How to Add Vinyl to an Acrylic Cup | a Cricut Project

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Looking to make some personalized cups? Here’s how to add vinyl to an acrylic cup.

I love making personalized gifts. That extra bit of detail – whether it be a name, company, school or even a quote, makes the gift that much more meaningful.

Previously, you’ve seen me personalize Starbucks cups with vinyl. That is a popular gift that I often make. My friends like to give them to teachers and friends, alike.

Very similar to the Starbucks cup is the acrylic cup. These are the hard, plastic-type cups that often come with straws. They come in a variety of colours, however, I find the clear ones to be the most popular.

Acrylic Cup Sources

You can find acrylic cups in a variety of places, including online, as well as in stores. I have seen clear acrylic cups in Michaels, as well as the dollar store. I’ve never personally used the dollar store ones as I am wary of their quality.

As you can see, you can get a couple of different shapes of acrylic cups. These are the 2 most common ones.

Tip for Sizing Your Graphic

When working with a curved surface, I like to make my graphic the width of the cup. If you make it too wide (meaning wider than the diameter of the cup), you run the risk of not visually being able to see parts of the graphic as it will curve around.

In other words, I size my graphic so that I can see the entire thing when looking straight onto the cup.

Now, this of course is a matter of personal preference. If you have decorative flourishes that surround your graphic, you may wish to size it bigger so that it goes around. However, I personally prefer that the main part of the graphic – whether it be a shape, a figure, or a word – be viewable without having to turn or rotate the cup.

How to Add Vinyl to an Acrylic Cup

Applying vinyl to an acrylic cup is done in the same manner as you would applying adhesive vinyl to any other surface.

For in-depth detail on how to apply adhesive vinyl, check out my post here.

Tips for Applying Vinyl to a Curved Surface

Working with something that is not flat and straight can be a challenge when applying vinyl.

First off, you want to be able to put your cup on something that doesn’t roll around. This can be as simple as your lap, an empty egg carton, or a crumpled-up piece of paper or fabric. You just don’t want it to move on you when you are trying to apply the vinyl.

Secondly, especially with those tapered cups, it can be tricky to apply your design straight. In order to help me do this, I use a ruler and draw both a vertical and a horizontal line on a scrap piece of paper.

Then I insert it into the cup – ensuring that it is flush with the bottom of the cup (simply push it all the way down) and then use the lines to help me apply the graphic. The nice thing is that you can reuse this piece of paper over and over again.

Look how these acrylic cups turned out! Once you know how to add vinyl to an acrylic cup, the possibilities are endless! These make such great gifts for so many occasions. Fill the cups up with treats or a gift card and they make great party favours as well.

Want to remember how to add vinyl to an acrylic cup? Be sure to save this to your favourite Pinterest board.