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Can You Use Printable Vinyl On Coffee Mugs?

Yes, there are many ways you can use to print vinyl on your favorite coffee mugs.

Can You Use Printable Vinyl On Coffee Mugs?

It’s time to make vinyl mugs. Before applying it, you must get all of the air bubbles out of your lettering. The best way to do this is by using a squeegee.

You can use any kind, but we find that the rubber ones work best for a variety of reasons, including their ability to pick up printable vinyl decals easily and their ability to leave less residue on your vinyl mugs, so you don’t have any problems when applying it again later if you need another piece or two.

Once you’re ready with your stencils and stickers on top of your mugs (and have removed any air bubbles), apply a safe sealer over them carefully and evenly until each piece has been covered entirely in sealant.

Let these sit overnight before moving forward with curing them in an oven!

Learn how to make a Cricut mug by applying vinyl and sealing it with Mod Podge for a washable, long-lasting mug!

Making a Cricut mug is a great way to personalize an item that you use every day. They also make great gifts! To get started, gather your materials and tools.

You’ll need the Cricut Explore machine, some adhesive vinyl (we used white), Mod Podge (or any decoupage medium), a knife or Exacto knife, and paper towels or rags to clean up any messes as you go along.

Color vinyl is also available in the market. In addition to it, you can also find printable inkjet vinyl or printable vinyl sticker.

Once you have all of these items ready to go, place the mug on top of non-stick craft matting so that it doesn’t move during cutting or when applying the adhesive vinyl later in this project.

Next, cut out your desired image using the computer software connected with your Cricut machine.*

  • Note: The “Cricut Maker” is no longer available for purchase from Cricut but can still be used with designs created on other machines such as “Cricut Explore Air 2” or “Cricut Expression 2”.

Materials to Create a Vinyl Design on a Cricut Mug

Before you begin, you will need the following materials:

  • Cricut machine and Cricut design space
  • Adhesive vinyl (choose a design you like)
  • Mod Podge (or any other glue that works for you)
  • Mug for your design (you can also use glass or other surfaces)

Here are the steps to create your custom mug with the Cricut EasyPress.

Materials For The Process Of Vinyl Sealing

To get started, you will need:

  • A SVG vinyl decal or design of your choice [can be SVG file].
  • Mod Podge to apply the decal to your mug. This can be found in most craft stores or online here.
  • Scissors for cutting out the vinyl design and protecting yourself from sharp edges (and other things!)
  • An iron and ironing board if you have one available (you can also use a heavy-duty stapler if you don’t have an iron)

Step 1: Tools

To use your Cricut Maker to cut vinyl, you’ll need:

  • A Cricut machine (we’re using the Cricut Maker)
  • Vinyl to cut (you can find tons of designs on the Etsy marketplace!)
  • Transfer tape for your device (we recommend this kind)
  • Cutting mat for your device (this is what we’re using in this tutorial!)
  • Cricut cutting blade or replacement blades for your machine

You may also want some additional supplies:

  • A blade cover just in case things get messy!

Step 2: Cut Out Your Vinyl

To apply the vinyl, you need to cut it out first. This is done with a cutting machine; you can use a craft knife if you don’t have access to one of these machines.

After cutting around the design, you’ll need to weed (or “weed” in printmaking terminology) your design so that only the areas that are supposed to be printed remain on the sheet.

Once this has been done, place your template on top of your mug with its sticky back facing down and peel off the paper backing from the vinyl sheet.

Press down firmly on top of it using even pressure for all parts of your design to get transferred onto your mug in crisp detail.

Ensure each side is completely covered with an even layer before removing its protective covering! If desired, you can use an iron or heat press machine; make sure whatever method is used will not melt off any plastic or rubber parts on either side of said mugs before proceeding further into this step-by-step guide!

Once everything has been appropriately covered, both sides’ protective layers are removed beforehand, as stated above.

You should now remove those two pieces altogether, leaving only those images printed directly onto those surfaces! 

Step 3: Weed Your Vinyl

You’ll need to weed the adhesive vinyl before adhering it to your mug. This means, in essence, removing the excess adhesive vinyl from around your design and leaving only the parts of your design that will be applied to your mug.

Weeding is necessary because leaving extra vinyl on a printed product can lead to imperfections and flaws when applied to its final surface—and we all know how much coffee mugs hate having imperfections and flaws!

There are several ways to weeding vinyl depending on what material you’re using and what kind of design you have.

In general, though, there are two main methods: hand-weeding (which uses tweezers) or machine-weeding (which uses an automated machine). Whichever way you choose will depend on budget and personal preference; whichever one works for you is excellent!

Step 4: Apply the Smooth Vinyl to the Cricut Mug

You’re almost finished!

Make sure your vinyl is firmly attached to the mug and remove its backing. If you’re using a heat press, line up your smooth vinyl with a ruler to be straight.

If you’re using an iron, press firmly on both sides of your mug until you get a good seal.

Then use a sharpie to mark where the edges of your design are on the front side of your mug before using a heat gun to cure them (this will make sure they don’t peel off).

Now take a look at how cool it looks in person!

Step 5: Apply Sealer to the Cricut Mug

You’re almost done! After applying all of your vinyl designs, you’ll need to seal them in with Mod Podge. Apply the clear sealer over the top of each design and let it dry completely before moving on to the next design. For best results, use a sponge brush to apply this coat of Mod Podge.

Step 6: Cure Your Cricut Mug

Once the Mod Podge has completely dried, and the coffee mug is sitting in a warm, dry place, you can begin to peel off your vinyl. If any parts of it are stuck on, use a hairdryer to heat them and pull them off.

After removing all of your vinyl and allowing it to cool down again, put on another layer of Mod Podge to protect any exposed spots.

Notes

How to apply vinyl to a mug:

  • Make sure the surface of your mug is clean, dry, and smooth. You can also wipe it down with rubbing alcohol to ensure it’s completely free of oils and debris that could prevent adhesion.
  • Use a ruler and pen (or pencil) to lightly mark where you want your design positioned on the mug. If you’re using multiple colors or designs, try placing them at least 1″ apart so they won’t overlap when they’re cut.
  • Cut out each piece of vinyl using sharp scissors or an Exacto knife. For best results, use a very sharp blade; dull blades will tug at your material and create ripples in your design instead of cutting smoothly through it as they should!

Recommended Products

  • Cricut Maker machine. This is the best and most reliable vinyl cutting machine on the market, and it’s also available at a price point that doesn’t break the bank.
  • Vinyl cutter. If you’re looking for an economical option to get started with, this is one of the best vinyl cutters out there (it’s also great if you want to do signs or labels).
  • Vinyl mat and cutter. Some mats come with their cutters, but some don’t—and even if yours does, it might be worth getting an extra mat so that multiple people can use your craft station at once without having to worry about switching tools back and forth or having someone else’s sticky residue on your project just because they used your cutter last week when they were making something else!
  • Mod Podge brand glue sticks (available in many colors!). This glue brand has been around for years now; we’ve tried different types from other manufacturers but keep coming back here because nothing compares when it comes down to quality control standards (which are much higher than other companies products). In general, though: vinyl decal sticks will work well for you!
Ellie Patchen

Ellie Patchen

I love a good cup of coffee on Monday mornings for that pick-me-up, also love them in the afternoon, and on Tuesdays. In fact, it's fair to say that I love coffee all day everyday! So much so that I created a whole site to blog about it, answer questions and to just have a place for my frequent ramblings on the wonder that is.. coffee!

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