How I Customize Holiday Mugs with Cricut Explore Air 2

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cricut. All opinions are 100% mine.

Last year, I got hooked on using my line sister's Cricut machine for custom party projects. This year, I was blessed with a Cricut Explore Air 2 of my own and thought I'd share with you just how easy it is to customize holiday mugs with Cricut. I gave these away as holiday party favors at my last Christmas kickback and they were such a hit! Let's get into how to make vinyl mugs with Cricut so you can get this DIY magic in your life, too.

Past Cricut Party Projects

• Beyonce Lyric Wine Glasses for Adrianne's Bridal Shower
• Custom Happy Birthday Masks for Daddy's 60th

First off, What is a Cricut Machine?

Cricut machines precisely cut designs and words into a variety of materials for craft projects including paper, vinyl, and fabric. You can make decals, cards, stickers, iron-ons, and more with them. As I mentioned, I have the Cricut Explore Air 2, which is what I used to customize these holiday mugs. There's also the Cricut Joy, which is more compact and great for smaller projects. If you want to get more professional with it, there's the Cricut Maker. And lastly, there's the Cricut Easy Press, which I also have. It makes iron-on projects a breeze and I have plans to make dozens of cute onesies with it soon, as my brother and sister-in-law are expecting a bundle of joy! I used the Easy Press to make custom face masks for my dad's 60th birthday party a little while ago.

What You'll Need for this Project

• Blank Mugs - I just grab them from the dollar store.
• Cricut Machine - This DIY holiday mugs project is possible with the Cricut Explore Air 2, Cricut Maker, or Cricut Joy. Each of these is currently on sale so this is a great time to grab one if you've had your eye on it.
• Cricut Scraper Tool
• Cricut Weeder Tool
• Machine Mat
• Transfer Tape
• Vinyl in the color(s) of your choice

The messages on the mugs are completely up to you. I opted for cheeky cocktail-inspired phrases and they made for great adult party favors but these would also be great stocking stuffers. Need a last-minute holiday gift idea for a teacher? Put their name on one of these mugs, put a gift card inside, and you're done! These made such great personalized Christmas party gifts because they cut down on cleanup for me afterward and my guests got something useful and fun to remember the occasion by. In case you didn't catch it, that's a win-win.

Customize Holiday Mugs with Cricut FAQ

If you're wondering how to put vinyl on mugs, scroll down to the how-to card below for all the details. It's really easy to customize holiday mugs with Cricut but there are a few questions that might come up, especially if this is your first project.

• How to remove vinyl from glass? If you place your words in the wrong spot or just want to change something, no worries. Use a razor blade to carefully scrape off the vinyl and any adhesive left behind. Then wash the mug and you're ready to start over.
• Can mugs with vinyl be microwaved? To ensure they last a long time, I don't recommend putting Cricut custom mugs in the microwave as this can cause the design to fade and deteriorate.
• Are Cricut mugs dishwasher safe? Cricut recommends hand-washing to be safe but this sealing step will come in handy if you want to know how to make your Cricut project dishwasher safe.
• Is Cricut vinyl permanent? To make this project really last, make sure to take note of the tips above and check out Cricut Permanent Vinyl.

I really love this easy Cricut Christmas gift idea and hope you'll make one for yourself or to share with a loved one this holiday season. And because sharing is caring so be sure to pin this Cricut holiday tutorial on Pinterest. Thanks for reading! P.S. more crafty Christmas ideas:

• DIY Holiday Photo Booth with Dollar Store Materials
• How to Build Your Own S'Mores Bar
• Make a Wine Cork Garland

How to Customize Holiday Mugs with Cricut