By Barb
The holidays will soon be here and time to think about gifts for family members and also those “special people” in our lives that a card is not enough but purchasing a gift to show what they really mean to us can blow your budget. So, like everybody else I usually give cookies or breads but if you figure in the cost of gas/electric for baking, cost of ingredients, gift containers and/or packaging, that cost can also add up. This list of “special people” could include people we work with, your minister, mail carrier, newspaper carrier, insurance agent, a favorite doctor and/or nurse, neighbors, those helpful clerks at the sewing store, members of your quilting/sewing/church group, and don’t forget the waitresses and kitchen staff at a favorite neighborhood restaurant. Just watching a person’s face when they receive an unexpected gift is what Christmas is all about.
Last October, I was on the computer window shopping online at a machine embroidery supply company. The had acrylic double wall tumbler and mug “blanks” that could be personalized by inserting an embroidery or picture. I liked the idea but for the large number of cups that I needed, the price of $4-$5 each made that idea cost prohibitive. I mentioned the idea to my daughter and she said she had seen similar cups in her local Dollar Tree Store. I went looking at my local store, found them and they looked like the ones I had seen but at a cost of $1.00 each I knew the quality was not the same. They had them in holiday colors of red, blue, green and in everyday black and the label said they held 11 ounces. I bought a few to try, stopped at Wal-Mart and for $4.98 purchased a yard of white duck cloth, a lightweight canvas fabric that’s firm enough to stand up. The cup label/template measured 9” wide x 5” tall and I figured I could make approximately 30 cups with one yard. I rushed home, got on the computer and found hundreds of 4 x 4 SiCK embroidery designs that were perfect. Some designs I re-sized down 5% or 10% for a better fit.
As you can see from the photo, these double wall cups consist of three pieces; the lid, the clear outer wall cup and the opaque inside cup and all screw together. As first, I traced around the paper template and used a serger to trim off the outline and overcast the edges but found that the finished insert was then too small so I cut a slightly larger template from a clear plastic placemat and drew a line across the top and bottom of the template to line up the grain of fabric. If you don’t have a serger, you can zigzag the edges. Edges can be finished either before or after stitching the design. After completing the embroidered insert, press to remove any fold lines or wrinkles using a little spray starch if necessary.
I used sticky stabilizer in my 100 x 100 hoop, folded the fabric in half to find the center, positioned it and smoothed the fabric to evenly adhere to the stabilizer. When the embroidery was finished, I pulled the fabric off leaving a hole in the middle of the sticky stabilizer and then patched the hole with a piece of stabilizer. I took care not to have more than two layers of stabilizer so I wouldn’t gum up the needle and after using the patched stabilizer two or three times I replaced it all to be sure the fabric would securely adhere.
I really had a great time selecting designs for all ages and stitching out convertible cars, corvettes, trucks, jeeps, bikes, angels, flowers, quilt blocks, animals, butterflies and any other design I thought someone might like. I only stitched one of each design but made extras so there would be plenty to choose from. Not counting my time, I figured each cup cost about $2.00 ($1.00 + tax for cup, fabric, thread and stabilizer) and I really enjoyed stitching the designs.
When the families got together at Thanksgiving, everyone picked their cup to use for the meal and then took it home. All ages enjoyed the cups and since everyone knew which cup was theirs, we had no problem with misplaced cups. This was a gift that would not only last the holidays but all year long and if something happened to the cup, it could easily be replaced. Our relatives thought they were a perfect gift and my “special people” thought so too.
Well, it is summer and the holidays are long past but I am still stitching. Everyone who sees these cups wants one with their special design and look out for classic car owners because they want “their” car on a cup. These also make great fundraising items.
If your local Dollar Tree or Deals store (same company) does not have the cups, you can ask the manager to see if they can order them for you. You can also go to the website: www.dollartree.com where you can order smaller quantities or to order a case of 48 call the corporate office at 1-757-321-5000. The black cups are listed as “Design Your Own Mug! 11 oz Travel Mug” and the sku number is 6 3927723400 1. If you have your order sent to one of the stores, shipping is free. They ship US only, no international. Have fun stitching.
Great idea! Think I’ll try it, too.
Tried to find the “Design Your Own Mug! But had no luck.
Excellent article complete with directions, photos, supply source, design ideas and uses for end result. Beautiful!!
Tried to find the “Design Your Own Mug! but had no luck….
I read your story with much interest. I also used the sticky stabilizer, and I know this is not cost efficient. but it was time effecient, that I left my sticky as big as the cup template and therefore I did not have to pink, serger, or zigzag mine. It won’t ravel with that stuck to the back. Hope that this helps someone. If your like me and don’t want to take those extra steps, you could just use your iron on stabilizer scraps and iron on the back of the template before you stick on the stabilizer and embroidery. That will keep the raveling at bay and the edges will look sharp.
You can monogram the cups too!!! I have used cups from discount embroidery blanks.com to monogram and sell… Good idea for the Holidays.
Very cute!!
I have been looking for gifts for the “special” people in my life that would not break the bank. So was so glad to see your article.
What a stunning idea, hope I can find some of these cups in South Africa
Awesome idea! Thank you so much!
This is a really neat idea!!
What a great idea! I’m on my way to my local Dollar Tree.
Great idea, when my immediate family gets together for the holidays, we have close to 50 people and everyone is forever losing their “cups”. Dishes are the last thing we want to be doing. So I really like this idea. Chris C MN
Totally cool!!! These would be great in gift baskets with a couple of packs of tea, hot chocolate, or instant coffee, and some type of snack. Thanks so much for the ordering info too! We have a bazaar coming up at school and do silent auctions with the baskets. You have inspired me as to what to do for mine….
Super Great Idea!!!!!!! Just sloved my problem of gifts for some special people for Christmas.
Thanks
Poodle Mom
I have made several of these cups and glasses. I get the at Hobby Lobby and they are less than $2.00. They also have mugs and small flower pots.I have never seen the ones with the travel lids on them. But you can bet I will be looking for them. I use really heavy pelon interfacing. I use the pictures that come with them as a guide to size and stitch my patterns. To do a tumbler for each of the women and a coffee mug for each of the men is VERY inexpensive. And the flower pots for teachers,Sunday school teachers, etc. And everyone likes to see their names on something. Only problem is they don’t screw together and don’t have lids. But you can wash them by popping the pieces apart and washing the plastic pieces and putting the pictures back in when they are completely dry. Hope you will make some these. I just love mine.
What a neat Idea
Xmas presents
Thank you for the Idea
Sadly, Dollar Tree is out of stock on the mugs. Correct SKU # is 923400, no current ETA on more stock!
Oooo! Great gift idea. Thank you, Barb. Something for everyone and all ages. Appreciate your posting this article. Best to you.
this ia a fantastic ideal and will save many wasted glasses. thanks for the ideal. family get togethers will be even more fun. thanks again
this ia a fantastic ideal and will save many wasted glasses. thanks for the ideal. family get togethers will be even more fun. thanks again
This is a very practical gift idea with the personal touch.
I love the idea of the travel mugs, I have been looking for lest expensive ones for a long time. Unfortuneatly when I went to the Dollar Tree web site it said that there was not match. Any suggestions??? Has any one else had thais problem and how did you get around it?
Thanks for the ideas. I’ve done the coffee mugs witht the inserts but didn’t know I could get the cups at the Dollar Stores…wow! I’ll be checking on that.
THIS IS GREAT, I HAVE GRANDCHILDREN AND THEIR FRIENDS HERE ALL OF THE TIME AND THEY WILL EACH HAVE A PERSONALIZED GLASS NEXT WEEK. WHAT A GOOD IDEA AND THE COST IS AWESOME!CHRISMAS GIFTS FOR TEACHERS IS JUST TAKEN CARE OF.
I love the idea! I have so many gifts to buy
or make and this one is really neat.
I am anxious to start on the project!
Thanks for sharing.
J Bucy
Newnan,Ga
Totally cool! How did you decide what design to use for who?
Thanks for sharing your source for these cups. Years ago, we had some coffee mugs a photo between the layers. It was some sort of fundraising for a youth hockey league. I don’t wash anything by hand. If it can’t go in the dishwasher, we dont’ use it. Fortunately, they indicated they were dishwasher proof but either condensation from the temperature or actual water got in between the layers. So, we purchased a tube of clear silicone, that would work with the high water temp of the dishwasher and was able to use the coffee mug for many more years.
Did you attach the machine embroidery in some way to the cup wall so it wouldn’t move or sag? I absolutely love them. I will be using your resource and thank you so much for sharing this information.
Thanks for the good information.
Love this idea! Thanks for sharing.
These are really great mugs, I would love to make some of these myself. Not sure if they are available here in Australia but I will have to go searching. Thanks for the tip.
I went to the Dollar Tree site and was unable to locate the blanks – can you help? This is a great idea and I would love to use it for Christmas.
These look so cool. Thanks for the article. I can’t seem to find the cups on the Dollar store website. Are they called something else or are they only available at certain times of the year?
Thanks,
Pam
-What a fantastic idea!!! My husband is a supervisor of the school buses and we always try to give them some little something for Christmas. Like you said, at $5 per gift, 20 gifts is $100, no matter how you figure it!
I have tried to think of everything, but nothing seemed “special” enough. This idea is great and your designs are teriffic. Guess what I am going to be doing…soon?
Thanks for the great gift idea. Lots of people are going to get mugs for this year. We also try when all the family are here for the holidays to get red plastic cups and write their names on them to cut down of the dishwashing and the number of disposable cups thrown away because no one knew who’s cup was whose. So this year they will get their own cup with their special design and their name on it! Maybe they will take better care of it, too.
Wow what a great idea and Thanks for the resourses.
What a Great idea!! I was trying to figure out what to do this year for gifts!!! I have been trying to make some type of home made gift each year because it is more economical and I know they will not already have one!!! I was all out of ideas this year, that is until now!!! Thanks!
So beautiful, I wish we had something similar in the UK
I went to the Dollar Tree site and there is no such sku #. So I tried the description and that did not come up either. I will try to call their customer support.
I am always looking for little items to place on the Christmas table for the guests to take home. Even a name would be a great thing for my uncle who has a cabin. No fighting over glasses. I love the idea of personalizing with a picture specific to each person’s hobby, likes etc.
I am off to the Dollar Tree…RIGHT NOW!
Hi Barb,
Great idea but i wasn’t as smart as you. I did buy mine from Neil Enterprises. Any where from coffee cups size to big sports bottles range in different sizes. Also they cost any where from 1.20 to 5.00. But thanks for the big tip I will check out my local dollar tree to see if they have some. I take and go to the hobby lobby store buy scrap booking paper, sometimes as low as 30 cent each. You can get two or more cups out of one sheet. Get some spray on adhesive, then stick to med weight cut away. Then I embroider a neat design on as you said to match the person. The I put it in my cups and it is easy to stand up. You can also seal your cups together using hot glue gun. One of my daughters using these as christmas gift for her childern teachers and such with a pack of hot chocolate.
Debra
Thank you for this great tip! I will head to my local Dollar Tree this week. I plan to personalize each mug with a monogram or name of the recipient. I might try some other fabrics too – like a small polka dot or gingham. You can make any fabric stiff enough to stand up in the cup with an iron on backing.
Great job Barb…. a really great idea. I am heading to my Dollar Tree ASAP…. Thanks so much.
Wow these are great, I wonder if we can get these tumblers here in Australia.
I would love to try out some designs with them, and personalize them with names.
Cheers
Marie in Queensland
Australia
Thanks to all of you for your positive comments about my article. I had some problems finding these cups too but found that the “super” dollar tree stores are the most likely to have them. The number I listed is the POP number on the bottom of the cup so I apologize for it not being the correct sku #. In researching, I spoke with the corporate office and alerted them I was doing this article (a copy has been sent to them) and they told me they were currently out of the cases of 48 but should be getting them soon. I also was told by a store manager that she had them on her order list but had never ordered, another said she ordered but a larger store got them. Re: Australia. A teacher there said she had done them with her students so keep looking. According to the label on the cup bottom, the distributor for these cups is Greenbrier International 23320, Inc. Chesapeake, VA. Have fun, I am still making them. And thanks again for your positive comments. Barb
Also, check out the Deal’s stores. The first ones I found were in with the Christmas items. Same cups just not black.
I paid about $15 for a mug that looks like the one in your picture! The decorative insert, I’m pretty sure, is cut from a black and white vinyl wallpaper.
To answer someone’s question, since it is cut to fit, it stays put. I really like your idea. I hope to find the mugs.
What a great idea. I was unable to find them via the web site so I called the 800#. Got them ordered and they will be shipped (free, plus taxes and $4.95 handling fee) to my local Dollar Tree in about 30 days. They are currently on back order. Thank you for this article.
I have been unable to find the cheaper cups anywhere, did purchase some off the internet for 2.39 a piece. non of the dollar tree stores I went to or had family go to in Mississippi, Arkansas or Texas had them and there are none on their site. I hope to find some cheaper before Christmas.
I found them by doing a Google search. They are on the dollar tree site but are on back order. Said they would be available in a month. Who knows. Keep trying
The mugs are just a smart idea for any time of the year and very inexpensive.THANKS A BUNCH FOR SHAREING. Jean
I really was impressed as I entered my coment twice.How did you attach the emb. to the mug?Thanks. Jean
In response to Jean comment #49– Looking at the pictures, the three parts of these cups “screw” together and there is plenty of room between the outer clear “cup” and the opaque inside “cup” that holds the liquids. The design easily drops in and you put it back together, makes it easy to change the design if you want a different one each day.
Man, really want to know how can you be that smart, lol…great read, thanks.