12 Best Drinkware Design Trends for 2024

What makes a regular mug someone’s favorite mug? Part of it could be pure practicality: an ergonomic handle, a good shape, or how much liquid it can hold. Part of it (likely the bigger part) is the story behind its design.

In this article, we’ll focus on the design aspect. Together, we’ll discuss 13 different drinkware design trends that you can use to personalize your own drinkware—for yourself, as a gift, or to add to your store.

We’ll also discuss the custom drinkware products you can design with Printful, so after reading this article, you can start designing straight away. Shall we begin?

The drinkware market in 2024: Facts, stats, and products

In 2024, the drinkware market is steadily growing, expected to reach $11.7 billion by 2025, and about 14% of that will come from eco-friendly (reusable, chemical-free) drinkware products. The 2 most popular materials for these items are glass and steel. The most popular drinkware products worldwide continue to be glasses and mugs.

12 drinkware design trends to watch in 2024

In this list, you’ll find design trends suited for various settings and occasions, conveying a range of moods and motives: playful, educational, punny, contemporary, personal, elegant, simple, etc. Even if you don’t use these specific trends and ideas, you will surely get inspired. 

After the trends, we’ll also cover specific products you can design with Printful.

1. Good vibes

This trend and drinkware fit together like peanut butter and jelly, especially with can-shaped glasses. The trend blends nostalgia with contemporary aesthetics. Good vibes designs are characterized by:

• Mid-tone muted colors

• Positive language

• Wavy fonts

• 70s-style icons like rainbows, daisies, and smiley faces 

This design has a feel-good, laid-back vibe, making it a versatile and appealing choice for a range of beverage containers.

2. Sticker shock

The sticker shock aesthetic centers around water bottles and tumblers adorned with an eclectic array of stickers. This trend thrives on cohesive color palettes and strategically placed recognizable icons, creating a busy yet harmonious look. 

The appeal lies in the personalized expression. Each bottle represents the vibe of the owner.

The key to this design is to balance the overlapping stickers and the spaces in between. These designs look best when themed by subject or color palette (e.g., all pink and green stickers).

3. Simple script

This trend is a minimalist design approach that highlights large, single-colored phrases, names, or texts in a handwritten script style. It’s characterized by simplicity and elegance, relying on clean lines and a singular color palette to convey the message. And the text is always placed vertically.

On drinkware, a simple script elevates the impact of a singular, carefully chosen statement, emphasizing the beauty of uncomplicated yet impactful design. 

4. Block monogram

Block monogram is a vibrant, attention-grabbing, personality-packed design style that centers around boxy letters accompanied by color-blocked 3D elements. It’s best suited for highlighting phrases, text, initials, or names in a playful way. 

If you’re going for a subtle design, using mellow pastels or outlined shadows adds a clean touch without being overly bold or striking. You can also go in the opposite direction using neon or saturated colors.

5. Ditsy repeats

This trend features a simple repetition of any icon. These designs typically show a limited color palette and use brighter shades (especially as a background), creating visually striking patterns. Best when icons are evenly spaced, this trend embraces simplicity and modern aesthetics, offering an understated yet attention-grabbing style for drinkware.

To create ditsy patterns with Printful’s Design Maker, use the Pattern Tool. You’ll first have to choose clipart, and then you’ll see the option to create a pattern above the layout. You can adjust the icon’s size, pattern type, and spacing.

Source: Printful

Just note that you must choose a drinkware product that allows a wrap-around design.

Valuable read: 11 Things You Didn’t Know Printful’s Design Maker Could Do

6. Beachy stripes

Stripes are a timeless trend that brings an elegant touch to any table. From delicate, etched lines to bold geometric patterns, the variety in line work caters to different tastes. Thin or thick, straight or curved, lines add sophistication, offering endless design possibilities. Some design ideas for this trend:

• Geometric patterns—lean lines create a modern vibe

• Contrasting colors—high-contrast lines add eye-catching appeal

• Gradient lines—gradual shifts in thickness and spacing give depth

This classic style remains popular, providing a versatile, chic look that never goes out of style.

7. Classic cowboy

The cowboy trend embodies the spirit of the Wild West, incorporating themes like:

• Western landscapes

• Iconic cowboy hats

• Rustic leather textures

• Rugged motifs like horseshoes and lassos

You can pair these designs with a product that brings a matching country vibe, enamel mugs.

It adds a dash of adventure to every sip, capturing nostalgia and blending it with modern design.

8. Dolly’s cowgirl era

This trend for drinkware is inspired by Dolly Parton’s vibrant personality. It features lively Western themes, cowgirl boots and hats, iconic sayings, and vibrant patterns. These designs celebrate glamor with bold pinks, rhinestones, and intricate paisley prints.

The idea is to embrace Americana charm, capturing the spirit of inclusivity and joyfulness that Dolly Parton embodies. This trend is ideal for those seeking a little country flair and glam to their beverage experience.

9. Educational graphics

The educational design trend uses informative text, images, and illustrations to inform and entertain. This style transforms mugs, bottles, and tumblers into learning tools by featuring educational content, like fun facts, historical timelines, math puns, or scientific illustrations. 

Educational graphics combine functionality with a fun, attention-grabbing design. 

10. Prints with main spot hit

This trend is as straightforward as it gets—1 big, eye-catching design in the center with a matching pattern in the background. 

A few design tips to nail this style:

• Balanced focus—make sure there’s only one main graphic that stands out and the background pattern isn’t overpowering

• Color harmony—the primary graphic should have colors that match or complement the background print

• Size and placement—make the main graphic big enough to be noticed, and place it in the center

• Theme consistency—keep the central graphic and background in the same style or theme to create a cohesive look

Valuable read: Your Guide on Preparing the Perfect Print File

11. Handwritten messages

This might be the sweetest trend on the list. Its design features handwritten, heartfelt messages, making any drinkware product dear to the heart.

Drinkware with handwritten designs can be used as precious gifts, party favors at baby or bridal showers, or thoughtful tokens of appreciation for loved ones.

12. In-world looking

In-world looking is a playful trend that brings surrealism and humor to mugs, glasses, and bottles. By embodying jokes or whimsical concepts, these designs invite joy and surprise.

In your designs, you can use contemporary concepts like popular products (just make sure they’re not trademarked), puns, and optical illusions.

Valuable read: Can I Print That? Copyright and Trademark 101

Trendy drinkware you can buy and sell with Printful

In Printful’s Product Catalog, you’ll find a range of drinkware products you can design for yourself or to sell with print-on-demand. Let’s quickly go over your options.

Mugs

Kicking off the list with one of the all-time best-selling print-on-demand products in the world—mugs. Custom mugs are so popular due to their universal use and versatility. They make for great personal or professional gifts and can easily be tailored with unique designs, photographs, or witty quotes that cater to any audience. 

Mugs are also excellent products to sell with dropshipping. And for a good reason—it’s an evergreen product, and the market is booming.

Whether a morning coffee ritual or a desk accessory, a personalized mug fits seamlessly into everyday life. With Printful, you can personalize:

• White Glossy Mug

• White Ceramic Mug with Color Inside

• Black Glossy Mug

• Enamel Mug

Want design tips? We’ve created a short guide explaining how to design custom mugs. 

Valuable read: 37 Mug Design Ideas to Sell and Gift

Glasses

Just as versatile as mugs, you can personalize glassware. There are 3 custom products in Printful’s glassware section: 

• Can-Shaped Glass

• Stemless Wine Glass

• Shaker Pint Glass

Custom glassware items are currently trending products for themed parties and other special occasions. The can-shaped glass might be the trendiest of them all, largely thanks to TikTok.

Bottles

With the popularity of active lifestyles, the need to have drinks on the go is also growing. With Printful, you can design 2 types of custom water bottles:

• Stainless Steel Water Bottle

• Sports Water Bottle

Tumblers

If you spend any time on social media, chances are you’ve encountered the Stanley Cup craze. For quite some time, they were everywhere. While you can’t print custom designs on Stanley Cups specifically, you can put your design on other tumblers. Here are your options with Printful: 

• Travel Mug with a Handle

• Insulated Tumbler with a Straw

• Stainless Steel Tumbler

• Wine Tumbler

Valuable read:

• 25 Tumbler Design Ideas to Get You Inspired
• How to Make Custom Tumblers: Your Complete 4-Step Guide

Coasters

Design personalized coasters to go with glasses or mugs! Get (or sell) them as a bundle: mix and match different designs or create a coordinated set. The best part? There are no order minimums with print-on-demand—design just 1 or get as many coasters as you want.

Your time to shine

Enough reading. You now have everything you need to design your drinkware collection: 12 wonderful design ideas and a range of drinkware to choose from.

Which of these design trends did you like the most? Let us know in the comments.