How to build a space-saving wall-mount mug holder for a kitchen coffee station with repurposed wooden shutters, salvaged wood planks, or brand new fence boards. It's a simple project to make using just a couple of power tools and I'll show you how.

Space-Saving Farmhouse Mug Rack From Wood Shutters

It's time for another Power Tool Challenge. We are a group of tool-savvy, skill-sharing bloggers who come together each month to share a DIY project with a common theme. Our goal is to empower our female readers to step out of their comfort zone and try building a simple project with power tools.

The theme this month is Repurposed and you'll find our talented group's projects at the bottom of the post. Please don't forget to check them out before you go. Last time I made a repurposed antique chair back bird feeder. Thank you Wendi from H20 Bungalow for hosting this event.

The timing for our Repurposed theme couldn't have been more perfect. We helped my daughter and her family move a couple of weeks ago. Now that she has unpacked her kitchen, she would like to create a coffee station on one end of her counter.

But instead of using valuable storage space in her cabinets for mugs, she asked if I could make a space-saving mug rack to hang on the wall behind her coffee maker. With our PTC being to repurpose something, I had the perfect materials in mind to build it.

Collecting dust in the workshop is a couple of wooden shutters made from fence boards that used to flank a mirror in our dining room. Last year we added a board & batten feature wall in this space so the shutters had to go. I'm happy to have found a purpose for them.

The challenge is that the space between the base of her kitchen cabinets and the top of the electrical outlet in this space is only 20" wide x 13" tall. So it's important I maximize the mug storage potential of the mug holder.

Instead of cutting the pickets on the top of the shutters, I decided to keep them and have them pointing down towards the counter.

What Tools Do I Need To Build The Mug Holder?

This post contains affiliate links so you can see what products I used or recommend for this project. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from any qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!

To build this easy wall mount mug rack you'll need two power tools; a compound miter saw and a power drill.

Here's How I Made It

The first step is to dismantle the old wooden shutters in order to salvage the boards.

Dismantling Old Wooden Shutters

Thankfully the shutters were assembled with wood screws so it was easy to dismantle them with a power drill, starting with removing the battens on the back of the shutters.

Measuring The Boards

Remember earlier that I mentioned there are only 13-inches from above the electrical outlet to the bottom of the upper cabinets? I marked a pencil line with a straight edge on each board 13-inches from the top of the picket point.

Cutting Old Shutter Planks

With a miter saw, I cut each board on the generous side of the pencil marks. That left a whole lot of leftover boards. Being one who doesn't let anything go to waste, I built a computer monitor stand for my home office with the leftovers.

Assembling Mug Holder

The width of three shutters equals 18-inches, perfect considering the width of her wall is 20-inches. I flipped the good side of the boards upside down, line them up evenly, and use bar clamps to hold them in place.

I found two pieces of MDF trim in my stash and luckily they were the perfect length. No cutting required, love when that happens!

MDF has a tendency to split so I made pilot holes with my drill and a 3/32 pilot hole bit. Next, I applied wood glue to the back and attached the battens with #8 1-inch wood screws.

Adding Picture Hangers

On the back of the mug rack, I measured 3-inches from each side and attached heavy-duty picture hanging hooks to support the weight of the wood rack and coffee mugs.

TIP For Picture Hanger Installation

To keep the triangle on the upper part of the picture hangers from flopping downwards, mount the triangle so it rests just slightly on the batten so it stays upright. Trust me, it saves a lot of headaches later when trying to hang the mug wrack on the wall!

Painting Mug Holder

Now that the mug holder is assembled, it's time for the fun part, making it pretty! To give the mug holder a rustic vibe like my daughter requested, I used a layered dry brush paint technique.

To do that first I brushed two coats of chalk paint in a charcoal gray color. Once the last coat was dry I added a dry brushed layer of white on top. The white makes the knots and grain of the wood pop.

The dry brush technique is basically dipping the tips of your brush in the paint and offloading the excess by dabbing it onto a paper towel. With little paint on the brush and light pressure, swipe the brush with the grain of the wood in long brush strokes. Essentially you're highlighting the raised texture of the wood but the base color still peeks through.

Mapping The Cup Hook Placement

TIP: It's important that you map the cup hook placement BEFORE stenciling the mug holder.

I chose to use white hooks to tie in the white stencil but vintage hooks would be fabulous too. My daughter wanted it to hold as many mugs as possible. I tried hard to make it fit an even number of mugs but unfortunately could only fit nine.

With the mug rack laying flat on your work surface, position the hooks with the mugs. Once you've figured out the placement, use an awl to punch through the holes on each hook.

With the mugs still in place like they would be hanging if they were mounted on the wall, use painter's tape to mark where the bottom of each mug sits. This way you know where to stencil in the opening so it won't be covered by a mug. Ask me how I know!

Mug Holder Stencil

If you are a regular reader then the homestead blend coffee stencil from Funky Junk Old Sign Stencils will look familiar because I used it on this rustic serving tray makeover a few months ago.

Now that we know the hook and mug placement, line up the stencil and hold it in place with painter's tape. Use a round tip stencil brush and offload the paint first onto a paper towel. Either pounce or swirl the brush starting in the middle then work your way towards the edges. This helps eliminate any paint from bleeding behind the stencil.

Mount Cup Hooks

Once the stencil paint is dry, line the cup hooks with the holes you made earlier and screw the cup hooks in place. Now you are ready to hang the mug holder on the wall!

No-Measure TIP For Hanging The Mug Holder

Hanging anything on a wall with two picture hooks can be a real pain getting the nail holes just right. I learned this amazing no-fail no-measure picture hanging tip during my career as a home stager.

The mug holder project is so hot off the press that it hasn't gone to my daughter's home yet. The photos are taken from a wall in my kitchen.

Thanks for stopping by the Interior Frugalista today! I hope you were inspired by this repurposed shutter wall mount mug holder. Here's another DIY idea for a hot beverage station for a small tea storage box pretty enough to have on display.

If you have any questions, please leave them in the comment section below or the Contact Me tab at the top to drop me an email. I love hearing from you!

If you enjoyed this space-saving wall mount farmhouse mug rack, I'd be so thankful if you shared it with a friend and pinned it to your favorite board on Pinterest.

Now here's where I invite you to click on the links below to visit our talented group members' projects. If you don't have time to browse today, come back later in the week to pick up where you left off.

Hanging Picket Pendant Light | Designed Decor
Garden Bench | Create and Babble
Bed Spindle Pedestal Bowl | H2O Bungalow
Industrial Cart Coffee Table | Refresh Restyle
Mid Century Headboard Bench | My Repurpose Life
Framed Wall Spool Rack Upcycle | Kim Six
Vintage Tennis Racket Table | Virginia Sweet Pea
Recycled Wood Plant Stands | Designs By Studio C
Repurposed Wood Shutters Wall Mount Mug Holder | Interior Frugalista (that's me)
Repurposed Cabinet Door String Art | Domestically Speaking