Mugs in your cabinet often come in various shapes and sizes, making it challenging to keep them neatly stacked and organized. However, these kitchen essentials play a significant role in your daily routine. If you enjoy starting your day with a hot cup of tea or coffee, the last thing you want is to spend time searching for your favorite mug in the morning. To keep your mugs easily accessible and prevent them from cluttering your cabinets, consider storing them on your counter using a mug tree. Interestingly, you can create such a fixture from scratch with just a few affordable items.
A Cooking Concepts bamboo cutting board from Dollar Tree serves as an ideal base for your DIY mug tree. For the center pole, you can purchase an inexpensive rolling pin, like the Bamber Mini Wood Rolling Pin, or repurpose an old one you have at home. You’ll also need a few sturdy screw hooks to attach to the sides of your rolling pin, some wood glue, a decorative knob or finial, and a long screw, such as a drywall or wood screw, to anchor everything in place. The finished product offers a simple yet creative way to showcase all your charming mugs.
How to assemble a DIY mug tree
To start building your DIY mug tree, measure and mark the center points of your cutting board and one end of your rolling pin (this will be the bottom). If you’re repurposing an old pin, begin by removing any handles from the ends and sanding down the edges where they used to be. Next, drill pilot holes using these tips for drilling the perfect pilot hole in the center marks, employing a bit the same size as your screw. Slightly enlarge the opening of the pilot hole on the bottom of the cutting board using a larger drill bit to ensure the screw can be countersunk flush with the wood. Alternatively, you can use a countersink bit when drilling that pilot hole.
Next, apply a generous layer of wood glue to the bottom of your pin, and attach it to the base of the mug tree by drilling your screw into the pilot holes from the bottom of the board using either a standard drill or an impact driver. Allow the glue to dry, then paint the entire piece with your preferred color or wood stain to ensure all components match. Drill small pilot holes for the hooks into the rolling pin at varying heights with enough room for each mug, and hand-screw the hooks into place. Finally, attach your decorative knob or finial to the top of the tree with wood glue. If you choose to skip the decorative knob, simply bypass the last step.
Tips for enhancing your new mug tree
There are several smart and straightforward ways to enhance your DIY mug tree. To begin with, consider sealing the wooden components of the project to ensure durability and moisture resistance. A product like Hope’s Pure Tung Oil Wood Finish works well, but mineral oil or beeswax are also viable options. If you have spare plywood at home, you could use it instead of the cutting board to create a wider base for your mug tree, enhancing its stability. With this material, you might also opt to make your tree base circular rather than rectangular. The simplest way to achieve a round cut is with a band saw, although a table saw with a circle-cutting jig should also suffice.
If the hooks are too small for your mug handles, attach small dowel rods in their places. To do this, you’ll need to create a drill guide. First, take a small block of wood and cut one edge at a slight angle. Then, drill a hole through the block at the same angle to create the guide. Clamp the guide over your rolling pin wherever you want to position the dowel rods, and pre-drill holes for them to fit into. Coat one end of each dowel rod with wood glue and insert it into its hole. Once the glue dries, the dowel rods should be securely in place. Once you’ve completed your tree, you can learn how to DIY an impressive coffee station to complement it.
