Learn.

Capturing Nature in a Jar

A weekend trip to my ‘hometown’ provided imaginative fuel for shade-loving terrariums that brought a little bit of my home to … my HOME.

 This is a Tumblr Cross over post originally photographed and posted by me in August 2013.

Life Hacks: Easy DIY Mug Hooks

So a lot of the projects I'll be sharing for at least the next, I don't know, umpteen million years (I know, it just feels that way) are of the individual projects we are doing to complete a larger (read: total) remodel of the inside of our home now that the outside is so beautifully renovated. And yes, I promise I'll get more into that soon, too.

One of the biggest problems facing most of us smaller-home and mobile home owners is simple: lack of storage. The manufacturers simply didn't care enough to install properly spaced shelves in cupboards or provide enough cupboards at all in many cases. It's a problem that we've dealt with for too long now and as I'm so currently focused on the divider and kitchen, I felt it was time to do something quick and easy that would really make a difference.

Mug Hooks. Hanging Mugs. Whatever you want to call them, they're awesome.

And if you decide to go through any store for any sort of 'strip' that can be hung, they're really expensive. It's unnecessary. You can make beautiful under-cupboard hanging mugs using hooks yourself in about ... ohhh I think it took me 5 minutes to put up a set of 6. Oh the cost? Under $2 just dropping by my local hardware store.

Here's how you do it - super quick and easy.

DIY Mug Hooks (Under-Cupboard Hanging Mugs)

There's so little to this project it almost doesn't qualify as a project. But it cleans up a lot of clutter, so we're going to call it one anyway.

In the pictures, I've spared you my clutter. What you see is a 'perfect vision' of a very pared down and cleaned up cupboard. But yes, it's awesomely functional now.

Before:

Yes, I know. Those beautiful glasses that are stacked are actually handmade and brought back from Mexico as a gift, too. But when you have no space ....

The Materials:

Well, you'll also need a good grip. If your wood is extremely tough, you seriously might consider a pair of pliers, too.

What to Do:

First, measure about 3 inches in from the back of your cupboard and mark the spot. Then, mark 3 inches in from the front of your cupboard. These are the parallel lines the hangers will be screwed into. Next, measure about 3 inches in from the side of your cupboard on each parallel line (whichever side is the one that you want to start your mugs on). Mark. This is the exact spot on both lines to place your first hangers. Continue measuring until you have the correct number of marks to match your hangers.

Now it's time to screw the hangers in. I had to just plop down on my counter and use some elbow grease. I have a perfectly pretty set of 6 mugs, so I spaced 2 rows of 3 hangers across the cupboard focusing on the right-hand side.

Once you've got the hangers in, place your mugs and rearrange your glasses - and yay! Easiest life hack to make your cupboards instantly cleaner and more useful ever.