drink like a viking!

Step 1: Choosing a Size and Cutting

- find the wood type you want:

i recommend to look up the type of wood and its drying characteristics if you plan on drying your wood after shaping it to its finished mugform. or dry it before you start this project

- choose a size for your mug

- cut the log into the size you want to have it

- cut of an extra slice for the handle

Step 2: Making a Hole

how to make a hole?

There are a lot of ways to make a hole in the center of your log:

First I tried to make a hole using hot coal:
+ it is a method you can use if you don't have any tools or machines
+ it is an old indigenous technique (for boat crafting)
- it takes time and patience
- the smell can be awful

Second technique I used a drill:
+ a bit faster
+ you don't smell
- no wild outdoorsy romantic
athmosphere

Here is a picture of the drill bits I used (example pictures):

http://de.made-in-china.com/co_winwintools/product_Wood-Flat-Bit-Masonry-Drill-Bit-Electric-Hammer-Drill-Bit-WTDB017-_euyhshuyg.html

you could also try it with a hammer and a chisel

Step 3: Making the Handle

Outline the edges of your future beer mug handle (with a pencil) and cut it out.

Make sure to add a few centimeters (i am from germany) when drawing the edges of the mug handle. The sanding down part also takes of a bit of wood. Just make sure to add this into your calculations.

Step 4: Sanding Down the Rough Edges and the Interior of Your Mug

The sanding down part is one of the most time consuming steps in the whole process. The first thing I tried was to do it by hand. After a time I continued with a machine. Using a machine is a lot easier on "wet" wood (this was the case with the wood I had chosen...it still has to dry).The bottom of the mug was hard to even out.
Choose any method that is the most comfortable/fun/interesting one for you
(this applies to every step)

Step 5: Putting Handle and Mug Together

- smooth out the surface between handle an mug
- with an angle blade make sure your handle is straight on the side
- choose your atachment method

On the bottom I used a little wooden peg with "wood-glue" (I had to drill a little hole for the peg first)

On the top part of the handle I used a screw to hold the handle in place. Drilling from the inside out.

Step 6: More Sanding and Final Steps

- use (starting from rough to fine) sandpaper
- now you can add carvings on the outside of the surface, making it more and more a unique mug (adding pictures and sceneries)
- you can do some more smoothing out the surface with sandpaper (now only using fine sandpaper)

the final step would be to cover your mug with some shellac to make it withstand liquids

then let it dry

...I will add some more fotos and comments

all the best!