DIY Glass Straw Cup (and tutorial)

I posted a bit of a rant last month about how all I wanted in life was a glass travel mug that had a lid and a straw that was not made out of plastic. Considering all of the awareness lately about the toxins found in plastic and how glass or stainless steel are best, I was surprised how difficult it was to find what I want.  So I did what any savvy crafter would do: I made my own.  In two versions:  Basic and Fancy




They have all the features I've been looking for in a cup (other than double walled insulation): glass, non-plastic straw, screw on lid so I don't spill my drink everywhere if I knock it over.

PLUS it reuses material that otherwise would end up in a landfill or recycling facility. It's way better to repurpose the things we already have than send them into the high energy, still somewhat wasteful recycling process.

Supplies Needed:
(links in my supply list may be affiliate links)

Step 1: Prep Your Jar (s)
Rinse your jars and soak to remove the label.  Remove any lingering label residue and wash jar and lid throughly.  


Step 2: Paint the Lid

Remove the lid from your jar and spread a large piece of saran wrap over the top.

Re-attach lid to jar over the saran wrap. This will let us paint the lid without worrying about getting paint inside the lid where it will touch your beverage

Wipe your lid with rubbing alcohol to remove any grime or fingerprints

Paint lid using Plaid brand Outdoor point. Once dry to the touch, gently unscrew lid so it can sit and cure without attaching to the saran wrap.  Allow to cure for 48 hours.


Step 3: Decorate Your Jar
My first attempt at decorating my jar went like this:
I printed out my name out in a cool font on the back of some clear contact paper. Meticulously cut out design using exacto knife in order to make a stencil. Wiped glass with rubbing alcohol and applied stencil to glass. Painted over glass using Plaid glass & ceramic paint. Let Dry. Peeled up stencil. Cried. (I mean, really, look how ugly that last picture is)

Because not enough paint stuck too the glass and too much stuck to the contact paper and peeled away. I had invested maybe 2-2.5 hours in this step at this point and was SO disheartened.

All that to say: Don't do what I did. Buy a glass paint pen and freehand draw your design. Or use stickers. Or apply vinyl if you have a fancy vinyl cutting machine. This might even be a fun family project to let everyone personalize their own jar.

One one jar I just wrote my name along the bottom and on the other I drew flowers and vines all over

Step 4: Attach the Straw
If all you want is a cup to sip from, really, you could stop at step three. If you're like me and need a straw for clumsiness ease follow these steps once your lid is done curing:

Grab a grommet and drop it into a cup of super hot tap water. This will make it more flexible and easier to smoosh into the hole you're about to make.

Use a tiny drill bit to screw a wee little hole right smack in the middle of your lid. Hold your lid over a sink or covered work area to catch little metal shavings that might peel off during this part.

Get the next drill bit size up in your drill bit kit. Drill through your pilot hole, expanding the diameter. Keep working through your drill bits, moving up one size at a time, slowly increasing the size of your hole until it is just big enough to slide your straw through. Then go one size larger.


Get the grommet out of the water (don't get burned!) and smoosh it through the hole so the lip on either side holds it in place. Wash your lid really well to remove any paint or metal shavings.

Get one of your brand new shiny straws and clean it with the little cleaner brush it came with.

Stab that baby through the middle of your grommet.

ENJOY!
Screw your lid back onto your jar and enjoy your new non-toxic portable beverage container!

48 comments

  1. I have been using a stainless steel bottle, but hated the way they would sweat if I had a cold drink in them, so I made a crochet "sock" for mine with an elastic neck to fit over it. That may be a solution to the double wall for you. I found it helps to insulate as well as sop up the sweat, especially if you use cotton yarn. Only problem is that it would cover up your pretty designs. Love the straws though, didn't know they came in stainless!

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  2. Wow, this is so clever, Carissa! I'm going to share with all my friends, so expect some link love!

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  3. Very cute and clever. I ended up buying a ceramic cup with a silicone lid as I frequently need to reheat hot drinks and stainless doesn't allow this. But, I love the creativity!

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  4. oh my gosh! This is exactly the tutorial I've needed!! I was frustrated about not being able to find a glass travel mug, too!

    One question: does the lid seal well? do you have any leakage around the lid? If I made one, it will go in my husband's lunch bag and it would be laying on its side some of the time.

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    1. Late to the party, but I'll post anyway in case it helps someone.

      No matter how well the lid and grommet seal, the straw itself can leak. The solution is to seal the jar with a solid lid, then include the "sippie" lid.

      If you really want to be sure, use a mason jar. Make a straw lid with one of the one-piece lids, then use either one piece or two piece lids to seal it for transport. Mason jars seal really well, plus it's easy to get lids.

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  5. so cool love it I added it to pinterest :) so I don't forget thanks so much

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  6. you can find it on my board want to make just look under Julia Brooks not sure if your on pinterest yet

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  7. The only thing that would make it better would be a handle (I can see my butter fingers dropping the slick sides of this right out). There is a brand of Jelly that uses a mug style handled jar. I think I might try this with one.

    Janelle

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  8. JessA - The second one I made actually seals a little too well b/c it's hard to suck stuff up the straw. Even that one, though, isn't totally spill proof. Ideally, you want some air to sneak in around the seal to make drinking easy but still make it spill resistant. If you needed to put it on it's side in a lunch box, I would get 2 lids. Don't modify one (maybe paint it)and use that for when it's in the lunch bag and have the lid with a straw in the sack that he can attach when it's lunch time. Then he can seal back up with the first lid when it's time to pack stuff back up again.

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  9. Cool, but I will take the plastic "toxins" over the inevitable metal stabbings any day

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  10. I just had a similar idea! I've discovered that the jarred (in glass jars) of organic tomatoes by bionaturae or Central Market fit perfectly into the cup holders of the car and stroller. At 24 ounces each, they're only an ounce smaller than the spagetti jars, too. Now - to find the rubber grommet!

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  11. i used to have a great neoprene sleeve with a shoulder strap. traveled with me on a summer study abroad. i've since lost it :( but plan to make another. either side of neop looped around the bottle neck and had an adjustable shoulder strap that looped the other way (to go under). hung perfect across my chest. that would work great for this! insulate from sweating and breaking.

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  12. I wondered if the Cricut Vinyl would stick as it sweats. May try Glass Etching too, for a subtle design.

    THANKS for posting!!!! I'm sooo going to try this!

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  13. Just wondering about the BPA in the lids of these jars. Does this bother anyone else?? I have a stainless steel water botter and it works great, it is also unbreakable!

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  14. I LOVE IT! I was just talking to a friend who had a plastic one of these with the plastic straw. I was thinking to myself I wish it was not plastic. This is so simple, easy, why didn't I think of that? Great idea. Thanks for sharing.

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  15. I decided to not worry about the BPA on the underside of the lid b/c the way this design is set up, the water really isn't touching the underside of the lid most of the time. In a plastic container or with a plastic straw, the water would be steeping in plastic. This way, the occasional splash might touch...but really, I think you probably get more BPA exposure touching a cash register receipt than you will in a week of using this cup

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  16. A mason jar lid would be perfect for this and would eliminate the need to worry about bpa's in the lid.

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    1. I was just about to post the same thing...and you can get 12 Mason Jars for about 9.00 and make Christmas gifts very frugally.

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  17. Great ideas here.

    I actually bought a pair of super cute "designer" woman's cotton socks...I never wore them...but they DO work for an awesome stainless steel bottle holder. I also have seen holders with long shoulder straps crocheted from things like a recycled t-shirt, or plastic bags!

    You could make a cushiony holder to protect the glass bottle here. Even a pouch from an old pair of jeans (the slim legs are great to use) would be awesome to turn this into a travel water jug.

    Thanks for inspiring us all! Did not know about those stainless steel straws. MUST get some.

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  18. This is crazy brilliant. I'm impressed with your resourcefulness.

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  19. This is awesome! I think I have to make one. After a recent scare with my laptop and some spilled water, I'm all about things that'll protect my stuff from my clumsy self!

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  20. Hi, your blog was recommended to me. I love this idea! where did you find the straws?

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  21. I found the straws on Amazon.com. Just search "stainless straws" and you'll see quite a few options.

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  22. Awsome idea! I'm definatley going to have to try it, plus I love any excuse to bust out the power drill ;) I would definatley use glass etching cream (I'm so addicted to that stuff) to decorate the cup because its easy to use with a contact paper stencil and then you could even go back and color in your design with a paint pen, I've done that on regular glasses before and it looks awsome. And making an insulated sleeve for the cup with some cute fabric and batting would also be a good decoration/solution for the lack of double wall insulation.
    I do have a couple questions though. Does the stainless steel straw give your drinks a funky/metalic taste? Because I know that sometimes the metal water bottles do that if they're not lined, especailly with certain drinks like orange juice.
    And do you have any problem with water getting trapped inbetween the rubber washer and the lid when you're washing it? It just seems like that would be a perfect place for mold to grow. I know I'm probably sounding paranoid, but you know those little kids cuppys with the rubber plunger in the top so they don't spill? Well I used to babysit for a lady that didn't know you're supposed to take the plunger out when you wash the cup and just left it in there and the cuppys would always get nasty mold in there and that's what I see happening with the rubber washer in the lid since I'm assuming you don't take the washer out every time you wash the cup.

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  23. I knew about glass straws but never bought them for fear of breakage. I use straws all the time and dislike that they are plastic, I'm so getting the stainless ones. Thanks for the info. and the tutorial.

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  24. someone is making pyrex straws & they make extra big ones for smoothies by getting a few of those & your tute, I'm so making my own! BRILLIANT!

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  25. I found that the straws needed a break in voyage in a non-water beverage like iced tea and then they were fine as far as a metal taste.

    I do not remove the grommet to wash the lid, but there enough space around the grommet to clean around it. It is not designed to be an exact fitting or water tight seal (b/c air needs to get into the cup)

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  26. YOU have made my day!! I have been looking for a "better mouse trap" and you built one!!
    Can you e-mail me with how long the straw is?
    I buy jam's and jelly in glass jars that have handles and metal lids this will be perfect. Looking forward from hearing from you.

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  27. Majeral - I would love to e-mail you but you didn't leave it and your blogger profile isn't enabled to view publicly so hopefully you'll come back here to check. The straws are 8.5 inches long

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  28. Carissa, Sorry I did not leave my e-mail
    Majeral (vie78666@gmail.com)
    Keep creating...
    Maj

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  29. Cool beans! Thanks! I'm soooo going to make these now.....actually I think this may end up being everyone's X-Mas presents this year. I was thinking and I don't think I use anything that comes in a glass jar but then I remembered my afinity for using mason jars as glasses and how thrift stores always have them, so its still re-using, I'm just using someone elses old stuff.

    Also, along the same lines as this, I was at Ross last night and they have re-usable hot-drink travel mugs that are made of porcelin and have a silicon lid and silicon grippy around the middle. Just thought I'd pass that along to you guys since you're all fellow anti-plastic-people. Oh and best part, they were only $5 each and came in cute colors.

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  30. What an awesome idea & tutorial! I am a new follower of yours! Can't wait to see what other crafty things you come up with! =)

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  31. nice to see a greeen blogpost..needed !!

    but i see that u suggest use of cling plastic/plastic for the DIY...there could be a way to avoid that too right

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  32. and one more thing..i have a steel set from india with screwable lid...and most places refused to serve me in the bottle stating rules :(.. i live in atlanta

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  33. That's interesting, Sudha. I live in the Northwest so I think there is a little bit more general awareness here about green lifestyles and reusable options from bags to cups and more.

    Starbucks across the country as company policy should accept reusable containers as long as you remove the lid for them.

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  34. where did you pick up your straws? looks like crate and barrel or is that at home?

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  35. The picture is in my house but I ordered them from amazon. Just search for 'stainless straws' and a few options will come up

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  36. what rock have i been under- i didn't even know you could buy stainless steel straws??? so cool!

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  37. I found some adjustable velcro neoprene sleeves for your bottle on amazon.com. They are made by Kool Cup..$5.99 for 6 of them. Such a cute idea!

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  38. Thank you ten fold!!! Im also featuring your link on my Mission Mode Mom fb page!!!! Genius!!

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  39. This is such a great idea, I'm glad that I saw this post

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  40. I'm recycling about 70 of my large Frapaccino bottles into Reusable ones with a straw. I have everything, except the paint. Can I use the regular Metal spray paint from the hardware store, as long as it's water based? Is there a health issue there? Will it hold up in the dishwasher? Or is there a special paint I should buy to be safe.

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    1. I love the idea of recycling frappuccino bottles!

      Metal spray paint will certainly work - as in, it should stick the metal just fine. I do not know if the lids painted with spray paint will be dishwasher safe, though.

      I personally prefer the FolkArt Outdoor or FolkArt Multi-surface paint because these paints are very durable, can go in the dishwasher and are non-toxic.

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    2. That's great. Thanks for the info. I planned on putting a coupon with each bottle, since I'm going to let each Teacher & staff member choose the color that they want, to return the bottle to me at their convenience so I can put their Initial on it. Do you know if the vinyl from the Silhouette Cameo will work on the bottles, or will i need to etch the glasss?

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    3. I have used vinyl on glass successfully before. Just be sure to put it on the part of the bottle that is straight up and down and not the part where it curves to minimize air pockets

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