Fa La La La La Christmas Coffee Mug (Free SVG Cut File)

Fa La La La La is a cheerful, slightly silly mug for anyone who starts humming carols in November. Our picture shows cream vinyl on a dark green camp-style mug. The lettering is set on a slant on purpose. Both lines climb toward the right, and the second line has a small star at each end. Keep that slant as designed, and make it match on both sides of the mug.

How to make it

1. Measure the smooth area on the side of the mug, below the rim and clear of the handle. The design is a little more than twice as wide as it is tall. At 3 inches across it stands under 1.5 inches. On a tapered mug, stay between 2.5 and 3 inches.
2. Set the width and do not mirror the design. Do not rotate it to straighten the letters either. On screen, the selection box around the design is level even though the words are not. That box is your reference from here on.
3. Cut from permanent vinyl with the color facing up, using the matching vinyl setting in your cutting software. Use a piece with a straight bottom edge and set it square against the grid on the mat.
4. Weed slowly. Each capital A has a small triangle in the middle that must come out, and there are five of them. F and L have none. The two stars are the smallest loose pieces, about a quarter inch across at this size.
5. Lay gridded transfer tape over the design with its lines running parallel to the straight edge of the vinyl. The grid now stands in for the selection box. Burnish well.
6. Clean the mug with rubbing alcohol and let it dry.
7. Stick a strip of painter’s tape around the mug where the bottom of the decal will sit. Measure down from the rim in a few places to be sure the strip is even.
8. Peel the paper backing away. Line a grid line up with the tape strip, tack down the middle of the decal and smooth outward. Burnish every letter, peel the transfer tape back low and slow, then remove the painter’s tape.

Tips

• Trust the grid over your eye. A slanted row of letters makes a correctly placed decal look crooked while it is still in your hands. Judge it after the tape is off.
• Count the five triangles before the transfer tape goes on. A missed one is much harder to pick out on the mug.
• On a strongly tapered mug, make the decal smaller instead of cutting it into pieces. Splitting the words apart changes the angle between them.
• Camp-style mugs sometimes have a speckled, slightly bumpy glaze. Rub the vinyl down with a fingertip as well as the scraper.

FAQ

Why do the words look crooked on my screen?

They are meant to. Both lines rise to the right by the same amount, which gives the phrase its sing-song look. Leave the angle alone and place the design by its outer box.

How do we get the same placement on both sides of the mug?

Use the handle and the rim. Measure from the handle to the nearest edge of the decal, and from the rim down to the tape strip, then repeat both numbers on the other side. Cut the second decal the same way as the first, with no flipping. On one side the words will climb toward the handle and on the other away from it, which is how the pair should look.

Can the mug go in the dishwasher or microwave?

Hand-wash only. Permanent adhesive vinyl holds up to gentle washing with a soft sponge, but dishwasher cycles will lift it. We suggest keeping it out of the microwave as well.