Free Up Kitchen Space With TikTok's Genius Storage Hack For Extra Coffee Mugs
Coffee mugs are just one of those things people seem to always have a lot of, even if they're not a coffee or tea drinker. Mugs are collectable souvenirs and make for great gifts, but they can be unforgiving when it comes to storing a large collection of them. Housing the drinkware in a kitchen cabinet is a popular way to stash your coffee cups away, but TikTok has a better storage solution that can free up cabinet space. With a gorgeous polished brass-looking pot rail and a few hooks, you can turn your mug stockpile into a stylish display that doesn't occupy either cabinet or countertop space.
To build this coffee mug bar, you'll need the HULTARP pot rail from IKEA for $9, a stud finder, level, pencil, screws, and HULTARP hooks, also from IKEA for $5 for a pack of five. Unfortunately, this pot rail does not come with hardware, so you'll need to hunt for screws that match. However, a quick search online or a visit to your local hardware store should do the trick. Furthermore, if you don't like the look of the brass piece, there are plenty of other pot rail options on the market in different colors and styles. This TikTok storage hack is easy to build and takes less than an hour to complete. It is a great way to make some extra room for other dishes in your cabinets and add a unique decorative touch to your kitchen.
How to build a mug rack
After gathering your materials, you'll need to pick the ideal spot for your rack. Any empty wall space below your upper cabinets or above your countertops can be a good spot. You can also attach the railing directly to your cabinets underneath wall cupboards or on the side of your kitchen island. Just ensure the area doesn't obscure your walkway or workspace because you don't want to bump into your mugs and create a mosaic of broken ceramic.
Once you find the ideal area, hold the railing in place (use a level to ensure it's even) and mark the drill holes with a pencil. Then, drill the pot rail in place. If you're mounting the railing onto the wall, use a stud finder to locate the wall studs. If any of the drill markers overlap with the support beams, then you only need a regular screw to attach the pot rail. If they don't, it's best to use a wall anchor for extra reinforcement. For drilling into cabinetry, ensure the screw is long enough to pass through the cupboard wall and add a bolt nut to the screw on the inside of the cupboard for ample support.
After the bar is secure, add your hooks and mugs. One 23 ½- inch railing can hold at least four coffee cups. This DIY is a chic and creative way to display your mugs, but it can also be used for so much more than that.
Other ways to use the storage rack
Instead of one railing that only holds a handful of mugs, you can create a wall rack to house a large collection. To maximize this TikTok storage hack, mount three or four pot rails vertically on your kitchen wall to store your mugs. You want the pot rails at least a foot apart so the coffee cups can hang without knocking into the other posts or mugs. On the other hand, you could choose to mount the railings horizontally beside one another in a long row to make a longer pot rail. You can even arrange the drinkware by size or color to turn the open storage into a stylish focal point.
Alternatively, if you don't have a lot of mugs, you can also use the railing to store other kitchen items. The metal bar is a great place to hang aprons, hand towels, oven mitts, large utensils, and other kitchen accessories. You can also use the hooks to store sturdy mesh bags and place produce in them for vegetable storage, or use them to dry fresh herbs. It's a clever hack to add more storage to your kitchen that's budget- and DIY-friendly.