a gift for a friend + diy = love

Buying a friend a gift for any occasion can be difficult. I usually want my gifts to be special and have meaning, but sometimes it’s tricky to pin point exactly what will suit them.

Pinterest has made discovering new crafts and DIYs sooooo much easier. Finding these crafts often leads to creative ideas for a gift. I am incredibly thankful for this. 

I love, love, love exploring the crafts/DIY section, because I feel like I can create something beautiful if I simply follow the directions listed on my computer screen. I truly adore the fun and quirky ways other pinners use materials to make the most useful objects.

When it came to picking out a “going away, I will miss you dearly” gift for one of my best friends, I automatically turned to Pinterest. Like a kid in a candy store, I became very excited about all of the gift possibilities Pinterest would have to offer me. 

In the past, I have seen crafts for a person's home. Ashley was about to move into her new apartment, so I wanted to make her something that she could use in her new bungalow.

Once I spotted the DIY painted coffee mugs, I couldn't resist clicking on the directions. Ashley loves coffee, which is something that she, my best friend Dana and I have in common. I figured if she loves the taste of coffee in Michigan, she can definitely use a mug to drink out of, and if she loves original works of art, this is will be the perfect gift!

So, Dana and I traveled to Michaels and Target to pick out our plain white mugs and Martha Stewart paint supplies. Once we got to my house, we splattered our tools across the table and began creating our masterpieces. 

Great mug shot, right? :) The mugs are from Target.

Here is how we made the mugs, just in case anyone would like to give it a shot.

Martha Stewart paint is awesome! It is dishwasher safe, which is a plus when painting ceramics or you know, the occasional mug. We used a purple and a mint green/teal color. The two complemented each other very well.

We also bought a Martha Stewart foam pouncer set and stencil set which is what we used to paint the mugs. There are many stencil kits to choose from. We chose an elegant set, which added a sophisticated but fun look to the mugs. These products and the paint can all be found at Michaels.

Applying the paint onto the stencils was very easy with the pounce set. The tricky part was getting the stencils to align with the mug. The back of each stencil is sticky, which allowed them to stay in place. Once the stencil was placed correctly, we started to paint. We stuck the pounce set into each dab of paint and lightly pressed down onto the stencil. These steps can be repeated with as many stencils as you desire! The sponge pounces are also very easy to clean up. Just run through water, and the paint is gone. I would suggest rinsing the sponge through water right after using it, just in case the paint decides to stick.

Once you are done applying the paint, you can remove the stencil quickly by peeling it off. 

And here it is, the moment you've all been waiting for. The final product...

There you have it. Simple. Elegant. Fun. 

I loved crafting with Dana. It was a very fun way for us to be creative together. What made the experience better was making this for Ashley, and being able to accomplish #5 on my list!!

Well Ash, I hope these mugs bring you loads of coffee and happiness. We miss you already. Best of luck to you at Michigan State. Rock it girl!!

Stay beautiful,

Marina