My dear, you have the Grim!

Halloween is coming up, and so naturally, I've been watching and reading  Harry Potter a lot recently. Actually, I always have Harry Potter on the brain, but it's nice to have a somewhat justifiable reason around this time of year.

Anyway, one of my favorite characters in the third book, Prisoner of Azkaban, is Professor Trelawney. She's kooky and eccentric, and completely devoted to her sometimes legitimate seer abilities.

I have always wanted a Grim mug, but they are not found in stores, and cost upwards of $25 online. So I decided to try my hand at being crafty!

So, without further ado, here's my DIY Grim Mug!

First, you need your supplies. You'll need:
a mug (any kind will work, but a wider base is better)
a paintbrush
a plastic plate
black ceramic/enamel paint
rubbing alchohol

Make sure your paint is designed for glassware, and dishwasher safe is a plus.
You're going to wash your mug with the rubbing alchohol, and put a small amount of paint on the plate.
Now I looked up several pictures of the Grim design online, and practiced a few times on paper to make sure I got it how I wanted it, but if you're confident in your artistic abilities, free-hand away!
First, I drew the Grim, aka, a big black dog.

I found that the actual bristles of the paintbrush were much too big, so I dipped the handle of the brush in the paint and used that.

Next, I added the rest of the "tea dregs."

Once I  was happy with the design, I let the paint dry for at least an hour.

Now, for this next part, you'll need to follow the instructions on your paint bottle, as they may be different from mine.
To cure the paint, I put the mug in a cold oven, and turned the heat on to 350 degrees. After the oven had reached 350, I baked it for 30 minutes, and then turned the oven off and let the mug cool inside the oven all night long.

And there you have it!

And if you aren't into Harry Potter, paint whatever the heck you want! Just remember that, though the paint says dishwasher safe, hand washing will ensure that your design stays longer without chipping.

Get to painting! And you should probably watch Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban while you do it; Emma Thompson is genius!