How to Put Vinyl on Mugs
One of my favourite crafting projects to do with my Cricut Explore Air 2 is using it to cut vinyl to put on things. One thing I’ve discovered doing is putting vinyl on mugs. It’s actually pretty easy. Here I’ve written out all the supplies you need, as well as the step-by-step directions.
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Previously, I put vinyl on some mason jar mugs that were used as party favours for my son’s birthday party. The procedure is pretty much the same, but I have broken it down step by step here. So for those of you just starting out, or for those of you who would like a refresher on putting vinyl on mugs, this post is for you.
It all started out when I made a couple of mugs as part of a wedding gift. They were very simple. I was hooked. I needed to make more mugs!
Recently, for the end-of-the-year teacher gifts, I made a few mugs with vinyl. I found designs and sayings online and then used that idea to make my own on Photoshop. I’ve always enjoyed graphic design and this lets me play around with fonts and design.
Supplies Needed to Put Vinyl on Mugs
things you need
- Cricut Machine and tools – I used the weeder and scraper for all my vinyl projects.
- Mugs – you can get mugs from a variety of places – the dollar store, grocery stores, any store that sells dinnerware, as well as restaurant supply stores. If starting out, I strongly recommend a mug with straight sides – in other words, one that does not taper in.
- Vinyl – permanent vinyl is recommended. I used Oracle 651, but there are other types of permanent vinyl out there as well such as Avery.
- Transfer Tape – this is the stuff that moves the vinyl from its original sheet on to the mug. I’ve been using Cricut brand transfer tape and have no issues – it’s quite sticky the first time, so simply use your fingers to press it onto the vinyl. What’s nice about this brand is that I can re-use it multiple times. I have literally used the same piece of transfer tape for 10 mugs, easily! That said, I have heard mixed reviews and stories about using things like painter’s tape, shelf liner and even freezer paper. If ever I try any of those, I’ll be sure to let you know.
So that’s all you need – not a whole lot of supplies but enough to do all sorts of things.
Amazon Links
Cricut Maker
Cricut Air 2
Cricut Tool Set
Cricut Transfer Tape
Oracal 651 Vinyl
Be sure to check out my Cricut Basics post, All About Adhesive Vinyl for general information.
Step by Step Procedure to Put Vinyl on Mugs
Step 1
Choose a design. There are many designs out there – some for purchase and some for free. As mentioned, I do mine in Photoshop and then save as a PNG file and then upload it into Cricut Design Space.
Things to look for in a design – be wary of tiny things like dots. The smaller the item, the harder it is to get it to stick to the transfer tape and the easier it is to just miss it completely! I will say the biggest nuisance to me are the dots on the top of the letter “i” and punctuation, like periods. I tend to miss those.
Once you’ve got your design, upload it into Cricut Design Space and adjust the size. Keep reading, as I’ve shared my designs at the end of this post!
Step 2
Prepare the vinyl. This involves cutting it on your Cricut. For Oracal 651, I use the green mat (medium adhesive) and the vinyl + setting on the dial (the setting between vinyl and iron-on transfer). I find that the regular vinyl setting doesn’t cut it fully – it could be because my blade is getting dull.
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Once cut, I trim from my sheet of vinyl and remove the background vinyl first. This is a process called weeding – you take out all the excess or unnecessary vinyl – the vinyl that is not a part of your design. I usually start with the background. As you are pulling it off, be careful of those dots that I mentioned, and be careful of delicate lines and swirls if you have that.
Then, using the weeding tool, take out all the insides of letters and designs – like the inside of the letter “o” for instance. The final product should look like what it is supposed to be.
Step 3
Prepare the mug. The mug must be completely free of dust and oils (even the natural oils from your hands when you touch it). To do this, I simply wipe it down with rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball.
Step 4
Put the transfer tape on your vinyl design. As mentioned, if it is the first time, it is usually quite sticky, so simply using my fingers to press down works nicely. Be sure you lift up everything – again, be careful of those pesky dots!
Step 5
Apply to your mug. I tend to have a fairly good eye and can eyeball it to get it straight. I also tend not to put designs too high, up by the lip of the mug, as that is where people drink from. You can decide which side of the mug to put it on – it depends if the recipient is right-handed or left-handed and whether or not you want the design to face out or face the drinker. This is simply a matter of personal preference.
Once on your mug, I use the scraper to make sure it is stuck on to the mug completely. Again, rub or brandish those dots down so that they stick. Carefully remove your transfer paper and there you have it!
Step 6
As an extra step, I bake the mugs in the oven. From what I’ve researched, baking the mugs in a 300-degree oven for 15 minutes helps set the vinyl. The added heat makes the vinyl stick better.
EDITED TO ADD: All I did was put the mugs in an oven-safe dish, into the oven.
EDITED TO ADD: There is some debate on whether or not you should put vinyl in the oven. Some claim that it creates fumes. At 300, I did not smell any fumes. I could, however, lower the temperature. Another method would be to blast the mugs with a hairdryer – however, you can only do one at a time. I will say, however, having put the mugs in the oven, these mugs have held up well and I have had no problems, even putting them in the dishwasher.
EDITED TO ADD: I have since made some mugs and used a hairdryer to heat up and vinyl and seal it. However, once these mugs went into the dishwasher, half of the design came off. I redid the mugs and put them in the oven and sent them through the dishwasher again and they were fine. So even though they are technically not dishwasher safe, I’ve been able to wash them in the dishwasher. Some mugs are now 6 months old and they are holding up fine.
Keep in mind that the finer or the thinner the design, is going to be more delicate and therefore more susceptible to coming off. Try to keep your designs on the thicker side – not only is it easier to weed, but it will have a better chance of staying on, despite repeated washings.
Step 7
I’ve also heard that you need to let the mugs rest and set for 3 days so that the vinyl can cure.
Now they are all set for using and gift-giving! Putting vinyl on mugs is not too hard at all. I also included a care label. The recommendation that I have heard is that it is best not to put it in the dishwasher or leave soaking in a sink. Also, it is not recommended for use in the microwave. That said, I have heard stories of people putting items in the dishwasher and coming out fine.
Likely, after a while, small bits of the vinyl may start to come off. I actually started an experiment of putting some vinyl in the dishwasher – after testing it for a few months, I will write about my findings. I’ve also heard stories of people putting mugs in the microwave with no problem. I think the concern there is the fumes or the vinyl cracking? I’m not sure, but that is something I could live without. I made my care label using the Print and Cut feature on the Cricut.
For my teacher gifts, I filled them with tea or a Starbucks gift card. I think they make a really nice, end-of-the-year gift.
I have included the designs for the mugs that I made. Here are the PNGs. Feel free to download for your own personal use – just right-click and select “save as”. I’d love to see what you do with these designs – please tag me #wcoastmom in any photos that you take so that I can see them.
I also made a few mugs for a couple of colleagues and myself. I’ve never really been a “mug person”. I’ve literally drunk out of the same, plain white mug every morning for years, but I think personalizing them by putting vinyl on mugs is so much fun and so nice.
Do you have any other tips for putting vinyl on mugs? I wanted to make a comprehensive post that others, as well as myself, could always refer back to when making mugs. If you think I should include anything else, please comment below.
How to Put Vinyl on Mugs
Here's a quick summary of how to put vinyl on mugs.
Materials
- Mug
- Permanent Adhesive Vinyl
Tools
- Cricut Cutting Machine
- Cricut Weeding Tool
- Cricut Scraper
- Transfer Tape
Instructions
- Cut out your design on the permanent adhesive vinyl using the Cricut.
- Weed your design.
- Apply transfer tape to the design.
- Apply the design to the mug.
- Burnish/rub the design with a scraper. Carefully remove the transfer tape.
- Optional: put the mug in an oven-safe dish and bake at a low temperature (300 degrees) for 10-15 minutes.
- Let the vinyl cure - leave it for 3 days.
Notes
Technically, vinyl is not dishwasher safe, but I have found with the baking that it sets the vinyl quite well. Be sure to wait those 3 days for the vinyl to cure and really set.
Other Adhesive Vinyl Projects
Chocolate bar marzipan jujubes jelly-o carrot cake caramels. Tootsie roll cookie jujubes powder icing lemon drops. Pastry brownie topping oat cake chocolate cake jelly candy gingerbread tart.
Want to remember how to put vinyl on mugs? Be sure to save this to your favourite Pinterest board.
Thanks for this, it is something I want to do but wasn’t sure which vinyl was best. Have you tried any metallic vinyls?
Hi! I’ve used glitter, but not metallic – but have some on it’s way. Just make sure it’s permanent vinyl, intended for outdoor use.
When you are baking them is it 350 degrees Fahrenheit or 350 degrees clesius?
Hi – that would be Fahrenheit.
would you bake a stemless wine glass too or just the mugs?
I’ve never tried glass. Not sure if I would risk it. For the wine glasses I’ve made, I’ve just made sure that they cure for a good 48 hours. I typically hand wash my glasses, although I’ve sent them through the dishwasher a couple times and it’s been okay.
Hi! Would you heat up the oven first and then bake them? Or do you put the mugs in to heat up with the oven? I’ve heard of cracking if you put them in a hot oven cold….
Hi. I’ve done both ways – starting in a cold oven and putting in a preheated oven. I haven’t had an issue either way. I’ve used both dollar store mugs, as well as restaurant quality mugs. Technically they’re not cold – they’re room temperature.
I paint wine glasses and put them in the oven to cure. Same rules. 350 for 30 mins. Put in cool oven and turn on for 30 mins.
Yes – sounds similar.
I have been using my Cricut for several years and love it! I have made several mugs but never knew about the oven curing, thanks for that tip!
Also, the “live, love, woof” design…what font is that? And the “tiny humans” font? Very cute! Do you use a lot of the Cricut fonts or fonts from somewhere else?
Hello! There are just so many possibilities of projects when it comes to the Cricut!
Live, love woof is either Buttercup or Magnolia Sky & tiny humans is a KG font and Magnolia Sky, I believe (both on dafont).
Starting out, I used free fonts from dafont as all my items were for personal use. I now purchase fonts so that I have the commercial licence to sell items with the font.
Hope this helps. Happy crafting!
Hi any pointers on ensuring design is straight when placed since mugs are curved? Also is there a target size (height x width) that you try to keep designs?
I tend to use straight sided mugs for this very reason. However, there are many tapered mug designs and I find that if you cut the actual transfer tape (so that there are slits all around, you can align it straight). As for size, it depends on the size of the mug. Keep in mind that you don’t want to go to the very top as that is where the drinker’s mouth will be and so you probably don’t want to go to the very bottom either – I think it looks much nicer, centered. As for the horizontal length, I think you should be able to see the graphic without turning the mug, so not quite the diameter of the mug. Again, it depends on the size of the mug. When in doubt, err on the side of a little smaller rather than bigger as it will be easier to manipulate getting it on. Hope this helps.
Have you ever used the curing method on the yeti coffee tumblers? I recently made one but didn’t cure it. Wondering if it would be safe to do.
Hi! I’ve never tried personalizing a yeti cup. I have done the Swig, stainless steel stemless wine cups – but I simply put on the vinyl and then blasted it with a hairdryer and then let it sit for a couple days.
Hi. Thanks for posting. Any chance you could use an iron to heat set the vinyl?
Hi! I’ve never personally tried using an iron so I can’t say how it would turn out. I would imagine that an iron may be somewhat awkward due to the mug having a curved surface. I’d also worry that because of having to hold the iron on a curved surface, it may cause the vinyl to shift. I’ve only ever just baked in the oven and have had good success. It is the same concept, however.
I have metallic permanent vinyl on my mug, does that have any more chance for fumes when put in the oven, or is that okay?
Hello! The white mug with the Shakespeare quote was done in gold metallic. I didn’t notice any difference in terms of fumes. If you are concerned, you could turn on your exhaust fan and/or open a couple of windows to ensure proper air circulation.
As a beginner using vinyl I want to thank you for this very, very easy tutorial and downloads. I look very forward to making some mugs but hoping to find some 15-16 oz flat sided non tapered mugs to make it easier lol
Yay! Thank you. I’m so glad I could help. Yes – do make it easier on yourself and find some straight mugs. Happy crafting!
Are you using regular permanent vinyl? I need to make a few mugs and don’t have a press. Also, why does the setting go in between vinyl and iron on? Thank you
Hello. I always use permanent adhesive vinyl on my mugs. I have read mixed reviews of using heat transfer vinyl. The vinyl brand I use is Avery which is also the vinyl used to wrap cars. The setting in between vinyl and iron on is “vinyl +”. It cuts a little deeper than regular vinyl. I would try the regular vinyl setting first. Before unloading, check that it cut the vinyl and not the backing. If not, you can send it through again (as long as you didn’t unload the mat). I used Vinyl+ because it cut all the way through for me while regular Vinyl did not. It depends on the brand of vinyl, as well as how sharp your blade is. Once you know what setting works best for you you can make a note of it in my Cricut Cutting Guide to remember. Hope this helps.
Thank you so much! I’m going to make some mugs today.
Great! Hope they turned out well.
Thank you for your tips and for your instructions. I can’t wait to make some mugs!!!
You’re so welcome! Have fun crafting!
I’ve made a bunch of mugs and have not heard of the curing. So thanks. Very helpful hint.
You’re welcome!
I’ve made stainless steel water bottle designs with the Oracal 651 permanent vinyl. Once I applied cold water the bottle sweats and then the vinyl starts to peel. how can I prevent this? Should I bake them use the blow dryer or do I need to seal it with a clear coat spray?
I think the only way to prevent this is to have a stainless steel bottle that does not “sweat”. However, you could try a blow dryer to help with the adhesion. You also should let is sit and cure for a few days before adding water and see if that helps.
Hi.does baking make the edges of the vinyl less apparent?
Hello. No, the edges of the vinyl are still noticeable. It just helps make the adhesive set better.
Would this technique make say a pie plate be usable over and over in the oven to actually bake in?
Hi. I would not personally recommend this on a pie plate as it is not food safe. Plus, every time you sliced the pie, it would scratch and end up tearing the vinyl.
Instead, if the pie plate was glass, I’d recommend etching it on the underside. This way it is not in contact with the pie and it is completely dishwasher safe. Here’s some info on etching baking dishes: https://toomuchlove.ca/2019/12/how-to-do-glass-etching-on-bakeware/
Hope this helps.
I used the same oracal vinyl and baked in the oven. Then let it sit for 24 hours. I put it in the dishwasher and it came off! Super bummed it didn’t work at all!!!
Oh no! I’m sorry to hear that. I wonder if it needed to cure a little longer or if it was an old batch of vinyl. I’ve been using Avery vinyl lately which is used to wrap cars so it can withstand the natural elements. Perhaps it would produce better results?
Thank you so much for sharing! I am a music teacher and I LOVE corny jokes, so your stand png is hilarious!!
You’re so welcome! That graphic was a hit with my son’s music teacher. Glad you got a kick out of it.
Hi, thank you for the tips! This will be my first attempt at applying vinyl to a mug, so it is much appreciated. I’m guessing it is more likely to peel off during washes, but have you ever used a layered vinyl design on a mug?
Hello! I’ve only done single layers. That said, when vinyl sticks to itself, it seems to adhere well. If you try it, please let me know.