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DIY: Couple’s Coffee Set


I made this set recently as a gift for my friend Marie’s wedding. I was first inspired by an engraved shot glass and decanter set I saw in an antique shop, but I decided to change it to a French press set for Marie (who’s a big coffee lover). I think this would be a great wedding, anniversary, or shower gift. Here’s how I did it:

 

You’ll need:

 • a French Press
• 2 mugs
• enamel paint
• a paintbrush
• a printout of your words/design
• rubbing alcohol
• scotch tape


Step 1: Choose and print out your design
I wanted a fancy-looking font for my set, so I went through all of the fonts on my computer and chose the one I liked best. This one is called “Lavanderia” and you can download it for free right here. I then printed them out in several sizes to see which one looked best on my glassware.



Step 2: Tape your design to the inside of your glassware
Adjust the placement until you have it where you like.



Step 3: Paint over the lettering

The enamel paint is pretty thin, so I had to paint several coats to get the letters to really stand out. I found it best to paint a layer, let it dry for a few hours (or a day even) and then paint another layer. Tedious, I know. After I did the blue, I shifted the letter template slightly to the right and painted the black as an accent color. I think it helped the design stand out a bit more.


Step 4: Let the paint dry for specified time and/or bake

The paint that I bought (Folk Art brand) said to either bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes to set the paint or to let your item air dry for 21 days. For those of you who would like to use/gift your set before the 21 day mark, baking might be the better option here. For the brand I bought, you should put your dishes in a cool oven, heat to 350 degrees, bake them for 30 minutes, and then turn of the oven, let them cool off, and then take them out. If you used a different type of paint, check your bottle for specific instructions.


Step 5: Admire your masterpiece!
Oh, and make sure to hand wash the pieces- machine washing will eventually cause the paint to peel off.


I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! I think this same concept would be cute on a tea set, or sake set too. The paint can also be used on ceramic and porcelain, although you would have to use a different technique to transfer the design. If you have any questions feel free to leave them in the comments 🙂