Sharpie Art Party Cups--How to DIY Party Favors

DIY SHarpie Art Party Favor Cups. A Quick Tutorial

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Hi! Guess what I've been doing this week? I've been drawing on cups with Sharpie markers for a party!

​And since I am having so much fun making DIY party favor cups, I thought I would share a quick, inspirational tutorial with you too. ​

It may seem like a lot of work, but I promise you these are really easy and fast. I'm even going to show you a trick to help you not mess up your fabulous artwork. 

Now, my cups aren't themed because our "party" is more like a family get-together. I just wanted a unique way to serve what I was taking, so that I don't have to lug around a huge roaster or a flimsy disposable pan. 

Plus, I thought the kids might get a kick out of the happy pictures. 

You however, can theme your cups to fit any occasion. Or just make some to serve an extra special lunch to some extra special someone's. 

Ready? Read on for materials and instructions....

What You Need to Make Sharpie Art Cups
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I used  8.5 oz Great Value brand styrofoam cups. I bought these for a homeschool project and they weren't right for the job. So I had 200 cups that I needed to use. 

If I were recommending cups to buy, I would suggest buying any kind without bumpy ridges. 

You Need: 

• Styrofoam cups (any size you prefer, but smaller ones are faster to make.) 

• Sharpie markers in all colors. (I recommend getting both fine point and ultra fine point)

• Metallic permanent markers. (mine are by Elementz. I'm not sure you can get them anymore, but any metallic marker should work as long as its permanent.) 

• One washable Crayola fine point marker (gray)

Optional: Candy of your choice to keep you interested in the task. 

Plan your Doodle
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First, you have to decide what to draw. You can browse Pinterest or Google for doodle inspiration or sketch out some ideas on a piece of scratch paper before starting. 

For this cup, I'm making an autumn scene, since its aaaaalmost that time of year. 

Once you have an idea of what to draw, use the gray WASHABLE marker to sketch your design on lightly. 

You don't want to use too much pressure because it will engrave the cup. However, you can play around with creating grooves and raised areas later. Texture is fun!

Sketch your Sharpie art with a washable marker first.

To draw a pumpkin, start with a roughly shaped oval.

A half-moon shape on either side of your first oval will create a pumpkin shape.

Once your outlines are sketched in, you can either: 

1. Use a black ultra fine permanent Sharpie to outline the drawing. 

2. Add color first, then your black outline. 

Note: Even though these are permanent pens, they still smear a bit when you touch them with another pen. On some cups, I outline in black first and then "pull" the black ink into my colors to create shadowing. However, for this one, let's do color first for nice, crisp details. 

A punkin'!

I used orange for the main color. Then brown for shading, and a mustard yellow for extra depth. If you use circular marks, the ink will smear a bit and be lighter in some places, creating a more "painted" effect. 

(Play around!) 

Then I used brown for the stem, and went ahead and colored my tree in too. 

Blending Colors for Effect
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 To get the blended effect, work in small sections. On the leaves, I used basic green to color a small area. While it was wet, I circled in some mustard yellow, and then some metallic bronze.

You don't have to do much more than dot gently or make light circles. The ink will move around under the pen, blending and highlighting itself, practically!

You can also dab at it with your finger tip to soften the lines. 

NOTE: Clean your marker tip after you scribble over another color. Blot gently on a paper towel or across an index card. 

Blending the leaf colors. Ignore my mommy manicure.

From there, just keep coloring in your design. I wanted (needed, I tell you!) a purple owl with teal wings. 

Once everything is colored, its time to do that lovely black outline. 
You can use a fine point marker, but an ultra fine point is going to make it soooo much easier. 

Simply trace around your entire design, making the line as thick or thin as you like. 

NOTE: If you use Sharpie brand markers, the fine point markers create a matte black line that will be slightly translucent on the foam. The ultra fine point markers however have a slight coppery sheen from certain angles.

Ready to be outlined!

If black outlines are too strong or "cartoony", use a darker shade of your main color to outline, or a darker similar shade. (for example, using a brown to outline red.) 

Finished Sharpie Doodle Cup
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So what do you do with your cup after you've finished your artwork? 

Besides using them for disposable serving containers like I did, you could use them for: 

• Organizing your desk

• Party treats (Halloween candy dishes, birthday part favors, etc.) 

• Gift "boxes" (fill with small items and wrap with colorful

          cellophane)

• Use them to start your seeds next spring (and have a really artistic greenhouse window!) 

• Use them as fun sorting cups for kid's learning activities

Personally, I'm tempted to start making some to scatter around for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas as treat cups/decorations. 

Since foam cups aren't exactly durable, you don't have to worry about creating perfect lines. Just use fun designs and bright colors. They won't last forever, so take a good picture of your masterpiece before it gets handled a lot.

And of course. Have FUN doodling! 

Ready!