Eye Heart Yarn (I Love Yarn) Mug Tutorial

Eye Heart Yarn (I Love Yarn) Mug Tutorial by Underground CrafterThis is a mega post as part of the virtual tour for my new book, Make Money Teaching Crochet. I’m going to be sharing a tutorial for making your very own Eye Heart Yarn (I Love Yarn) mug, along with tips for customizing it with your own images using Canva and Pixabay. And, if you’re seeing this on or before Monday, June 27, 2016, you can also enter the giveaway for the book, so read on for details!

This post contains affiliate links. Washi tape for this project was generously provided by Duck Brand.

Start with Your Rebus Design

Did you love rebuses as a kid or did they leave you confused? Honestly, I could never really understand them so I tried to make an easy one for you today!

You can skip ahead to the next section to download the same designs I used on my mug, or read this section where I’ll show you how to customize your own rebus design using Canva and Pixabay.

How To Design Custom Images Using Canva and Pixabay | Eye Heart Yarn (I Love Yarn) Mug Tutorial by Underground Crafter

  • To start, you’ll need a free Canva account.
  • Login and on the top right corner, click on “Use Custom Dimensions.”
  • When the measurements pop up, click on “in” (inches) from the drop down menu.
  • I used 3″ x 3″ (7.5 cm x 7.5 cm) for a small mug. This will leave about an inch from the top so your lips don’t touch the drawing. Click on “Design.”
  • A new tab will open up with your design. On the left menu, click on “Elements.”
  • Use the search bar to find images. I searched for “eye” in the example. You will find a mix of free images and premium images (usually $1).
  • When you find an image you like, click on it. It will appear on your custom canvas.
  • Resize and/or reposition the image. Guidelines will appear to help you center the image or position it in line with other images.
  • Continue adding images as you see fit.
  • I didn’t like Canva’s free images for yarn, so I opened Pixabay in another tab and searched for “yarn.”
  • Once you find an image you like on Pixabay, click on it to enlarge.
  • The image will open in a new tab. Click on “Free Download” and enter the captcha code.
  • Return to your Canva project tab. On the left side menu, click on “Uploads.”
  • Click on “Upload your own images” and locate the file you found on Pixabay. (You can use this to add any picture from your computer to your design.)
  • Once the image is uploaded, it will appear in the left menu just under the “Upload your own images” button. Click on the image to add it to your design.
  • As with the other images, position and resize it as desired.
  • To make an alternate version, click on the “2 files” icon to the right of your canvas. (If you hover over the icon, “Copy this page” will be visible.)
  • I clicked on the hearts image and used the “trash” icon popup to delete it.
  • I searched for a different heart image and added it to the duplicate canvas.
  • If you plan to print in black and white instead of color, change the image colors to black and gray to optimize. Click on the image you want to change and a small editing menu bar will pop up.
  • Click on the color you’d like to change and select another color from the drop down menu.
  • Once your design is ready, choose “Download” from the top right menu bar. If you plan to print your design, choose “PDF for Print.”
  • The image(s) will download as a PDF to your computer. Print these out and continue on to the next part of the tutorial.

Make Your Own Eye Heart Yarn (I Love Yarn) Mug

Eye Heart Yarn (I Love Yarn) Mug Tutorial by Underground CrafterSupplies You’ll Need

Eye Heart Yarn (I Love Yarn) Mug Tutorial by Underground Crafter

Eye Heart Yarn (I Love Yarn) Mug Tutorial by Underground CrafterInstructions

Eye Heart Yarn (I Love Yarn) Mug Tutorial by Underground Crafter

  • Apply the rubbing alcohol to the cotton balls or paper towel and clean the mug’s surface.
  • Place the tracing paper over your images and trace the outline. (For best results, tape the printed image to a flat surface using the washi tape first, and then tape the tracing paper over that before starting to trace.)
  • Once you’re satisfied with your tracing, cut the tracing paper into smaller pieces, leaving just a small space around the image so it’s easier to attach to the mug.
  • Use the washi tape to position the tracing paper with the pencil side down touching the mug. Adjust it until you get the position you’d like. (Sharpie recommends leaving about one inch clearance below the rim to avoid tasting marker.)
  • With the pencil, rub over the images being sure to press down hard on lines. This will transfer an outline of your image onto the mug to use as a guide.
  • Use the markers to draw over the outline as you’d like. You can “erase” any mistakes using alcohol and the cotton swab before it dries.
  • Allow the paint to dry. You can set the paint in the over so the mugs retain their color permanently. (Something Turquoise has a tutorial for setting the mugs in the oven.)

Give Your Eye Heart Yarn (I Love Yarn) Mug as a Gift!

As I mentioned earlier, this tutorial is part of the virtual tour for my new book, Make Money Teaching Crochet. Besides being a super awesome mug to bring to your next crochet class, it’s also an affordable way to make kits for your students!

Eye Heart Yarn (I Love Yarn) Mug Tutorial by Underground CrafterFor my kit mug, I used some stash yarn wound into a ball that would fit into the mug and some beginner supplies. I got most of these at the 99 Cents store. The yarn needles and safety pins were in a larger pack that I broke up. The mug was on sale for $1.50 at Michaels.

Eye Heart Yarn (I Love Yarn) Mug Tutorial by Underground CrafterI attached the yarn needle to the scissor by threading the eye with the safety pin so it wouldn’t get lost.

Eye Heart Yarn (I Love Yarn) Mug Tutorial by Underground CrafterIf you’re using these mugs for a class, be sure to include the cost of the supplies in your teaching fee or sell these as a kit.

Giveaway

Are you or a friend interested in using your passion for crochet to earn some side income? You’ll love my new book, Make Money Teaching Crochet, which shares much of what I’ve learned from teaching crochet locally and regionally for the past 8 years.

You can read more about the book here. Make Money Teaching Crochet is available in three editions to meet your needs.

Enter below for your chance to win a copy for you or a friend. This giveaway is open worldwide. Enter by 11:59 p.m. Eastern on Monday, June 27, 2016. One winner will be chosen at random from the entries submitted via the Rafflecopter widget to win one copy of Make Money Teaching Crochet Ultimate Printable Edition.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Make Money Teaching Crochet Virtual Tour

Follow along with the virtual tour for more chances to win! I’ll update this with links as they go live.

8 thoughts on “Eye Heart Yarn (I Love Yarn) Mug Tutorial”

  1. My grandmother taught me the basics of crochet (beginning chain, single stitch, & double stitch) when I was 8 years old, 47 years ago. In the interim I’ve taught myself the “fine tuning” as I like to call it. While it is true that I did the hard part on my own, I’ll always be especially grateful for the foundation given me by my grandmother. Without Grandma I may never have taken up crochet which has given me such tremendous satisfaction over the years.
    THANKS GRANDMA!

    Reply
  2. I learned to crochet by watching a neighbor when I was 6 years old. After that mostly self taught with the help of a stitch dictionary.

    Reply
  3. My mema “Teadoddle” taught me to crochet when I was two years old. We would sit, crochet, and drink coffee. All I could do at the time was chain and I would chain forever! That fueled my passion that’s still alive today!

    Reply

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