There’s something extra special about gifts that are handmade by little hands, and these DIY Butterfly and Flower Fingerprint Mugs are a perfect example. Using your child’s fingerprints, you can create personalised and beautiful decorations on simple ceramic mugs that make wonderful gifts for birthdays, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, or just because.
These DIY fingerprint mugs are a fabulous gift and would be perfect as a mother’s day gift or for grandma’s birthday. They are so simple to make and are super cute. When the boys were younger we made fingerprint mugs every year as teacher
DIY Butterfly and Flower Fingerprint Mugs
Materials:
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- Blank cup gift set
- Opaque Glass and Tile Paint
- Porcelain Paint Marker
- Baby wipes
- Paint brushes.
- Oven (for heat setting the paint)
- Optional: Mod Podge Dishwasher-Safe Sealer
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How to make DIY Butterfly and Flower Fingerprint Mugs
Tip: Wash and dry your mug to make sure it’s clean and grease-free.
Using porcelain paint, help your child press their finger gently onto the paint and then onto the mug to create fingerprint shapes.
When working with children it pays to have everything prepared and ready, so make sure you have baby wipes to clean little fingers and decant a small amount of each colour paint into a palette or onto a plate.
For the butterflies, we chose two colors, one for the top wings and one for the bottom wings.
Transform the fingerprints into butterflies, flowers, or even hearts by adding simple details with a fine brush or paint pen
if you make a mistake, then as the paints are water-based based you can just wipe them clean with a baby wipe and start all over again.
The flowers are super simple, a fingerprint in the centre and then petals all the way around.
We made mugs and tiles. The main thing to remember is not to use the paint on areas you will fill with drink, so the outside only.
Tip: Write your child’s name and the date on the bottom with a porcelain marker for an extra personal touch.
Once you have let the paint dry for at least 30 minutes, then you need to bake them to set the colour (this will ensure they are washable even in a dishwasher at 50 degrees c). For this paint, you had to bake from cold and bring to 160 degrees centigrade for 30 minutes and then turn off the oven and allow it to cool with the mugs and tiles in it. Make sure you follow the directions on your porcelain paints.
The tiles had a cork baking which peeled off easily before we popped them in the oven and stuck back on.
For extra protection, you can add a coat of Mod Podge Dishwasher-Safe Sealer once the mug has cooled.
Tips and Creative Ideas
– Encourage kids to experiment: butterflies, flowers, animals, or even a fingerprint heart mug are all fun options.
– These mugs make brilliant gifts – pair them with a sachet of hot chocolate, some tea bags, or homemade biscuits for a thoughtful present.
– Great for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, teachers’ gifts, or birthday surprises.
– Add cute fingerprints to the bottom of the mug for a hidden touch.