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DIY Sharpie Dotted Cup For Valentine’s Day

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If you love giving loved ones a simple, sweet gift for Valentine’s Day, then these fit the bill perfectly. Pair with a favorite hot cocoa mix and you’re set. With just a few materials, you can make these for almost nothing at all! It would also be a great gift for a birthday, Mother’s Day, or any gift occasion, really. These little cups filled with chocolate will make a sweet (pun intended) little Valentine’s gift. After Valentine’s Day, you can use the cup to hold rings or jewelry.

Here is our version of decorating a mug,

To use a Sharpie pen to make a Valentine’s gift on a mug or cup, you will need:

  1. A mug or cup (preferably one that is white or light-colored, as this will allow the Sharpie ink to show up more clearly)
  2. A Sharpie pen (choose a color that you think your recipient will enjoy)
  3. A pencil or a light-colored pen (optional, but recommended as a guide)

Here’s how to create your Valentine’s gift on a mug or cup:

  1. Wash and dry the mug or cup to remove any dirt or grease that may prevent the Sharpie ink from adhering properly.
  2. Use the pencil or light-colored pen to sketch out the design that you want to create on the mug or cup. This can help you plan out the composition and ensure that your final design looks the way you want it to.
  3. Once you have your design planned out, start outlining it with the Sharpie pen. Use steady, even strokes to create clean, clear lines.
  4. If you want to add color to your design, you can use different colored Sharpie pens to fill in the different areas of your design.
  5. Once you have finished your design, set the mug or cup aside and let the ink dry completely. This may take a few hours, depending on the complexity of your design and the thickness of the Sharpie ink.
  6. Once the ink has dried, your mug or cup is ready to use! Be sure to hand wash it to ensure that the Sharpie ink stays in place.

I hope this tutorial was helpful! Let me know if you have any questions.

 

Have you read?

DIY Giant Eyeball Lanterns – Creepy Halloween Decoration

When it comes to Halloween, bigger is always better—and these giant eyeball lanterns prove it! With nothing more than plain white paper lanterns, a little paint, and some imagination, you can create huge, spooky eyes that look like they’ve popped right out of a monster movie.

They’re perfect for hanging from ceilings, displaying on porches, or grouping together in a corner for an eerie effect. Best of all, paper lanterns are super inexpensive (you can grab them on eBay, Amazon, or even your local dollar store), which makes this a great budget-friendly craft for big impact Halloween décor.

Supplies You’ll Need

  • Large round white paper lanterns (various sizes look best) 
  • Acrylic paints or craft paints in black, brown, green, red, orange, or blue (for irises) 
  • Wide paintbrush for background color 
  • Small paintbrush for details 
  • Black construction paper or cardstock (optional for spiky “lashes” or accents) 
  • Hot glue gun or strong craft glue 
  • String or fishing line (if you want to hang them) 

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Prep the Lanterns

  1. Assemble your white paper lanterns according to the package directions. 
  2. Make sure they’re fully open and the wire insert is in place so the surface is taut for painting. 

Step 2: Paint the Iris

  1. Using a wide brush, paint a large circle in the center of the lantern to create the iris. 
  2. Choose spooky colors—green, red, orange, or blue work wonderfully. 
  3. Don’t worry about making it perfectly smooth; streaks and uneven textures add to the eerie, organic look. 

Step 3: Add the Pupil

  1. Once the iris paint is dry, use black paint to fill in the pupil at the very center. 
  2. Make it large enough to stand out against the iris. 

Step 4: Detail the Eye

  • Use a smaller brush to add darker or lighter streaks in the iris for a more realistic effect. 
  • You can even add thin vein lines in red around the iris to give it that bloodshot look. 

Step 5: Optional Spiky Lashes

  1. Cut long triangles from black construction paper or cardstock. 
  2. Glue them around one side of the lantern so they stick out like sharp monster eyelashes. 
  3. This makes the eyeballs look even more monstrous and stylized. 

Step 6: Display Your Giant Eyeballs

  • Hanging: Use string or fishing line to suspend them from ceilings, trees, or porch rafters so they look like floating eyeballs. 
  • Stacked: Place them in corners, along stairs, or even grouped on your lawn for a spooky display. 
  • Tabletop: Use them as oversized Halloween party props. 

Tips & Variations

  • Glowing Eyes: Insert battery-powered LED lights into the lanterns so they glow from the inside. 
  • Rainbow Eyes: Mix up the colors and make a whole rainbow of creepy eyes. 
  • Monster Cluster: Group multiple eyeballs together in different sizes for a scarier effect. 

This DIY Giant Eyeball Lantern craft is quick, cheap, and gives you maximum Halloween spook factor with minimal effort. Whether you make one or a whole creepy collection, your haunted house setup will definitely be eye-catching!