Cricut Mugs: How to Seal Vinyl on Mugs (2024)

Materials

• Ceramic mugs (avoid anything powder coated or textured)
• Outdoor permanent adhesive vinyl, such as Cricut Premium Vinyl
• Mod Podge Dishwasher Safe Sealer
• Foam or Soft bristle brush
• Cricut Standard Grip Transfer Tape
• Rubbing alcohol
• Design #287 – My free SVG/DXF/PDF cut files/patterns (available in my free resource library—get the password at the bottom of this post)

Tools

• A way to cut your vinyl (I used the Cricut Maker cutting machine, but you can also use a Cricut Explore, Cricut Joy, or a craft knife)
• Weeding tool
• Scraper or card

Instructions

Step 1: Find a Design For Your Cricut Mug

First, you need some cute designs for your mugs! I made some funny faces for you that you can download from my free resource library. The “I Need Coffee” faces I used in this project are design #287 or check out my cute animal faces in design #125. You can find the patterns by searching the page for the design number and then click it to download the SVG cut files.

If you’re going to cut the vinyl decals out on your cutting machine, upload the file to your design software. I'm going to show you how to do this in Cricut Design Space. If you’re not sure how to upload an SVG cut file to Cricut Design Space, watch this helpful video training series I made. If you’re on an iPhone or iPad, here’s how to download and upload SVG files to the Cricut Design Space app.

Now all we need to do is cut our vinyl! Click the green Make It button in the upper right corner.

NOTE: You should NOT mirror adhesive vinyl the way you would iron-on vinyl, so keep this Mirror toggle OFF. Click on the green CONTINUE button.

Step 2: Cut Out Your Vinyl

Now set your material. Click on Browse Material Settings and search for Permanent Vinyl.

Place your permanent adhesive vinyl shiny color side UP (right side up) on your cutting mat. Make sure the fine-point blade is loaded into your Cricut cutting machine, then load the mat in.

Press the flashing button to GO! It will only take a minute or so to cut the faces.

When you are done cutting, flip the mat over onto your work surface and peel it away from the vinyl carefully.

Step 3: Weed Your Vinyl

Once you cut out your vinyl, you want to weed it, which means to remove all the extra bits that you don’t want to transfer to your mug. You might be able to do this with your fingernail, but you might want to use a weeding tool (I do).

This is what your weeded vinyl will look like:

After the vinyl is weeded, you need a piece of transfer tape to transfer your design to your mug. So you just want to cut out a piece of transfer tape that is roughly the same size, or at least the same size as your design.

Take the backing off of the transfer tape and put it onto the front of your vinyl decal. Start at the corner and move outwards so that you don’t get creases and bubbles in your transfer tape.

NOTE: Don’t put the vinyl sticky side down on your work surface because that will just mess with your vinyl’s ability to adhere to a mug.

Step 4: Apply the Vinyl to the Cricut Mug

Clean the surface of your mug with 91% isopropyl alcohol. This will remove any oil or dirt and get the surface as clean as possible. This will make sure the vinyl decal sticks and stays stuck permanently.

If your coffee mug surface is straight, you're good to continue on. If your coffee mug surface is curved, take small snips around the edges of the transfer tape on your vinyl decal. These snips allow your transfer tape to bend with the curve of the mug and allow you to apply it on that curve without any creases.

Here's what your Cricut mug looks like with the vinyl on it:

Step 5: Apply Sealer to the Cricut Mug

Permanent adhesive vinyl will hold up when hand-washed and can be run through the dishwasher... usually. It depends on your dishwasher and how rough it is with your dishes honestly. Even when you CAN dishwash your vinyl mugs, over time and after repeated washings, your vinyl may start to peel. So if you plan on cleaning your mugs regularly in a dishwasher, you can do that by sealing them with Mod Podge Dishwasher Safe Sealer.

This sealer can hold up in heat and be run through a dishwasher. It is non-toxic, but since it is not FDA approved as food safe you may choose not to seal the area along the rim where your lips will touch the mug. I like to keep about a 1/2” area just under the rim unsealed.

To seal your mug, first re-clean it all over since you’ve been handling it and don’t want any lint or oils remaining. Follow the same process as before using 91% isopropyl alcohol.

Now, you will coat the entire mug (except the handle) because you'll want the mug to have the same texture all over. You may choose to seal only the vinyl, but just be aware that the texture may be noticeably different in the places you apply the sealer versus the areas where you don’t.

Brush a VERY THIN coat all over the mug using short strokes in the SAME direction using a soft and clean foam brush, leaving the area under the rim unsealed. For the smoothest finish, use as few brush strokes as possible, as it begins to set quickly. If you can brush it on with only one or two strokes, that is best.Let the mug dry an hour before adding a second coat. Repeat for a third layer.

Note: The Mod Podge sealer will look streakier when it is wet, and will be less noticeable after it cures.

TIP: The Mod Podge Dishwasher Safe Sealer is best used on light colored mugs because the brush strokes will be less visible than when using it on dark colored mugs.

If you don't like the textured look of the Mod Podge sealer, or really wish you could microwave your Cricut mugs, here's a better solution for you!

Step 6: Cure Your Cricut Mug

After the last coat of sealer, set your mug in a clean, dry location to cure for 28 days before using. It will dry hard in a couple of days, but do NOT use the mug or expose it to water until the 28 days are up!

(Yeah, I know, that's a long time. If you don't want to wait that long, use Infusible Ink and the new Cricut Mug Press)

Now your mug is ready! Be sure to place it on the top rack of your dishwasher and it should last a very long time over repeated washings!

Notes

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 

  Cricut Coach Playbook