Long Distance Friendship Mugs

621 miles. 10 hours and 13 minutes. That is what now separates me and my best friend. 

I live in Michigan. She lives in Maryland. Separated by miles, not by heart. I know... super presh. But okay, enough with the super mushy and on to the good stuff. 

As I was scanning the internet for any sign of coolness, I found this awesome mug craft on Pinterest. The website explaining how to make them was difficult to follow. So I basically used my creative talents to, well, wing it. I think they turned out pretty swell.

Without further a due, my tutorial on how to make Long Distance Friendship Mugs. 

How-to: Long Distance Friendship Mugs 

First things first, ask yourself....do I have a friend who lives in a different state who loves drinking beverages out of a mug? If you answered yes, continue on reading. This is the blog for you. 

The first thing I did was print off a outline of Maryland and Michigan. I figured the easiest way to get probably the most difficult two states to draw, ever, onto the mugs was to trace them. My freehand artistic skills are lacking. If I tried to freehand these two states, one would look like a mitten (I can draw a mean MI) and a mutated blob (MD: 1 Me: 0). So tracing it is. 

Cutting out the states is very important and will probably take you longer than any other part of this craft. Make sure that you get all the edges just right because this is what you will be tracing onto your mug. 

Darn Maryland and its many edges. 

I probably should address what you need to make this mug. Probably a necessary step.

You will need the following items to complete this craft:

• mugs
• permanent markers
• outlines of desired states
• oven
• patience 

Okay, now the hard part. Taping the states to the mugs. In retrospect, I recommend double sided tape. I didn't think this task through. I rolled pieces of tape and used scissors to cut down the rolled tape to secure every peninsula down. Maryland was ridiculous, tape everywhere. 

After you are 100% sure every angle of your states are taped down, start tracing. I warn you, be careful. Although you can remove the permanent marker, it is difficult. It requires a steady hand and spit. Mistakes can be fixed. Don't worry. Be careful, but don't worry too much. 

**MOST IMPORTANT PART**

Do not remove the outlines until the marker is dry. I waited 5 minutes. You don't want to smudge the marker. I carefully removed the paper and tape after it was dry. Any mistakes can now be seen. I spit fixed any too thick edges and made sure everything was even looking.

I went around the states again to darken the lines. This isn't necessary, but I think it helped a lot. 

Pretty spiffy, right?!

Now is the fun part. Pick whatever color you want and make your hearts on the cities in which you and your bestie live. You can add whatever you want inside the mug. I picked Miss You. Mainly because it is relevant and so easy to write. Again, I retraced it a couple times. I recommend using a dark color for this. For some reason the pink faded after I baked it. 

Bake the mugs at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Baking seals in the marker, allowing you to wash and reuse them over and over again. 

TADA! They will be hot for around a hour after you remove them from the oven. (Possibly a duh! comment, but you never know.)  Send your state to your best friend and keep their state. As you drink your beverage of choice out of your mug, you can think of your best friend; the great times you've had or the $5 they might owe you. Best friends rule, regardless. 

I miss my best friend dearly. She is basically my twin in all ways that matter. We both love old things, our kitchens are pastel (antique feel, of course) and she can solve my life problems with a simple phone call. She has been extremely helpful with making major life decisions so far, so I guess I'll keep her around. She just moved to Maryland with her boyfriend and I wish them all the luck in the world. But, a warning, if he hurts her, I will end him. Gotta look out for my best friend. 

Patti, I miss you dearly. I hope you love the mug. Every time I drink out of my Maryland mug, I will think of you and all the crazy times we have had together. Chances are, you'll hear be hearing from me later that day. 

Remember, this is not goodbye. It's see ya.