You guys! Christmas came early for me this year and it seriously has me on CLOUD NINE right now!

A few months back, an editor from Justine Magazine contacted me about doing a DIY article for them. Of course I said YES and here we are today with little ole’ me in a magazine!!!

You should seriously think about picking up your own couple today {on newstands now or in the app store} but if you can’t, I want you to still be able to make these simple DIY Sweetheart Mugs for friends, family and even for yourself! Because hey – ’tis the season for gifting and sipping on some cheer, so everyone needs an awesome mug to celebrate!!! {plus this idea can be great for Valentine’s Day – so get a head start on those gifts too!}

Just follow the step-by-step tutorial below and be prepared to gift some awesome-ness this holiday season! Happy crafting {and gifting} my friends!!!

Supplies:

* PaintedbyMe Markers
* PaintedbyMe Ceramics
* Stickers in desired shapes {think monograms, hearts etc.}
* Tweezers
* Tissue Paper/Small Gifts {tea, cookies, coffee pods}

Directions:

* First prep the surface of your mugs. You will want to wash them with dish soap and dry thoroughly with a soft, lint free cloth. It is VERY important that the surface is clean and free of any fingerprints.
* Next is the designing part. Place your sticker directly on the mug, making sure all the edges are down completely and smooth.
* Now grab your paint pens. Follow the directions on the marker packaging to get the paint going. Once ready, start filling in the area around the sticker with dots, really making sure to fill in the area. Add a second color if you like. If you mess up, wipe away with some rubbing alcohol on a q-tip.
* Once you are done with your design, carefully remove the sticker from the mug with some tweezers and add any touch-ups you may need.
* Place your finished mug in a cool oven before turning on the heat. Turn oven on to 375 degrees and bake for 40 minutes. Allow ceramic to completely cool in oven before handling. To avoid cracking when baking, let ceramic heat up and cool down with the oven.
* Once completely cool, remove your piece from the oven and stuff with some goodies & tissue paper. Then gift away to a special friend, family member or even a complete stranger!

From college advice to fashion tips and book recs, Justine Magazine’s new holiday issue is the perfect tool to wrap up the year neatly and start the new one off with a bang! Take a look for yourself and while you’re at it, take a minute to meet their fierce cover girl, Kat McNamara of ABC Family/Freeform’s Shadowhunters premiering in January.

Justine Magazine also has lots of exciting things happening. . . from their newly refreshed (think red carpet interviews and lots of behind the scenes) YouTube channel, to their recent relaunch of justinemagazine.com there is tons to celebrate!!! You can also find Justine Magazine on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and even Instagram!