The Creative Way To Reuse A Coffee Mug Holder In Your Yard

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Remember those old-fashioned mug trees — the kind that stood on three or four legs and possessed curlicue arms that hooked onto the handles of your coffee cups? As far as coffee cup storage goes, they were pretty cute. It turns out those mug trees have a use that has nothing to do with keeping your mugs safe on the kitchen counter between cups of coffee. Instead, you can repurpose your coffee mug holder to make a plant holder for your porch or the edge of your garden. Instead of mugs, you'll be hanging small buckets that operate is miniature planters.

As far as DIY projects go, this one is pretty simple and a brilliant way to repurpose an old bucket or two, along with your mug tree. You'll need to get hold of some mini buckets with handles, like these Houseables Store Galvanized Metal Buckets. Then you just need potting soil, gardening tools, and small flowering plants to round out the supplies list for this project. Coffee filters or packing peanuts can also come in handy to prevent this project from making a mess.

The mini buckets will be used as planters, which will then hang from your mug tree. Before you can add potting soil and plants to the buckets, take the time to drill at least one drain hole in the bottom of the bucket so that the water can drain out the bottom. Common, though false, knowledge suggests that a layer of rocks should come after drilling the hole. However, rocks and pebbles don't allow for the drainage that people think they do. Packing peanuts, coffee filters, or even small pine cones work better here and can prevent the soil from coming through the drain hole and making a mess. 

Once that part is done, you'll fill the buckets with the potting soil and the plants. Small plants like African violets or succulents work best in this case, due to the size constraints of the buckets. Or step away from decorative plants and make the mug tree planter the place where your miniature herb garden resides. Basil, thyme, or sage are yummy ideas. Finally, one miniature bucket gets hung on each of the branches of the mug tree. If you like a uniform look, opt for one type of plant, like the violets. Otherwise, a mixture of plants adds visual interest if you're interested in changing things up a bit.

If you like the look of the mug tree and the shiny metal exteriors of the buckets, then leave them as is. However, if you want to add pops of color to your mug tree planter, then break out your painting supplies. Because these items are made of metal, be sure to put a layer of primer on the pieces before you paint. Otherwise, the paint won't stick very well.

You're also not limited to metal buckets. If you're a coffee lover, you can pay homage to your favorite beverage by repurposing your old coffee mugs. These replace the buckets as the planters for this project. Taller mugs work better in this instance because they're bottom-heavy. This weight factor pulls the bottom of the mugs down and pushes the cups' opening up, making them more suitable for planting.

As with the buckets, you'll want to drill holes in the bottom. This may take some doing to ensure that you don't crack the mug. Your best bet is to use dollar store or second-hand mugs to practice on until you get it right. But once you get it, you're free to plant your plants in the mugs of your choice.