DIY Geometric Cup Covers

Happy Friday! The weekend is finally here! I’ve been staring at my TGIF mug all week, and willing for the week to end quickly. Have you been in that spot? I’m sure you have! Anyway, coming to the point – my mug. Now, I’m a “two cups of coffee a day” kind of person. Which means, there’s a mug on desk, at least twice a day. And many times, that coffee is lying there, for a while. As I tend to forget its existence. Which means, there are unfortunate spills, bugs flying in & hot coffee getting cold, many times. Disgusting. I haven’t really found a complete solution. But, I like to think I’m halfway there with these geometric cup covers.

Time: 20-30 minutes per cover

Budget: Low

Materials:

• Acrylic Paints
• Wooden/Cork Coasters
• Thick black marker
• Thin black gel point pen/marker
• Lacquer/ Varnish
• Embellishment (stone/button/ribbon)
• Scale
• Glue
• Magic tape/ washi tape

Steps:

If you like videos, you can see the steps here:

Or if you prefer written steps:

1. Start the design by drawing out lines, using a thin marker. We chose to make a geometric pattern, as it allows you to add a lot of colours, without mixing them up. Also, I’ve been in love with geometric designs, since I saw this amazing DIY by The Proper Blog. And have been itching to try it out!

You can choose to skip this step & proceed to the next one, immediately. Then, no ink lines will show on the design. But, if it’s your first time masking (that’s what this technique is called), I would recommend adding the lines.

Decide what colours you would like to use & how they are going to be placed on the cover. We chose red, yellow & purple, and made three sections per colour.

2. Next, stick the tape on the edges of the pattern. It needs to be stuck in a way that, only the sections used for the first colour are seen. For best results, stick them in straight lines & press them firmly onto the cover. Ideally, you should have geometric shapes created on the surface.

3. Paint within the spaces left, using the first colour. It’s best to start with the darkest colour & then work your way, to the lightest. So, we painted the purple first & let it dry completely. After the paint has dried (should take 5 minutes with acrylic paint), carefully peel off the tape. It’s important that the paint dry. Otherwise, it will spread over the edges.

4. Repeat step 3 for the other two colours. You can reuse the same tape, as the paint dries on the tape. It’s just a waste of tape to use fresh pieces every time. But, you should definitely take a few minutes more & really let the paint dry. Or, it will mix up.

5. For the next step, you need a thin marker. To highlight the lines drawn. We variated the lines between thick & thin to give the design more depth. For the finishing touch, we colored the rim, black. You can choose to colour the base, but it’s not necessary.

6. Keep a cloth over your face & spray a light layer of varnish on top of the painted coaster. This makes it smoother & protects it from spills. An alternate is to use clear top coat of nail polish or lacquer, if you have it at home. After the spray dries, you’ll be able to see a slight shine on top of the cover.

7. Stick a button/stone or any medium sized embellishment in the centre of the cover. To make it easy to pick up. We used these small dull gold stones we had at home, as the colour blends well with the design.

Voila! Your cover is ready to save your coffee (or tea, whatever you prefer) from getting cold, swimming insects & spilling over completely. We think it’s a pretty neat gift, to give!

However, there are certain things you should keep in mind:

• Put the tape in straight lines & press it very well. Or the paint will seep out.
• Don’t use any water. The thicker the paint, the better.
• Let the paint dry at every stage. I’ve tried hurrying it up, & I’ve messed it up every single time.
• Don’t use regular tape. The paint won’t dry off & can spread onto the cover.

How do you like our cup covers? Let us know, what design you would have made on it!