Home decor

Repurposed mugs – 6 clever ways to upcycle unwanted pieces from your collection

I hoard mugs. You hoard mugs. We all hoard mugs. Why are they so cute? Why do I have to just have it? Just one more? Please?

So there comes a point you may have bought **too many** of them, and your autumn cleaning check list includes getting rid of a few old ones, but we get it – you just can’t. And we have wonderful news: you don’t have to! Because you can give them new life by following a trend that’s been around for ages, yet, we tend to forget about it: upcycling.

Even for the avid coffee drinking and tea aficionados, a plethora of mugs is still useless clutter. You always seem to gravitate towards your favourite ones anyway? So this weekend, have a look through the below options, see if this selection inspires you to transform some of that collection.

1. Toothbrush holder

This is a fairly straight-forward option and requires little to no alterations, other than physically moving the mug from one room to another. If you still like the design, and the colours even match your bathroom’s colour scheme then you are in for a quick win.

2. Herb planters

Herbs, succulents or any smaller plants you want to propagate will look super cute in an unusual shaped mug or cup. Those little handles just give a bit of extra to the already adorable look. Just make sure you take care of drainage with some small rocks and pebbles on the bottom of your new planting pot.

3. Candle holder

You can now buy soy candle kits online, that include fragrances, colour chips, wicks and glue dots to make your own candles just the way you want it. With plenty of Youtube videos and instructional DIY blog posts out there, you will find the best option that suits you.

4. Bird feeder

You can make your own wild bird suet by melting some lard with oatmeal, peanut butter, broth and sugar. Heat the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for approx. 20 minutes, stir in some raisin and nuts then pour into your mug. Wait for it to cool a bit down, and gather some sticks from the garden and stick out approximately 4″ beyond the top of the mugs.
Pop it in the fridge to cool down and allow the suet to harden.
Once it is solid, use a carabiner to hang the suet feeder in a tree, and voilá!

5. Coffee cup dessert stand

Just by adding some glue to all the right places, with a few saucers and cups in different sizes, you can have yourself a new afternoon tea stand! The best thing is: you get to combine different shapes, sizes, colours, completely to your liking!

6. Coffee mug pin cushions

With fabric, some type of fill, a glue gun and scissors, it takes about 2 minutes to create something you will cherish for a long time! If you like sewing and haven’t gotten around to having a cute little pin cushion around the house, this is an easy, cheap and very handy DIY.

So, will you give any of the above a try? Have your upcycled, repurposed old dinnerware before?

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