How to Hang Mugs Under Cabinets or Shelves

Hang mugs under cabinets or shelves in minutes! This quick and easy DIY project will open up space in cabinets, and display favorite mugs stylishly.

Is your mug collection busting out of the cabinets? Would you like to hang mugs near your coffee maker? Whatever the reason, hanging mugs under a shelf or cabinet is a quick storage solution for the kitchen.

Kitchen storage idea: how to hang mugs under a cabinet or shelf. Photo by Craftivity Designs

I’m Lora, of Craftivity Designs, and I’m on a mission to make the home both beautiful and functional. Projects such as a DIY essential oil shelf, family command center, and under shelf mug hooks make our home easier to use – without sacrificing style.

How to HANG MUGS UNDER CABINETS (or Shelves!)

Whether cabinetry or open shelving is in your kitchen, you can hang mugs. In fact, in my kitchen, a shallow shelf (which we use as a plate rack) holds my favorite mugs. So, if you want to hang mugs in the kitchen, don’t limit yourself to cabinetry.

What you need:

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DIY Tools Needed:

Supplies Needed:

Cup Hooks
Wood Cabinetry or Shelf

Instructions

Here’s how to hang up mugs under your cabinets. You don’t even have to be a “handy” person to do it.

1. Mark the Center Point of the Shelf

First, measure the underside of the shelf in order to find the center point. Mark the center point with a pencil.

Mark the center point on a wood shelf with a pencil

2. Determine Distance from Front Edge

Next, determine how far to offset the cup hooks from the front edge of the cabinet or shelf.

For my shelf, I inset the cup hooks 1.5 inches from the front edge of the shelf.

Mark the point on a wood shelf to hang mugs

Note: The cup hook should be a minimum of 2 inches from the wall to ensure that the mugs have enough room to hang without hitting the wall.

3. Mark Equal Increments from the Center

Once the center point is marked, and the offset is defined, mark additional points along the shelf. Set the mugs apart in equal increments.

For my shelf, I marked 5-inch increments. I wouldn’t recommend any distance less than 5 inches unless you have small coffee mugs, or are hanging teacups.

4. Drill PILOT Holes in THE WOOD

Once all of the points are marked in pencil, drill pilot holes. Make sure to use a drill bit that is smaller than the diameter of the cup hook’s screw.

Drill pilot holes in a wood shelf for cup hooks to hang mugs

5. Screw Cup Hooks into the CABINET

After drilling the pilot holes, screw in the cup hooks. Turn the cup hooks to face the same direction, so that the mugs will hang in the same orientation.

Screw cup hooks into a wood shelf to hang mugs

Note: Before screwing in the cup hooks, make sure to compare the depth of the thread to the thickness of the wood cabinet or shelf. If the screw depth is greater than the wood thickness, it will poke through the wood.

6. HANG MUGS

Once the hooks are installed, start hanging mugs! I chose several that fit the color scheme of our kitchen (and freed up space in our cabinets in the process #winwin).

Wood shelf in kitchen with cup hooks to hang mugs. Photo by Craftivity Designs

Kitchen storage featuring plate rack with cup hook to hang mugs. Photo by Craftivity Designs

Next on my list? Find homes for my plant babies and set up a coffee bar over in this corner of the kitchen. It will clear counter space when the Keurig is moved to this drop leaf table. Hanging mugs near the coffeemaker will make brewing a cup of joe more efficient.

Don’t drink coffee? Hang teacups under the cabinet, instead!