The Easiest Way To Organize Coffee Mugs Without Spending A Penny

There are so many things to consider when buying new mugs, curating your own collection is an art. Do you want a matching set that reflects the rest of your kitchen's design? Do you like to collect souvenir mugs from your travels or hunt for unique vintage options? Our mugs speak volumes about us and make our morning coffee or afternoon tea rituals that much more special. The catch is that any even remotely sizable collection can become a headache to store and organize. It's hard enough to find room in our kitchens, and then we end up exclusively using whatever mug happens to be within reach. To solve this problem — and give all our beloved mugs a chance to shine — we looked at affordable hacks for organizing mugs. Of course, the most affordable hack is a free one, so how can you overhaul your cup organization without any purchases?

The answer is arranging mugs by height. This is a game-changer because you'll be able to see all of your mugs, so you'll actually use them. You'll remember you have that bigger mug, perfect for that super-sized coffee, or that small, pretty mug, ideal for serving your guest espresso. It's key when you line your mugs up that you face their handles all the same way. Since you're not using anything to separate them, some directional uniformity will prevent handles from hitting each other and possibly cracking and breaking.

The great thing about this organization hack is it's flexible — it works for whatever cabinet or shelf where you have space, and you can store your mugs right-side up or upside down, just as long as the handles face the same way. The two exceptions to the height rule are for your very favorite mug, which you may want to keep front and center even if it's not the shortest, and for any more valuable or fragile mugs, which you might want to place at back because they're best saved for special occasions. 

When you're branching to other kinds of mugs, consider placing them in their own sections instead of mixing them all up. If you've shopped for some of the best travel mugs, for example, leave space at the end of your mug shelf to place those together since you reach for them at different times than those at-home mugs. Ditto that for any special-feature mugs, like ones with temperature control. You can also DIY or repurpose some organization solutions. Anything ledge-like could become a rise or shelf organizer, to get those back mugs up higher and even more visible. Install hooks leftover from your closet in your cabinet to hang mugs, or use a spare shoe organizer over your pantry door. You can even use coasters if they're large and sturdy enough to safely stack mugs on top of each other.