You could call these tumblers titillating. That’s right. I said titillating. Who doesn’t love a good set of small glass cups that can be anything from charming votive candle holders to drinking glasses or even holiday candy serving dishes grouped en masse on a coffee table? I’ve always wanted to try my hand at glass paint (the kind that you apply with a pen and bake on in the oven) so I figured using it to create a cute little DIY holiday gift would be just the thing. Or it could be another epic fail- you never know when you start these things…
For this project I originally planned to go to a thrift store for cheap $1 glasses to paint, but when I stumbled across this matched set of four tumblers at Target for $2.50 (less than 65 cents a pop) I couldn’t resist grabbing it. Oh and I got the paint pen – called Vitrea 160 in Scandalwood Green – from Michael’s for just a few bucks (around $3 I think).
When it came to application, I just followed the directions and freehanded some seasonal designs on the outside of each tumbler (feathery spruce trees line one cup, pine needles are the chosen scheme for another glass, and wavy lines and straight stripes round out the other two cups). After allowing the cups to dry for 24 hours (according to the instructions on the ol’ paint pen) it was time to bake them in the oven for 40 minutes at 325 degrees (instructions probably vary, so be sure to follow the ones on your pen when it’s time to get your cook on). Tip: we didn’t preheat the oven and we left them in there to cool for a while before removing them, which seemed to help keep the glass from cracking since major changes in temperature can cause that).
The result was a gorgeously sweet and subtle design that feels festive without looking too over the top. In other words, we figure as far as gifts go, these cups could probably live in nearly any house without feeling too out of place (since we opted for a pretty subtle season-appropriate color scheme, and avoided more kitchy illustrations like colorful snowmen or santas- although those could be really cute if you’re sure your giftee would like them).
They’re nearly impossible to take photos of (but are very charming and even semi “professional looking” in person):
Wouldn’t those look cute filled with candy and grouped on a table or even paired with small votive candles on someone’s mantel? They could also be used to serve warm cider to guests on Christmas or even New Years (since once the ink is baked onto the outside of the glass, it’s ready to use and can even be popped into the dishwasher). So I thought they made nice little versatile homemade gifts for around $5.50 (including the pen and all four glasses). And of course they could be personalized instead of seasonally decorated (with a scripty monogram, each family member’s name, a favorite icon like a horseshoe or a heart, etc). Have any of you guys tried your hand at glass paint? Do you have any other cheap DIY gifts on your to-do list? Tell me all about it.
Update: You can check out all of our favorite holiday decor finds here – many of which are under $15!
Cait @ Hernando House says
So cute, and great timing with this, I’ve been looking for a marker like that and I always forget to check Michael’s. Thanks guys!
Alex says
What a cute idea! And I do enjoy that it’s budget friendly.
Just curious, how quickly does that ink dry? Was smudging and smearing a problem?
YoungHouseLove says
I was careful not to touch it as I applied it (it was easy enough to create stripes, zig-zags, little trees, and pine branches without smearing the designs as I went) but it seemed to dry really quickly. After the 24 hour drying period it was already very “set” looking, and after it was baked on of course it was completely smudge proof.
xo,
s
Amy says
We just did a very similar project! Not up on our bloggity blog yet (www.trianglehoneymoon.com) but will be soon. We’re using them for party favors in a few weeks!
danielle says
This may be a silly question – but how did you know it would be okay to put the glasses in the oven? I’d be afraid of them exploding…
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Danielle,
I just gave it the ol’ college try. I figured if they cracked I’d just be out $2.50, so it was worth the risk. Glad they survived!
xo,
s
carolinaheartstrings says
I love those. What a great idea. You could do so much with that during the holiday season. Great job once again!
Kari says
So fun!! Just might have to do this…
Sarah says
Very cool idea!
I have a question that isn’t related to this post….where did you find your fan that is in your TJ Maxx post (the one that’s on your ottoman)? We gotta sleep with a fan for the white noise and the one we have now is ugly plastic. Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Sarah,
It’s from Linens N Things a while back. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Vickie says
Nice idea !
You can fill them with milk in order to take good picture of the designs :)
Beth@Just{Heart}It says
Those are cute! I have an amazingly easy – and completely free if you have an old magazine lying around – tabletop tree DIY tutorial on my blog. Check it out!
http://justheartit.blogspot.com/2010/11/marthas-magazine-tree.html
Is it just how they photographed, or do they actually look there’s more than one color green in there? The pine needle one, especially.
YoungHouseLove says
They’re all the same soft green color- they were just a total pain in the arse to photograph! The first pic of the single glass is more true to life of how they actually look (soft and sweet).
xo,
s
Nikki says
I may have to steal this idea. My mom loooves snowmen, but since I am a terrible artist (not all of us have fine art degrees :P)
I think I’ll print some clipart of snowmen and trace it through the glass instead of free-handing it. Could be cute, or a disaster! Here’s hoping it’s cute! :)
Thanks for the idea!
Letty says
Love!!!
Niki S. says
Forgive me if you mentioned it in the post; but, is this a “special” paint pen specifically designed to be used in an oven or will any paint pen work? I am thinking that personalized wine glasses will be handed out this Christmas ;-)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah- it’s made to be baked on like that, so I don’t recommend using any ol’ paint pen. You can check out the full name of the pen in the post (which we got from Michael’s) in case you want to grab one of your own. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Rachel @ The Avid Appetite says
Oh my, I love this! I could see these as a great little party favor or used as a place setting at a holiday dinner table! Once again, great idea!
Beth says
Very, very cute! Well done!
These would be adorable as wedding favors, plop a tea light, napkin or handfull of candy in them at each place setting. You could put a sweet monogram on them or lovely design.
Beckie says
This is a great idea! Since those glasses were so inexpensive I might try using the etching paste you wrote about a few posts back, putting some festive words on them. We’re making a sugar scrub for friends using this how to: http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2009/11/how-to_simple_brown_sugar_scru.html. So cheap and easy I’m sure you could even use olive oil for a strict budget.
brandt @ New House on the Blog says
Going along with Danielle’s question, was the oven door open or closed?
No matter what, it would be a great cheap DIY gift for Christmas this year – we might have to take the plunge as well!
YoungHouseLove says
We closed it and hoped for the best. Seemed to work just fine (they didn’t feel like they were on the verge of cracking or anything when we removed them- although we did let them cool in the oven for a while before taking them out).
xo,
s
jeanna says
I know you said it was dishwasher safe, I would love to hear how yours did through the wash cycle! This is a great project my mind is reeling with ideas! Thanks for sharing.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jeanna,
We actually probably won’t put them through the dishwasher since we’re certain we’re going to gift them (and don’t want to risk them fading or otherwise getting less cute)/ But if anyone else has used a paint pen and dishwashed the items afterwards, we’d love to hear how they look! Anyone?
xo,
s
Kathleen says
Such a great idea! Here is my DIY gift this year, with old picture frames from the thrift store.
http://btweenblueandyellow.blogspot.com/2010/11/1st-give-away.html
YoungHouseLove says
Love it! Thanks so much for sharing the link!
xo,
s
Jessica @ How Sweet says
What a cute idea!
Ami @ beyondpeasandcarrots says
very cute!! I have always wanted to try this… on plates especially. I am always too scared they will burst in the oven though. I might have to just be daring and go for it now, like you did ;)
Sheena Schleicher says
maybe fill one with milk & take a picture.. it’ll look like snow! :)
Tiff Morrison says
Another great idea from the Master Ps!
Jenn L @ Peas and Crayons says
awwwww love it! I actually have some glass jars and a big bag-o-paint pens to try this out with! Maybe i’ll layer a few colors and see how that works out? fun stuff!
xoXOxo
Jenn
Misty says
Too cute! I bought three sets of these tumblers about a month ago because my Target had each set for $1! Can you believe it? And Jake is now into drinking everything from a glass instead of a cup..he said it makes him feel “fancy”. Hey, whatever it takes to get milk down him…
Taylor says
These are super cute! I was thinking about using your “Thanks” jar etching tutorial to decorate similar glasses for a homemade gift with the word “cheers.”
I’m posting my ideas for homemade gifts all week on my blog:
http://trimmedandtaylored.blogspot.com
If you’d like to check it out! I’m always inspired by you two!
Inez says
You may have just solved a major dilemma I’ve been having. We’re currently designing a Moroccan-themed theater room and have been totally dying over Moroccan hand painted ceramic tiles, but they’re seriously like $30 for one tiny tile. So we grabbed a box of 100 plain white ceramic tiles for $10 from a Habitat for Humanity Re-Store, drew a stencil from a Moroccan tile we found, and planned on finding some way to paint them, but we’ve been unsure because of the glassy ceramic finish. Given that it’s about the same surface type as glass, I’m wondering if these will do the trick. I’m thinking they might and I may have to run out and try some today!
Erika says
Too bad my free-hand isn’t as pretty as yours!
That’s a really good idea, and a great way to make affordable Christmas glassware.
Amanda @ Our Humble A{Bowe}d says
I love this idea. I plan to make ceramic versions of this, but I still need to find the right markers. I’ll have to check Michael’s becuase Hobby Lobby surprisingly didn’t have anything.
http://ourhumbleabowed.wordpress.com/
Sarah says
Neat! I wonder if you put a black piece of fabric in the glass, would they photograph better?
What a cool gift idea. Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
We actually tried filling them with milk, slipping paper into the glass, etc – we still kept getting an annoying glare! Might just because of all the light bouncing around in the kitchen (where we were trying to take the pics). Oh well, you get the idea! The pic of the single glass is really very true to life, it was just hard photographing them all as a group with that much accuracy.
xo,
s
Dawn SC says
I think this is being added to my decking the halls to do list this weekend. :) Looks great!
Regarding the oven question – generally speaking, it’s uneven or rapid temperature changes that cause glass to crack (well… type of glass too, but in general). So I will definitely be letting them cool in the oven before removing, and won’t be preheating the oven. Unless the pen says to, but that would somewhat surprise me. Then again, I’m not an expert, so I’ll also be using cheap glasses as opposed to any heirlooms! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Great tip Dawn! We didn’t preheat the oven and we let them cool a while and it worked! I added a little note about that in the post to hopefully help anyone else who’s tackling this project.
xo,
s
Mindy says
Hey guys!
Thank you so much for posting this cute DIY holiday project! We are all on a budget these days. Keep up the great (and cheap) decoration ideas! I hope you don’t mind, I posted a link to you guys from my budget decoration post:
http://fisilis.wordpress.com/2010/11/30/holiday-decorations-on-a-budget/
I think my readers will love this one!
xo
Mindy@FindingSilverLinings
Diana says
Our homemade holiday gifts start in the spring and summer. We pick 2 herbs and plant pots full of them. We let them grow all summer-then pull the plants and let them dry in the basement (hung by twine upside down) for 2 weeks. Then we just fill little plastic takeout containers from Michael’s with the dried herbs and pair with a jar of homemade jam! The herbs are fairly inexpensive with a $2 plant making about 5 boxes worth (depending on the herb).
Christin says
So cute! I am crafty, though not really artistic when it comes to drawing or painting so I don’t know if I’d trust myself to freehand a drawing like that. But I really want to try it! Maybe with a stencil? Thanks for the great idea and tips n/ tricks on how to do it well. :)
Vicki says
Looks great!
A quick suggestion (because you guys aren’t busy enough already ;) : when you want to take pictures of small stuff that’s hard to take pictures of you can use a lightbox (you can make one really cheap if you have a little bit of time http://www.wikihow.com/Create-an-Inexpensive-Photography-Lightbox) so you can see the pretty designs on the cup!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip Vicki! We’ll have to check it out!
xo,
s
Andrea says
When are you guys moving?! I’m currently getting ready to move, taking finals, and getting married! Egh! Looking forward to moving tips. The house we’re moving into is definitely a fixer upper too.. I’m going to be relying on you guys to help me with diy projects! Love!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Andrea,
If all goes well, we’re moving in mid December. Ahhh! Can’t wait.
xo,
s
Monica says
What a cute idea! They turned out adorable!
Ashley @ sunnysideshlee.com says
Cute idear!
Kelli says
Hey y’all!
Such a great idea! I am on a tight budget this year and this post was just what I needed to get back in the holiday spirit. Thanks so much! Keep up the awesomeness!
Kelli
Kate says
Inez – I’ve used those same pens on tiles before (a friend did her wedding “guestbook” as tiles that people could write notes on and then she made them in to a table top) and it worked just fine. The tiles were pretty shiney and they worked without a problem, so I’m guessing that they’d work on your tiles.
Rachael says
Presh! Love this idea!
Melissa E. says
I can just imagine these full of milk to really make those designs stand out. Also next to a big plate of cookies.
Katie says
Might I suggest putting some white candies in them and snapping a picture? It would make it easier to see the design. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Katie,
Great suggestion! I actually tried that… but the candles weren’t tall enough so you only saw the bottom half of the design. Wop Wop. Then I tried milk and paper but it still looked crazy. Oh well, you get the idea!
xo,
s
Amanda @geekdetails says
I love painting dishes. You can paint just about any glass dish and they won’t explode or crack if you put them in the cold oven, heat up the oven, bake, and then turn off the oven and let them cool before removing them.
I’ve done everything from glass to cake stands to plates. I’ve run mine through the dishwasher and *most* of them come out just fine. The only time I’ve had an issue is when the dishwasher was broken and stuck on a high heat rinse cycle for 1 1/2 hours…
If you mess up, you should wipe off the mistake right away. If you can’t do that and you let it dry, it can be more difficult to erase. I ended up using a glass scraper bought from Lowes to remove a design I didn’t like.
If you suck at freehanding, you can print off a design you like, slip it in to the glass and basically trace it with your paint pen.
Allison says
Very nice! I would be happy to receive those as a gift!
I’m in the middle of DIYing a family tree print of sorts on the computer. I think gifts are that much more meaningful when they’re homemade! (and especially good if they look cute too….)
Lexi says
MAXX ME!
I want decorations for my new APT and im excited to give my bf the home theater system I bought him.
melinda says
off topic… what did you have for dinner last night? ;-)
I tried to eat out of my bare pantry and fridge, but caved and got chinese take out. Just wondering if you had more willpower, or did you cave too?
YoungHouseLove says
We had burritos and frozen veggies from our list. Meh. But the freezer’s looking less full by the day!
xo,
s
Cait @ Hernando House says
You could try a circular polarizer filter to cut some of the glare when shooting glass objects, it just screws onto the end of the lens. I bet you could find a good deal on Amazon.
xo
c
Danielle says
I am totally into crafting, and this year I decided to make all Christmas gifts. This is going to be perrrfect for several people on my list! Thanks for sharing!
Sherry F. says
I love this idea. It would be an inexpensive and lovely way to dress up my mantel.
Kate says
What a great idea! I think I’m going to have to do another DIY gift round up on my blog and include this link. Here’s my DIY Kitchen Gifts post with tons of great ideas, most of which just cost a few dollars and some of your time http://katesshortandsweets.blogspot.com/2010/11/round-up-of-kitchen-gifts.html