14 Ways to Recycle All Those Coffee Mugs

Is your kitchen overflowing with coffee mugs? Sometimes it’s good to thin the herd!

Here are some ideas for repurposing those mugs. Just don’t toss them in the landfill.

• Pencil holders on a desk or wherever someone does homework
• Holders for various school supplies, markers, paper clips, rubber bands, etc.
• Perfect sized pots to grow kitchen herbs in the house
• Small vases indoors or out
• Cute small gift holder that you can tie up with cellophane and a bow
• Give them away with a small plant in them (or sell them that way at a bake sale, garden sale, garage sale, etc.)
• Donate to a women’s shelter, halfway house, charity kitchen, etc.
• Donate to GoodWill or other charity resale shops.
  

  Coffee Cup Lamp
  Photo: Southern Living

• Pass some on to your kids when they leave home. They might even have some good memories associated with a particular cup.
• Handy candle holders for outdoors or during a storm
• Drill a hole in the bottom to hang them upside down outside as a wind chime(String bells or old silverware to clang in the wind.)
• Make a lamp by drilling a hole in the center of the cups and saucers and running the cord of a lamp kit through the stack. This would be cheery in a  kitchen, family room, or bedroom.
• Turn them into mini bird feeders! Use Liquid Nails glue to attach the mug or cup and saucer to the top of a garden post. Add bird seed to the cup. Very cute!
• Break them to use in a mosaic. Wrap the cups in newspaper and hit the bundle with a hammer. Cover flower pots, small tables, bowling balls, or figurines with mosaic. Great for outdoor decor, gifts, and even a side business! Click here for some mosaic inspiration (bowling ball gazing ball).  And click here for more mosaic project ideas.

I like to collect coffee mugs from places I visit. When I use the cup (and I’m a big coffee drinker) it reminds me of the place. I enjoy that a lot.

Yet I can see there will come a time when I really shouldn’t get any more coffee mugs!

I also collect Christmas mugs for when we have the family over during the holidays. They come in handy for hot chocolate, eggnog, milk for the kids, etc. Again, there comes a time when it’s enough!

When storage becomes a problem it’s time to give them away!