First of all, we will answer this question to make it clear once and for all. Yes, you can bake acrylic paint on ceramic mugs and plates, as well as on other items. As for the method of baking, there are two main options:
Acrylic mug painting turotial from Artistro
Start your morning with a cup of invigorating coffee and motivating wishes! Write your favorite slogan with acrylic paint on ceramic mug and go for it!
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Hello artists! We all know that the best gift is handmade. Today we want to show you how you can create this amazing painted mug with Artistro acrylic paint pens.
Acrylic paint pens look amazing on ceramic mugs! The paint will be permanent after baking. Let’s start!
For this acrylic mug painting project you will need:
Don’t forget to learn 100+ new rock painting ideas with us later!
How to paint a mug with acrylic paint pens
Step 1. Prepare the mug. It must be clean and dry.
Step 2. With the silver paint pens, add flowers and leaves. Check out these 100+ easy things to draw for inspiration.
Step 3. Continue to draw the flowers.
Step 4. With the gold paint pen, add a quote. You can add any phrase of your choice.
Done! You did a great job! Be sure to check out our painting on stones step by step guide later.
How to seal acrylic paint on coffee mugs
Here are instructions for how to make the paint on the mug permanent:
✅ Make sure that the surface is thoroughly clean, use rubbing alcohol. Don’t forget to remove all price stickers; otherwise, they will burn when you bake the mug.
✅Also make sure there are no things made of flammable materials attached things to the cup or glass, so it doesn’t catch on fire!
✅ Once you are happy with your acrylic mug painting design, let it air dry for 24 hours before baking. This will ensure proper adhesion of the design to the surface.
✅ After it is fully dry, place your acrylic mug painting project into a cold oven.
✅ Turn the oven to 350˚F (180˚C).
✅ Set a timer for 1 hour.
✅ Once the hour is up, turn off the oven.
✅ Open the oven and let the acrylic mug painting project cool down completely before removing.
Hand-washing in warm water is the best option to wash the surface. We do not recommend using a dishwasher or a heavy-duty sponge. Remember, there is always a chance to scratch the paint, so be extra careful with the acrylic mug painting project!
Supply List for Hand Painted Ceramic Mug
- Thin Paint Brush – You don’t need to be picky with this, just grab the best paint brush you’ve got. I used a short-bristled brush.
- Acrylic Paint – I chose to use Pastel Acrylic Paints for this cute rainbow.
- A (preferably) Plain Mug! – This works best with plain white mugs and also works very well with glass mugs.
- Dishwasher Safe Sealant (Optional)
How to Make a Hand Painted Ceramic Mug
Follow along with the written instructions below to make that old mug unique – make sure you read to the end before you start. Then you can come back to the beginning and go step-by-step with me.
Step 1: Clean & Dry Your Mug
It may seem like a silly thing to say, but clean your mug with soapy water before you paint it!
Oils from your kitchen, from food, or even from your hands will get in the way of the paint sticking to the ceramic’s surface. Not ideal if you want your efforts to last!
Dry with a towel and let it air dry fully before painting.
Step 2: Start Painting the First Color
Start with the outer ring of the rainbow so, if you’re sticking with natural colors, whatever kind of purple you’re using comes first.
Using one solid color for each arc of the rainbow is a good idea if you’re a beginner to acrylics.
Paint a nice, wide semicircle. The thicker your brush, the bigger you should make your first circle to allow space for the other colors inside.
Step 3: Add the Second Color
Right underneath the purple, paint a green semicircle. I think it looks nicest when there aren’t any gaps between colors but this is entirely up to you.
Step 4: Repeat Until Complete
Repeat Step 3 for the next two colors, painting the orange and yellow semicircles just inside the color before it.
If you started crossing one colour over another, you may want to carry on doing that to keep it the same throughout.
Step 5: Allow to Dry
Acrylic paint takes anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours to be touch dry, depending on its thickness, but you’ll need to leave it for 1-4 days to dry completely solid before it is safe to hand wash.
(Optional) Step 6: Seal or Cure in Kiln/Oven
For best results, once completely dry (1-4 days later), make your freshly painted coffee mug dishwasher safe with Mod Podge’s dishwasher safe variant.
Apply 2-3 thin coats, allowing 2 hours between each coat.
You can cure the acrylic paint in an oven at 350F degrees (around 180C) for 30 minutes. This won’t make it dishwasher safe, but it will keep for a lot longer when hand washing.
Make sure you put the mug into a cool oven, then turn it on.
Finished Hand Painted Ceramic Mug
Here is my finished hand-painted ceramic mug (and another simple design I did with flower petals). I’m very happy with the end result!
I’m looking forward to using these for my bright and cheery morning coffee – and they add a lovely splash of color to my cupboard!
Don’t forget to check out my top tips for this project below as well as some frequently asked questions you might have been wondering about.
Top Tips for Painting Mugs
Tip 1: Drying Time
To speed up the paint’s drying time:
- Use thin coats of paint.
- Ventilate the drying area well.
- Keep it above 64C degrees.
Acrylic paint is pretty fast drying as far as paint goes, but it’s always nice to speed things up if you’re as eager as I am to have a job done!
Tip 2: Straight Lines
The best way I’ve found to paint straight lines is to use masking tape. When I first came across this great idea I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of it sooner myself!
Tip 3: Get Creative
This really should have been tip 1.
I don’t care if you’ve heard me say this a thousand times before, but you can make it your own by getting creative!
Use different colors or combination of colors, pick any of your favorite designs, throw in some tree branches, or use different patterns, from polka dots to straight lines and geometric patterns! Don’t limit yourself to my ideas, do what ever it is that you feel like doing.
If you’re doubting your ability to make it up as you go along, move on to Tip 4.
Tip 4: Making Mistakes
Don’t worry if you make a “mistake!” See this through to the end and then decide if you like it—before curing it, of course.
Best case? You find a new way of painting you hadn’t thought of before.
Worst case? You wash it off with warm soapy water and start over!
Tip 5: Don’t Buy Expensive Hand-Painted Mugs
Hand painted mugs are so simple to make for yourself, all you need is an old mug, some paint brushes, and acrylic paints (or any of the kinds of paint mentioned in the next section).
A great gift doesn’t have to be an expensive gift! People love to know that you think about them.
How Safe Is It to Bake Acrylic Paint in the Oven?
This question is one of the biggest concerns for beginning DIYers. But don’t panic, baking acrylic paint is entirely safe if you use the oven as long as you don’t eat out of it later! That means you should only use an oven that’s intended for ceramic projects.
That’s because toxic fumes may emit from the oven afterward. What toxic fumes, you may ask? See, acrylic paint releases a chemical as it heats that is not safe to breathe in large amounts.
This is why grab a handy trick from the experienced DIYers: allow the paint to nearly dry before heating it over 90 degrees F! It will ensure you avoid exposure to dangerous fumes. In other words, the paint is not toxic if you have enough ventilation and avoid exposure later.
And of course, there is no need to remind you that you should only use oven-safe, non-toxic acrylic paint on your mugs or whatever you are painting. So make sure you check the ceramic labels to see if it’s safe in the oven. And also check the paint to see if it’s non-toxic and safe to cure in the oven.
What Is the Best Acrylic Paint For Ceramic Mugs And Other Dishware?
If you are looking for proper acrylic paint to use it on ceramic, you may find it rather difficult to figure out what brand is best, especially if you have no experience in that. To help you out, we want to introduce you to two brands of acrylic paint for ceramics that will give you the optimal effect!
Arteza Acrylic Paint Set
If you don’t know what paint to use on ceramics, try this one! Arteza is considered to be one of the best paints for ceramics on the market! Its colors are highly durable, and the set comes with all possible shades! You will get 60 colors with rich pigments. The set even has metallic shades, and the paint comes in tubes that are kept in the included storage box. Another benefit of Arteza paint is that it is highly affordable, providing artist-quality colors. So in general, this brand is ideal for kids, as well as for well-experienced artists. Plus, the paints are ACMI-certified and safe.
Artistrо Paint Pens
These acrylic paint pens allow you to draw creative designs and are fun to use for decorating different surfaces:
- rock
- stone
- ceramic
- glass
- canvas
- wood
The extra-fine tip of this pen allows you to have plenty of versatility if you want to draw more details on your work of art. And since this set comes with 12 premium-quality paint pens, you will have enough colors to work with.
Plus, the paint pens are entirely safe. The ink is water-based, and durable, and it dries fast. They also meet ASTM safety standards. However, note that you will have to keep this paint from coming into direct contact with food! This is why this acrylic paint should not be used on coffee mugs.
Well, now you are fully aware of everything that you might find useful regarding the use of acrylic paint on ceramic items. Now you know that it’s possible to decorate ceramic mugs with this kind of paint. Also, you know how to prep the surface for the paint application and how to bake the design later to make it last longer, still remaining safe for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
⭐Will acrylic paint work on ceramic?
Acrylic paint is made for canvas, but you can use it on ceramic. Acrylic works on any absorbent, rough surface. This is why painting mugs with acrylic paint is also an option
⭐Is acrylic paint toxic?
It depends on how to use it. If used on paper, it’s not toxic, But if you bake it, the paint can emit harmful chemicals indeed.
⭐Can I eat or drink from the dishware that’s painted with acrylic?
You can eat and drink from such dishware if you decorated it with the acrylic paint that’s food-safe.
Written by Melinda Sherween
Melinda worked as an art consultant and Home Designer for eight years in total. As an art consultant, she was first employed in a local art gallery in San Francisco where she was responsible for picking the most suitable artwork for her clients depending on their goals and budget. At this job, Melinda showed herself as a confident specialist and a true art lover with exceptional taste and artistic sense. Melinda is a passionate author of Housekeeping Bay and we are really happy that she is our Expert.
