Personalized Coffee Mugs

I love coffee. If I could, I would drink it constantly. From my coffee-loving point of view, I think that cup holders in cars and the non-spill coffee mugs that fit in them are two of the greatest inventions of our times. They make it possible to have a second cup of coffee and still arrive at work on time, without coffee stains on my clothes. I also love scrapping, so imagine my excitement when I discovered spill-proof coffee mugs that can be personalized like a scrapbook page.

I first discovered these at a national coffee chain several years ago. I believe there are other stores that sell them as well. The basic concept is that you screw off the bottom and pull out a template which you decorate and slide back in. Then you screw the bottom back on and you have a personalized coffee mug, a great gift for any coffee lover. Although they are not dishwasher-safe, these mugs are waterproof and durable. My experience is that they can endure several years of daily coffee drinking and hand washing without a problem.

I have made many of these mugs and the biggest limit that I have faced is that the finished insert has to be quite flat. In particular, I have found two layers of paper to be the maximum. When I have used more than that, I found that corners of the paper got bent while sliding into the mug. Here are several techniques that I have used with success:

1. Frame the photos digitally. For the first mug I made, I made a simple collage and adhered the photos directly onto the template provided. Since I didn't have the thickness available for paper mats, I created mats digitally using software that I had at the time.
   
   
2. Trace the template onto patterned paper. In this case, I traced the template provided onto the back of a simple patterned paper and cut it out. I then decorated it directly with photos and words. I chose a flimsy patterned paper rather than a cardstock to keep the insert as thin as possible. Even so, I found that matting the photos made it too thick and caused corners to bend when I slid it in.
   
   One important tip is to make sure you use good adhesive across the top of any element and get as close to the edges as you can. This will help it slide in better.
   
   
3. Make a digital insert. I am not a digital scrapper but I found that this was a great way to decorate the mug insert. I scanned the template and then I traced it digitally to form an outline. I used PowerPoint because it is software that I am familiar with, but this can be done with a variety of software packages. I then added photos and elements while keeping my outline in the front.

Note that I needed to tilt the photos to align with the outlined template such that they would be straight when the mug was finished. Once I was happy with the results, I printed it onto photo paper and cut along the outline. This easily slid into the mug and has the advantage of being replaceable if anything ever happens to it.

I have found that these mugs are great gifts for anyone who likes coffee and spends a lot of time in the car such as commuting dads or retired grandparents who drive around the country in their motor home. They would also make a great gift for a coffee-drinking scrapper who worries about spilling coffee on her work. Next time you need a gift for a coffee lover, consider making one of these personalized mugs.