include the date or year the gift was given.
Inside were two bags of tea.
How to make it yourself:
Items you will need:
- Ceramic white mug
- Sharpie oil based paint marker (in color of your choice)
- Oven to set paint on mug
- Optional: stencil for special design or initial; tea bag, small coffee bag, or candy to place inside the mug; tissue paper & ribbon to decorate the mug
1. The Salvation Army staff used mugs they had from Hallmark (the marker was included), but you can make a personalized mug with any ceramic white mug.
2. Purchase Sharpie oil based paint marker(s) in color(s) of our choice
3. Shake marker before use and press tip against another surface to start ink flow. Write message & drawings on mug. You can also use a stencil. The Salvation Army staff used a stencil for the initial & colored the polka dots. Tip: Use nail polish remover with a Q-tip if necessary to remove any bleeding from the painting/drawings.
4. Allow to dry 24 hours.
5. Bake in oven at 300 degrees F for 35 minutes. Let cool.
6. Optional: Add tissue paper with candy, tea bags, of small bag of coffee inside and a ribbon on the mug handle.
Voilá! A pretty & thoughtful personalized gift! Perfect for any occasion!
The Photo Mug my sister gave me. See post Today’s Cup of Happiness: Nephew, for the story behind the mug.