It is absolutely no mystery that, I’m OBSESSED with coffee! Yeah yeah, no surprise, so is a good majority of the human race, sure. However, after years of gifts of, you guessed it, coffee cups, a measly cabinet shelf no longer held the abundance of mugs I was collecting. So, I came across an idea of turning a palette board into a coffee cup rack for my rather bare and dull kitchen wall.
I enlisted the help of my lovely mother who has more experience with power tools than I do, and we set to work.
What you will need:
- Palette Board
- Power tools (Saw, Sander, & Drill)
- Sandpaper
- Wood Stain & Seal (optional)
- Cloth Rag
- Hooks and Screws
- Paint and brush (optional)
My mother procured the palette board for me from a local Lowe’s, and after some smooth talking of the young man working in that department, he actually took the time to pick one out that was in the best condition. Now, I would suggest starting by cleaning it off a little since 1) it will be in your kitchen and cobwebs…gross, and 2) it’s gonna be holding things that you will be drinking out of.
Okay, let’s get at it!
- Decide the size that you would like for your cup rack. Then measure and mark it on your board. I used a little less than half of the palette board, I wanted mine narrow but long. I would also suggest inspecting the boards to make sure that they are not split or anything like that and cut the best and most stable section.
- Once you decide the size, go ahead and use that saw and cut it out.
- Once you have your cut, sand it down! How much you sand is really up to you. Just be sure that it’s smooth enough where you won’t catch splinters while hanging up your coffee cups.
- Now, this is an optional step- staining. I wanted mine to be a bit darker and a chocolate color. I ended up using a one-step gel stain because it’s quick and easy and a bit cheaper. Each stain will be a bit different depending on the color of the palette. If you do choose to stain be sure to test the color out first. I used a separate piece from what was cut that wasn’t being used, took a cloth, dipped it in my stain and brushed a sample onto it. That way you know if you want to do numerous coats. Once you test it, go ahead and start staining your coffee rack. Note the tips below before starting the staining process.
A few additional tips for staining:
- If you’ve never stained before USE GLOVES. It will stain your hands and while you can do it without you have to be more meticulous.
- Use an old rag that you don’t use anymore. It will get ruined and you will have to throw it away. It will not come out in the wash.
- The longer you keep the stain on, the darker it will get. Be sure to wipe it off before it dries at your desired color. If using a poly stain, you can use a brush and put on coat after coat to get the desired color.
- You may need to sand and use a tack cloth to pick up the dust in between coats. If you don’t it won’t get smooth.
- If you want a glossier finish, you can spray it with a poly sealant.
5. Once it was stained, sealed and dried. I decided to add a saying to the top. I chose “but first coffee!” I have some practice in calligraphy so I used what I knew to make my design. Painted over it a few times in white and then sealed over that as well. This is by far my favorite part of this project!
6. Adding the hooks was probably the hardest part. I counted how many mugs I had and approximately how many hooks I wanted to use. Then I measured out how I wanted to place them, marked small holes in pencil, and started drilling.
7. Once you make the holes, add the hooks, make the final touch ups and you are GOLDEN!!! Then decide how you want to hang it and make sure it can hold the weight of the mugs in addition to the board itself.
Now sit back, relax with a cup of coffee and admire your new timeless piece of decor.
Hope you all enjoyed! If you tried it out, comment a picture of your completed work down below.
