Super Simple Starfleet Sharpie Mug

Here's a ridiculously easy craft you can do with some simple supplies. I chose to pay homage to Captain Janeway with my Sharpie coffee mug, but you can do any design or quote you like.

What you need:

Cheap white mug
Dry Erase Marker
Black Sharpie Marker
Template
Oven

Step One:
Locate a plain white mug. I got mine at the dollar store. I found a cool angular one that perfectly fit the delta shield shape.

Step Two:
Find the combadge of your liking online. Print it out. I used the Voyager-era combadge. Cut around the edges.

Step Three:
Stick your combadge on the side of the mug with some double-sided tape. Trace around your template with a Dry Erase Marker. This will make your design mistake-proof. If you mess up, just wipe away with a paper towel and start over.

Step Four:
Go over your design with a Sharpie for a lasting effect.

Step Five: 
Handwrite your favorite quote. I chose Janeway's "Coffee. Black." But, you could easily go with Picard's "Earl Grey. Hot."

Step Six:
Bake your mug in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. This will ensure the design stays on without smudging or scratching off. Remember, to use an oven mitt when taking it out and do not touch the design until it fully cools off. You might want to avoid putting it in the dishwasher just to be safe! Hand wash only.

Decoupage Next Generation Heels

I made a big splash at Star Trek Las Vegas sporting these homemade decoupage heels on the "Trek Girls Panel." I wanted to give you guys a brief tutorial on how to do your own. I chose TNG because of the 25th Anniversary being the con theme. However, you can choose any cast as long as there are comic books available that you don't mind cutting up. My original plan was to do some old Gold Key comics from the Original Series, but they are harder to find and would pain me to cut up (not to mention, pricey!). This was a first attempt at this project and a bit rushed as I did not acquire all the supplies until just days before leaving for Vegas. Note: all of the images on these shoes came from just one comic book. The book cost me only 50 cents at a used book store. The one I bought was from DC and Malibu Comics. It was called "Prophets and Losses" and was a TNG/DS9 crossover book. I opted to stick with just the TNG imagery from it, which made it even more challenging. Just wanted to do a quick shout out to my friend, Andrea, who did a Star Wars version of these that turned out beautifully!

Steps and Supplies:

High heels or the shoes of your choice
Star Trek comic book
Mod Podge (I used the outdoor variety)
Nail Polish (in the color of your choice)
White nail polish
Glue (optional)
Paint Brush (optional)
scissors
alcohol (not the fun kind!)

Step 1:
Apply alcohol with a rag to the bottoms of your heels to allow the nail polish to adhere better.

Step 2:
Use your white nail polish and brush to apply a primer to the bottoms of your shoes and heels.

Step 3:
Let dry for an hour.

Step 4:
Apply your colored nail polish directly on top of the white you just painted on. I used 'command gold' for mine. This may require a few coats, but remember to allow your shoes to dry in between coats. You also may need 2-3 bottles to cover the bottoms of your shoes. I bought mine at the Dollar Store. You can use your paint brush, but I preferred using the nail polish brush that came with it because I could be more precise. It took longer, but the coverage was even and cleaner around the edges of the shoes.

Step 5:
Cut out pieces of the comic books with great imagery on them. Remember to break it up with text bubbles, words and faces. Ships are also great, but keep in mind size limitation as shoes usually don't have a huge surface to cover.

Step 6:
Using glue or the Mod Podge, adhere the pieces in whatever design you would like. Then, Mod Podge over the top of the design to seal it. You can apply more than one coat. I glued pieces to the shoe itself, platform and heel, but that's up to you!

Step 7: 
To be absolutely sure your shoes aren't sticky, I would give them a couple of days to dry out. You'll know they are ready when the glaze is no longer tacky feeling.

Quick tips!
Store in a cool dark place. I had them in the trunk of the car on the road to Vegas and the Mod Podge became tacky again and the shoes stuck to each other. Luckily, Mod Podge makes it easy to repair torn pieces.

If you want the look that I created, you need to use really high heels. The higher the slope the more the color on the bottom of your shoes will show.

Also, when you are seeking out comic book pictures, bigger pieces look better and will require less work. I had one comic book to work from so I ended up having to piece together lots of little pieces, which ended up being really time consuming.

You can Mod Podge anything. It's such a versatile product. I plan on doing flower pots, belts and picture frames soon too! I hope you all enjoyed this tutorial. If you have any questions, leave me a comment below.

Here's me wearing mine on the StarTrek.com Trek Girls Panel at Star Trek Las Vegas. Stylish gear for an away mission, no? Thank you to Michael Nguyen for snapping this pic of my shoes in action!

Our First Video!

Brandi and I made this video a year ago, but for whatever reason it never got posted. We wanted to share it with you as we are getting closer to Star Trek Las Vegas. We will be hosting our annual Glue Guns and Phasers crafting workshop in the Brasilia Room at the convention on Sunday, August 12th at 8:10 am. It's early, so bring your coffee and a positive attitude as we make an all-new craft honoring the 25th Anniversary of The Next Generation.