How To Repurpose Broken Mugs Into Planters

by Sarah - Craft Invaders

Wondering what to do with the old coffee cups stuck in the back of your cupboard? Here’s an easy craft idea to repurpose broken mugs into cute planters.

 

Wondering what to do with the old coffee cups stuck in the back of your cupboard? Here's an easy craft idea to repurpose broken mugs into cute planters.

 

We are working hard to declutter the cupboards in our house. We have so many things stuffed in them that we never use. This collection of branded mugs are a prime example. They are entirely usable, but the kids are way past their hello kitty stage, so I decided to repurpose these old mugs into something I’d use.

 

Wondering what to do with the old coffee cups stuck in the back of your cupboard? Here's an easy craft idea to repurpose broken mugs into cute planters.

 

This DIY is a great way to reuse a broken mug or a cup that’s lost its handle. These particular mugs were actually in pretty good condition, but I soon sorted that out with a hammer and chisel!

I wanted planters with straight sides, so I started by removing the handles from the mugs.

 

Repurposing broken mugs :how to remove a handle from a mug.

To remove the handle from a ceramic mug, you need a hammer and a chisel. The chisel blade should be wider than the handle you are removing.

Protect your work surface with newspaper or similar to catch any pieces of ceramic. It is also worth wearing eye protection for this stage.

 

Wondering what to do with the old coffee cups stuck in the back of your cupboard? Here's an easy craft idea to repurpose broken mugs into cute planters.

 

Place the chisel blade at ninety degrees above where the handle meets the mug. (As shown in the photo). Strike the chisel end with a hammer and with the right amount of force the handle will pop off.

I found each of my handles came off on the third strike, whether this was because I use a bit more force each time or whether the joint weakened I’m not sure.

 

Wondering what to do with the old coffee cups stuck in the back of your cupboard? Here's an easy craft idea to repurpose broken mugs into cute planters.

 

If the handle doesn’t break up cleanly use the chisel to tidy it up.

Out of 5 mugs, I managed to remove four handles, breaking one mug completely. One handle came off leaving a hole in the body of the cup, which isn’t a problem for a planter.

 

How to repurpose broken mugs into planters

I love rustic planters covered in natural materials like our birch bark covered flowerpot and our moss-covered pots — this time, I used willow and cinnamon sticks to decorate my broken mugs.

 

Wondering what to do with the old coffee cups stuck in the back of your cupboard? Here's an easy craft idea to repurpose broken mugs into cute planters.

 

I stuck the sticks to the broken mugs using a glue gun, but any strong all purpose adhesive would work. Using a sharpie to mark a couple of vertical lines on the mug before you start will act as a guide and help keep the sticks straight.

 

Wondering what to do with the old coffee cups stuck in the back of your cupboard? Here's an easy craft idea to repurpose broken mugs into cute planters.

 

And here are my rustic planters made from broken mugs. I think they look really cute.

 

Wondering what to do with the old coffee cups stuck in the back of your cupboard? Here's an easy craft idea to repurpose broken mugs into cute planters.

 

They’d also make great storage for pens or utensils.

 

Wondering what to do with the old coffee cups stuck in the back of your cupboard? Here's an easy craft idea to repurpose broken mugs into cute planters.

 

Finally, I filled my planters with compost and planted with pretty houseplants.

 

Wondering what to do with the old coffee cups stuck in the back of your cupboard? Here's an easy craft idea to repurpose broken mugs into cute planters.

 

Wondering what to do with the old coffee cups stuck in the back of your cupboard? Here's an easy craft idea to repurpose broken mugs into cute planters.

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4 comments

Bambie January 25, 2020 - 8:20 pm

I absolutely love these broken mug planters!! You are so creative. I also have a question. Where can you get the willow sticks? And please don’t tell me from a willow tree LOL because I don’t have one. Are they available in craft stores? Thank you in advance for you’re time. And keep those great ideas coming

Reply
Sarah - Craft Invaders January 27, 2020 - 11:43 pm

Hi Bambie You can get them in craft stores and they are available on Amazon too

Reply
Sidney McLaughlin October 29, 2019 - 1:55 pm

These are very nice… but I have a cup that has a broken handle. It was a gift and I love it. Is there a way to smooth off the surface of the cup so that I can still use it?

Reply
Sarah - Craft Invaders November 3, 2019 - 5:45 pm

I’d try a tool like a dremmel to smooth the surface Sidney, Best of luck :)

Reply