Modeling a cup in Blender starts with a cylinder, deleting the top face, then extruding inward to create the hollow interior before adding a handle and smooth shading.
Wondering how to make a cup in Blender? The process builds on cylinder modeling, extrusion, and modifiers, and takes under ten minutes once you know the sequence. The same workflow works across Blender 4.3, 4.2, and older versions with minor setting adjustments. Here’s the step order that consistently delivers a clean cup.
What Base Shape Should You Start With?
Open Blender and delete the default cube. Press Shift+A and choose Mesh > Cylinder. In the pop-up menu, set Vertices to 64—too few makes the cup look blocky later. Scale the cylinder to cup proportions (S to scale) and switch to Edit Mode with Tab. The cylinder gives you a clean starting ring of geometry around the rim and base, which is why almost every tutorial uses it over a circle or cube. For thinner cup profiles, some modelers start with a circle and extrude upward, but the cylinder is the most forgiving for beginners.
Shaping The Cup Cavity
Select the top face and delete it (X > Faces). This opens the top of the cup. With the edge ring selected, press I to Inset, then E to Extrude downward. This creates the hollow interior and forms the rim in one move. Add loop cuts (Ctrl+R) near the rim and bottom—two or three per edge—to keep those areas sharp when you add subdivision later. Without them, the cup loses its silhouette and rounds into a blob.
For real wall thickness, the Solidify modifier is the standard approach. Adjust until the wall looks right for your cup’s size—the goal is a solid feel, not a paper-thin shell.
| Setting | Recommended Value | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Cylinder vertices | 64 | Keeps the cup round, not faceted |
| Solidify thickness | 0.08–2.4 (scale-dependent) | Gives the cup real wall thickness |
| Subdivision Surface levels | 1–2 | Smooths the overall silhouette |
| Loop cuts near rim and base | 2–3 per edge | Preserves sharp edges under subdivision |
| Shade Smooth + Auto Smooth | Enabled | Removes visible faceting on surfaces |
| Handle method | Extrude faces or Torus | Adds the grip to the cup body |
| Material roughness | 0.3–0.5 | Prevents an overly shiny plastic look |
Creating A Handle and Final Touches
The handle can be done two ways. The simpler method: in Edit Mode, extrude a few side faces outward, curve them upward with G (grab), and connect them back to the cup body. The more controlled method: add a Torus (Shift+A > Mesh > Torus), delete half of it, position it as a handle, and join it to the cup with Ctrl+J. Bridge edge loops clean up any gap between the handle and the cup body.
Apply Shade Smooth from the Object menu and enable Auto Smooth in the mesh properties tab. This removes faceting without changing your topology. Add a Subdivision Surface modifier with levels 1 or 2 to round the overall shape—but only after your loop cuts are in place, or the rim and bottom will soften too much. The WikiHow coffee cup guide covers an alternative circle-based approach for thinner cup profiles. If you’d rather skip the 3D modeling and browse real countertop options, our roundup of the best cup blender models covers top-rated picks for the kitchen.
FAQs
Why does my cup look blocky even after using Shade Smooth?
Shade Smooth smooths the appearance of faces but doesn’t change the underlying geometry. If your starting cylinder had too few vertices (default is 24–32), the cup will still show faceting. Set vertices to 64 when adding the cylinder, or add a Subdivision Surface modifier with level 1 or 2 to increase geometry density before applying Shade Smooth.
How do I attach the handle without visible gaps?
After joining the handle to the cup with Ctrl+J, switch to Edit Mode and use Bridge Edge Loops to connect the handle’s end faces to the cup body. Select the edge rings on both pieces, then press Ctrl+E and choose Bridge Edge Loops. For a cleaner result, make sure both edge rings have a similar number of vertices before bridging.
Can I make a glass cup using the same method?
Yes, with two adjustments. Use a thinner Solidify value (around 0.02–0.05) and assign a glass material with high transmission and a low roughness. Add extra loop cuts near the rim and base to keep the silhouette crisp under subdivision. Glass cups also benefit from Grid Fill on the bottom face to create a clean interior floor.
References & Sources
- WikiHow. “How to Make a Coffee Cup Using Blender.” Covers circle-based cup modeling with step-by-step instructions.
- Blender Foundation. “Solidify Modifier — Blender Manual.” Official documentation for the Solidify modifier used in cup modeling.