Give the gift of saguaro love this holiday. 

There is really no denying most of us are just a little crazy about cactus.

From dresses, to phone cases, wallpaper and the real thing; we can't get enough of these spiny plants. It's like our ultimate goal is to make everything look like the Sonoran Desert. 

With this in mind, we created a cute DIY saguaro mug that is easy to make and fun to give. 

While figuring out how to execute this craft, we thought about going the good ol' Sharpie mug route; a Pinterest favorite where you draw whatever you want on a ceramic or stoneware surface, then dry in the oven for maximum staying power.

But as someone who was sad to see their sharpied Ron Swanson coffee mug flake off into nothingness with every hand washing ... there had to be a better alternative. 

Enter the oil-based paint marker. According to the bridal blog Something Turquoise, using these markers instead of permanent markers will help your artwork go the distance. You still can't chuck your finished mug into the dishwasher, so be sure to let the recipient of this gift know it's hand-wash only.

Watch what we posted to our @ThisIstucson Instagram story for #CraftTuesday:

Cute saguaro mug 

This is what you will need to get started. 

What you will need:

• Oven set to 350 degrees.

• Baking sheet. 

• White ceramic mug. Try sleuthing thrift stores or the Dollar Tree for this item.

• Oil-based paint markers. We purchased a set of Craft Smart paint pens for $8 at Michaels. You can also get a few select colors for $2.49; in-store only.

• Masking or painter's tape. This is optional, but it will help with your spacing when doodling. 

• Teabags, hot coco packets, coffee beans, hot drink items, etc. All optional things to fill the mug with when you're ready to gift. 

Start prepping the mug by thoroughly washing and drying it. Once completely clean, begin adding tiny saguaros to the mug with a paint pen. We used gold and dark green (it looks black on camera). Remember, your cacti renderings don't have to be perfect, no two saguaros are alike. Use masking or painter's tape as a guide to help with your spacing, we found it easy to line the tape right next to our work every time we created a new row of cactus. When you're done, let the paint on the mug dry for as long as possible, preferably overnight. On a baking sheet, place the mug in oven set at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes. Remove and let cool. 

Once completely cooled, add some of your favorite teabags or hot beverage items to the mug. Wrap it up with tissue paper and now it's ready to be gifted.

Final product!

Total cost for us: $9.

Sure it's a little on the pricy side for our cheap tastes. We just couldn't say no to that paint pen set, we're only human 😭. We'll try to use them in a few more upcoming projects to get a little more bang out of our buck. 


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