Finding the perfect man-gift is always a challenge for me. There have been many times that I just make my husband’s favorite meal because I can’t come up with anything else. So I wanted to make him something special this Father’s Day. Something that will last longer than a few minutes. After thinking about it for a while, I finally decided on this painted coffee mug. Our daughter’s thumbprints form the shape of a heart and make it even more special. It’s perfect! Unless he drops it. Better make two just in case. I’ve seen some really cute painted mugs lately, which planted the seed for this idea. It is the perfect gift for him, because hubby loves coffee. He is a big turd until he has a cup in the morning. So I’m all about providing him with an extra special cup of coffee when he wakes up. Phew! The hard part is done, now on to the fun part!

Let’s make a special {and inexpensive} Father’s Day gift!!

You will need:

• White coffee mug
• Martha Stewart multi-surface acrylic craft paint- black
• Foam pouncer
• Adhesive stencil
• Alcohol {not that kind, my fellow wine lovers}

Start by cleaning your mug with alcohol. I didn’t take a picture of that exciting step. But here it is afterwards, all shiny and ready to go.Apply your adhesive stencil. I used my Silhouette Cameo and some vinyl to create the word “daddy”. Don’t worry if you don’t have one because you can buy adhesive letters in a craft store. Or, if you’re really good, you can paint it on without a stencil!Put a little paint on your foam pouncer, and pounce away. Completely fill in your stencil but don’t go crazy and put it on too thick.Carefully remove your stencil before the paint dries. It won’t be pretty if you wait too long. I would probably suggest that you paint your word, remove the stencil, and let it dry for a day. Then do the thumbprints. But, I have no patience. So this is when I did mine. Dab a very small amount of paint on your little goober’s thumb {it’s non-toxic}, and stamp two thumbprints at an angle, overlapping each other at the bottom, to form a heart-ish shape. I was hoping to get more obvious thumbprints, but our daughter had another idea. After trying about 547 times, this was the best I could do! Now comes the hard part. You need to wait 21 days for the paint to cure. It will be top-rack dishwasher safe, if you do. I probably won’t put his in the dishwasher just in case, but I’m still waiting for it to cure completely. By the time Father’s Day rolls around, my hubby will have two whole weeks to stare at it before I let him use it!!Um. I’m thinking of making one for myself. Is that a Father’s Day foul?? I don’t drink coffee, but I would love to have a “mama” mug for hot cocoa! I know he’s going to love it! I like to imagine him doing cartwheels every morning when he sees his new coffee mug. If this doesn’t turn his morning frown, upside down, I don’t know what will. I hope I spared you the headache of trying to come up with a gift idea for that special man in your life. Give dad a meaningful gift that he deserves. And don’t stress or spend a lot of money doing it! It’s easy, inexpensive, and extra special! Want to make all of this for dad?? After you finish your mug, you can get the free tie bunting and Father's Day card printables to match!! Go here to get them!! If you make dad a mug, I would love to see it!! Send me a picture!! Pretty please.