Summer. I don't think I have ever been more thankful for summer. E.V.E.R.
"Why?" you might ask. "What's so amazing about summer?"
Besides that being the stupidest question in the world (because there is such a thing as a stupid question), summer is a teacher's sacred time to piece back together their sanity after having spent 9 months being a mentor, a counselor, a parent, an advocate, a professional - a teacher.
As I entered teaching, I keenly felt an enormous responsibility for my students. My job was (and is) to prepare them to be successful in "the real world." What I taught in class, how I interacted with them, counseled them, could potentially impact them forever. I'm not trying to be melodramatic. Take a minute - really think about what teachers are charged with doing. It's mind blowing.
And terrifying.
And thrilling.
And I am so stoked to be a teacher.
Now, I did not have a magical first year. I survived my first year. But, somewhere between agonizing self-doubt, drinking eight cups of coffee a day to stay functional, and smiling and nodding while feeling occasionally (okay, more than occasionally) clueless, I fell hopelessly in love with teaching. Maybe it was my students (they're AWESOME), maybe it was the little victories, or maybe it's just the fact that the summer haze casts a golden glow on my memories from this past year. I'm not so naive to think that everything will be easy from here on out. But it will be worth it, because I am going to be an awesome teacher.
So, how does one become the world's greatest teacher?
Pinterest. Obviously.
Seriously, though - Pinterest is an awesome resource for teachers. There are many practical (and impractical) ideas for projects, classroom set-up, common core resources, and, of course, teacher humor. I've used Pinterest to print classroom posters, find fun graphics for hand-outs, and to brainstorm new, exciting ways to present topics.
So, today, I give you: The Sharpie Mug. Every teacher (also, everyONE) needs a fun, personalized caffeine vessel. Enjoy the tutorial!
Materials:
1. White mug: This is tricky. If you use a mug that has a high-gloss finish, regular Sharpies, ceramic paint, and oil-based Sharpies will. not. work. At least, not well. The high gloss pretty much acts like a whiteboard. For optimal results, you need a mug that has a matte glaze. My theory? The matte finish is more porous, so will absorb the Sharpie/paint more effectively.
2. Sharpies (or ceramic paint pen or oil-based Sharpies).
3. Oven.
Procedure/Results:
1. Make sure you wash your mug to rinse off dirt, oils, etc. The ink/paint won't adhere well to a dirty or oily surface.
2. Choose your drawing utensil (regular Sharpie, oil-based Sharpie, ceramic paint pen) and draw your lovely, witty, awe-inspiring design. Since words are more my thing, I stuck to some of my favorite sayings.
3. Let your mug sit for 24 hours. This will help the ink dry and "settle" into your mug.
4. After drawing on your design and letting your mug sit for 24 hours, put your mug in your oven at 400 F (I upped the temp from other tutorials) for 40 minutes (I also upped the time). DO NOT
PREHEAT YOUR OVEN. I'm not sure why I capitalized that, but apparently it's important, mainly because it's what I did.
5. After baking for 40 minutes, turn off the heat and let the mugs cool down in the oven.
6. After the mugs sufficiently cooled, I did a "water" test, to see if it worked. Mainly, I just ran water over the decorated area and then rubbed the mug vigorously to make sure that the design would stay. For science's sake, I also scratched several of my designs with my fingernails to test the durability of the design. The only mug that withstood THAT test was the regular Sharpie mug with the matte finish.
Conclusion:
Okay, since this was a science experiment (kind of), here are my conclusions:
Thanks for playing! If you have any suggestions for me to try (because I'm going to continue to work out the kinks in this), let me know! Happy decorating!
As I entered teaching, I keenly felt an enormous responsibility for my students. My job was (and is) to prepare them to be successful in "the real world." What I taught in class, how I interacted with them, counseled them, could potentially impact them forever. I'm not trying to be melodramatic. Take a minute - really think about what teachers are charged with doing. It's mind blowing.
And terrifying.
And thrilling.
And I am so stoked to be a teacher.
Now, I did not have a magical first year. I survived my first year. But, somewhere between agonizing self-doubt, drinking eight cups of coffee a day to stay functional, and smiling and nodding while feeling occasionally (okay, more than occasionally) clueless, I fell hopelessly in love with teaching. Maybe it was my students (they're AWESOME), maybe it was the little victories, or maybe it's just the fact that the summer haze casts a golden glow on my memories from this past year. I'm not so naive to think that everything will be easy from here on out. But it will be worth it, because I am going to be an awesome teacher.
So, how does one become the world's greatest teacher?
Pinterest. Obviously.
Seriously, though - Pinterest is an awesome resource for teachers. There are many practical (and impractical) ideas for projects, classroom set-up, common core resources, and, of course, teacher humor. I've used Pinterest to print classroom posters, find fun graphics for hand-outs, and to brainstorm new, exciting ways to present topics.
So, today, I give you: The Sharpie Mug. Every teacher (also, everyONE) needs a fun, personalized caffeine vessel. Enjoy the tutorial!
 |
| Heheh. Get it? |
Sharpie Mug Tutorial
 |
| A glossy mug. Exactly what I tell you NOT to use. However, bold colored Sharpies are a must. |
So, here we go!
Materials:
1. White mug: This is tricky. If you use a mug that has a high-gloss finish, regular Sharpies, ceramic paint, and oil-based Sharpies will. not. work. At least, not well. The high gloss pretty much acts like a whiteboard. For optimal results, you need a mug that has a matte glaze. My theory? The matte finish is more porous, so will absorb the Sharpie/paint more effectively.
2. Sharpies (or ceramic paint pen or oil-based Sharpies).
 |
| Oil-based Sharpie; Elmer's Painters |
3. Oven.
Procedure/Results:
1. Make sure you wash your mug to rinse off dirt, oils, etc. The ink/paint won't adhere well to a dirty or oily surface.
2. Choose your drawing utensil (regular Sharpie, oil-based Sharpie, ceramic paint pen) and draw your lovely, witty, awe-inspiring design. Since words are more my thing, I stuck to some of my favorite sayings.
3. Let your mug sit for 24 hours. This will help the ink dry and "settle" into your mug.
4. After drawing on your design and letting your mug sit for 24 hours, put your mug in your oven at 400 F (I upped the temp from other tutorials) for 40 minutes (I also upped the time). DO NOT
PREHEAT YOUR OVEN. I'm not sure why I capitalized that, but apparently it's important, mainly because it's what I did.
5. After baking for 40 minutes, turn off the heat and let the mugs cool down in the oven.
6. After the mugs sufficiently cooled, I did a "water" test, to see if it worked. Mainly, I just ran water over the decorated area and then rubbed the mug vigorously to make sure that the design would stay. For science's sake, I also scratched several of my designs with my fingernails to test the durability of the design. The only mug that withstood THAT test was the regular Sharpie mug with the matte finish.
Conclusion:
Okay, since this was a science experiment (kind of), here are my conclusions:
- Glossy mugs aren't awesome for this project. The only thing that kind of worked on the glossy mug was the ceramic paint, and it still scratched off. I would like to further this experiment by using some food-safe clear-coat sealer...I know it has to exist somewhere.
- Matte-finish mugs are ideal and seem to hold the Sharpie ink better. I would use regular Sharpie markers, as they are odor-free while "cooking," have more color options, and are less cumbersome to use. Oil-based Sharpies and ceramic paint pens are pretty much the same thing. They don't seem to work quite as well, and they smell AWFUL while your mug bakes.
- After you have decorated a mug, don't expect everything to be peachy when you throw it in your dishwasher. Treat it like you would any other hand-decorated finery - gently hand wash!
 |
| Awesome Dr. Who poem: "In bed above we lie asleep/ While greater love lies further deep/ This dream must end/ This world must know/ We all depend on the beast below." |
Thanks for playing! If you have any suggestions for me to try (because I'm going to continue to work out the kinks in this), let me know! Happy decorating!
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