Ditch The Stuffed Cabinets: Use A Plastic Bottle To Keep Stacked Mugs Organized

We spend a lot of time in our kitchens. We start our days here, drinking coffee and preparing breakfast, and we end our nights in the same place, making a snack before bed or even mixing up a cocktail. Given that kitchens often represent the center of activity in a home, it's easy to let them fall into disarray. Kitchen cupboards, specifically, are one of the most notoriously cluttered places in most households, which can result in unneeded anxiety. You might have loose food storage containers, a forgotten panini press, and — almost certainly — a collection of mugs. Although you can repurpose them using these 20 creative ideas as inspiration, including turning them into planters and candles, you can also find new ways to keep them well-maintained, like stacking them with the help of an old plastic water bottle, something you'd normally throw away.

This DIY is relatively simple, and only requires a few materials. You'll want an empty plastic water bottle — it'll need to be a large one, with a circumference large enough to fit a mug — a pair of scissors or a box cutter, and a stable surface to work on, ideally a cutting board that won't slip and slide. The process should only take a few minutes to complete, and, in the end, you'll have a clear, cylindrical storage container where you can stack your various mugs, one on top of the other.

To begin, start by soaking your large plastic bottle in plenty of soap and water — this will help you cleanly remove the label. It's a step you're probably already familiar with if you've tried to upcycle empty plastic water bottles for countertop storage before. If so, you probably also know this other brilliant hack that can be used for removing plastic labels. After the bottle is clean, allow it time to fully dry before moving on to the next stage of the project.

Position the plastic bottle on a solid work surface, something that won't slide dangerously, and evenly cut off the top — the part where the cap is. Once you have removed the top, you can discard it. Then, with your box cutter, cut a straight slit from the edge of the bottle almost to the bottom. Cut a second, parallel slit about an inch away. Use your scissors to snip off the plastic tail in the middle of the two cuts. Then place your coffee cups in the bottle sleeve, with the handles in the open slip. Then you can stand up this sleeve and place it in your cupboard.

If you want to add a little more style to this water bottle, you can use stickers. You can also use hot glue and rhinestones to bedazzle the bottle. Keep your organizer on your countertop, in your cupboard, or by the coffee machine for convenient access to your mugs.