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100 Awesome Mug Design Ideas to Sell Like Crazy!

Every morning I get up (a bit late, I must confess) and make myself a nice cup of coffee ☕. Each sip is a shot of energy I need to start my day 🔋 I simply cannot start without my coffee. But it's not just the beverage that gives me that boost. It's the whole routine.


You see, I'm a bit of a coffee fan (guilty as charged 😅), so I put some work into it. I choose exactly what coffee I want to drink, with what milk if any I add, how sweet or bitter, and most of all, in which mug. Yes, I collect mugs! In fact, they don't fit in the cabinet. But... I do have a favorite. And every morning I have my first coffee with it. 


I like to think I'm not the only one. Tell me, am I alone in this world? Don't you have a favorite mug? 


Lucky for me, I did a tiny research (yes, I did it while writing this article), and it turns out that Heinz has already wondered about this. We are not going to discuss why a ketchup brand did this study 🤷‍♂️, but I want to show you the results.


According to their survey, around 60% of people have an emotional attachment to a mug. More than 40% said their special kitchenware was "irreplaceable", while about one-third said that they'd be "devastated" if their mug broke.


I think it's a bit extreme to feel devastated about a broken mug but come on, we all have a favorite mug! 🩷


Now that I've established my point with data from extremely professional studies (are you going to argue with Heinz? because I'm not), let's get down to the important stuff. So, most people have a favorite mug at home, doesn't that smell like an opportunity to you? 👃


100 Awesome Mug Design Ideas to Sell Like Crazy

Imagine the endless possibilities for your online store. All kinds of designs, styles, and combinations can be applied to a mug. And the best part? They are extremely customizable! 🌟

I just told you, that people feel them as part of their life, they have an emotional attachment to them, how could they not personalize them?


A good mug will bring you sales, and an amazing personalized mug will make your profit margins grow like never before 📈.


And yes, the ideas and options around a personalized mug are way too many. But let's break down many of them little by little, shall we? 👇






Love in mugs. Creative ideas for couples 💞

I know you're thinking about Valentine's Day. And of course, it's a great time of year for couples gifts, but it's not the only one.


In fact, all 365 days of the year are a great time to give a nice personalized mug, whether it's for an anniversary, birthday, or just because.


Let's take a look at some ideas that will make your store break sales records.


Couple Mug Design with Photo

For couples, a photo mug is both special and meaningful. It can recall a memorable milestone in their relationship, such as a trip, anniversary, or wedding, and evoke that sentimental value with each use. Plus, don't forget, it can also be used to hold drinks 😂.


A wonderful thing about using a product personalizer in your store is that you can allow your customers to upload their photos online and see what it will look like within the design before they make their purchase. 


Use your creativity and allow your client to use theirs as well. It's not just a mug with a photo, add decoration, shapes, texts.. think of new ideas!


Here are some: 

✅ If we are talking about couples, and especially on Valentine's Day, your image can be in the shape of a beautiful heart.

✅ Play with different titles and phrases that can stand for the lovers. Or better yet, let them write.

✅ How about combining drawings with photos? We can use only the real head and have fun creating bodies with clipart.

✅ Many couples have a favorite song or "their song", why not make it part of this adorable mug?

✅ It doesn't have to be a single photo, you can make a gallery combining images and text.

✅ Travel is often an iconic milestone for many couples, and so are the places where they have met. So be sure to use them (we'll return to this later 😉).




Combined Mugs For Couples

Love is about unity, and that union creates something greater than those who are part of it. So why not bring two mugs together? What couple doesn't want to each have their own mug and together create something better?


With very simple things you can create amazing designs! Here are some ideas.




Funny Mug Designs for Couples

Couples can strengthen their bond and bring more closeness through funny designs. Whether they are in a rough patch or just beginning their relationship, this type of gift can serve as a great conversation starter and a cherished memory. 


However, it is important to note that humor can be subjective, so what one person finds funny, another may not 😅. A successful funny design should connect with both individuals' sense of humor and bring them joy. 


You can use funny clipart, cartoons, and images, and even adapt some memes so that couples can play and create something that represents them and makes them laugh every day.


Here are some popular ideas for creating amusing designs on a couple mug ♥:




Wedding Mugs

👰🤵 Weddings are a great moment that we most want to remember in our lives, so they are suitable for all kinds of products, including mugs. People buy mugs for decoration, gifts, and even souvenirs. 


Here are the top-trending wedding mug ideas for you to sell!




Mugs with Maps for Couples

We have already talked about how we tend to feel special about certain places or trips that represent some important milestone in our lives and relationships. And we've seen some ideas for that!


But how about going the extra mile and adding maps 🗺? These can be street maps or star maps, and in both cases, there are many things we can add to make an unforgettable personalized gift 🎁.




Pet Mugs 🐶😺

Well, these mugs are clearly not FOR our pets 😄, but for us, their unconditional owners ♥. 

Products related to our furry friends 🐈🐕 have been growing quickly in the last few years, and it's a trend that doesn't seem to stop. 


A mug with a picture (or several) of our dog, cat, fish, bird, or iguana (why not?) will always brighten up our breakfasts 💖. But it also opens the door to much more fun designs, especially if we imagine that our 4-legged friend is a person and faces different situations. Here we can use cartoons, drawings, comics, and even ask for help from artificial intelligence to create awesome things 🙌.


Pet Mugs with OpenAI

Then, perhaps we can create images with different artistic styles of our cat as if painted by Picasso, Salvador Dali, or Van Gogh perhaps 👨‍🎨. Look at these examples:


personalized mug with cat ai images

Or maybe we want our dog to visit different times and places, like these:


personalized mug with dog ai images


Pet Mugs with Clipart

We can also use cliparts that represent our pets, and add other elements, such as text, textures, and so on.



But, why only the pet clipart, right? 🤔

It's much more engaging if we can be in the mug with them.




Mugs with Pet Pictures

There are so many ideas to create beautiful mugs with your pet's image! From simply a nice image or gallery of images, to adding phrases, or even applying filters, such as turning them into a cartoon 🖍.


Let’s see some examples!



Don't just take these examples alone. Every day there are new ideas and designs related to our furry friends, so stay tuned! 😉



Mugs for Mom and Dad 👩🏻👨🏻

One of the biggest sales seasons of the year is Mother's Day. All kinds of gifts come up at this time, and consumers are eager to buy something different and appealing for their beloved mothers 👩‍👧‍👦.

Don't get me wrong, Father's Day is important too, and we'll look at options to treasure our beloved dads! But when it comes to shopping rage, moms win 😅. 


But neither should we wait for their famous day to give them a gift. We can give something to our parents just because right? Besides their birthdays, Christmas, and other special occasions!


So, let's talk about mugs. What gorgeous designs can we create for our customers to flatter their moms and dads 🎁?


Mugs with phrases

Sometimes just a loving or motivational phrase says everything our loved ones want to hear ♥.

You can go for the classic best mom or dad ever, or some phrases that are a bit more emotional or cheesy 🧀. You will be surprised, they have a lot of results 💪.




Mugs with clipart

A great way to come up with a unique design that your customers will identify with and have the opportunity to make a fantastic gift is to use clipart! Your clients can play around and make changes until they find what most represents them and find an unforgettable gift for their loved ones 💟.



Pro tip: Don’t forget about grandma and grandpa 👵👴!




Mugs with images

Can you imagine the happiness of a mother when she receives a mug with pictures of her family, her children, and her grandchildren? An unbeatable treasure!

Yes, she probably won't use it much for fear of breaking it. But that is a great gift, it is.


In this case, we can recycle ♻ and reshape some of the ideas we told you about for couples, adapting them a little and creating new ones.




Mugs with maps

You can merge all of the above with street maps or star maps, and the results will be great! Phrases, images, clipart, and so on, with the addition of a beautiful map that represents something important to our loved ones, and that mug will be sold 💰.




Mugs for friends and besties 🤗

Mugs can be a versatile and fun gift, they don't have to be just for our family or couples, our friends deserve one too 👯‍♀️.


Whether with a photo collage of your group of friends so that you all have the same one and are mug buddies, or with a nice clipart that represents you, and even quotes, there are many creative ideas to personalize this simple but beautiful gift 🙌.


Let’s see some of them!




Holiday Trends on the Rise 🎃🎄

Giving gifts to their significant others during holidays 🎃🎄💘 and special occasions is a popular trend among couples, family, friends, and more. Valentine's Day, Halloween, Christmas, and New Year are prime opportunities for selling mugs. Additionally, designs catered towards birthday presents, honeymoon trips, and romantic getaways can also result in a significant profit margin 💸.




Bonus: Not just mugs! 🥛

We all know that the main functionality of a mug, besides looking great in an Instagram story, is that we can serve drinks in it ☕.


And it's not just mugs that do the job. For those who don't drink the classic coffee every day, perhaps a better gift could be a tumbler, glass, or bottle. Still, it can be a beautiful personalized gift!


Some people like to drink tea. Others are very sporty 🏃‍♂️ and a good bottle will always be useful (not my case 😅). And some others like to have a glass of wine, or whiskey (not in the morning, I hope). Why not? 


Still a very customizable experience with the right gift! 🎁


If you don’t believe me, let’s take a look at some ideas:




Everything looks better with personalization ✨

The global personalized gifts market was valued at 29.185 million in 2021 and is expected to reach 47.144 million by 2027. Personalization is definitely here to stay and will skyrocket in the years to come. 


And personalized mugs are one of the top-selling products when it comes to personalization. As I told you at the beginning, many of us have a favorite mug, and much more if we can see ourselves reflected in it thanks to the product customization that makes it possible today.


So, don’t let the train pass you by, use the best product personalization app and scale your sales by improving your customer’s shopping experience.


Best part? You can try it for free on Shopify and Etsy and learn about its potential today!


We hope these personalized mug gift ideas have given you some inspiration and you start offering some of them in your store pretty soon.


Let’s personalize mugs together! 💫



 

ABOUT THE PUBLISHER


Customily logo #1 app for product personalization

Customily Product Personalizer is the best solution to sell personalized products, both in the e-commerce and the print-on-demand market. With the widest range of personalization tools, free clipart designs, realistic live previews that increase conversions, and printing files that help you automate your printing business; Customily is the ally you need to boost your profit margins in a high-competitive market.


Visit our website to learn more about us.

Or try it for FREE on Shopify.


 


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