Find a new life for the remains of mugs

October 3, 2009 10:55 AM

What to do with broken ceramic mugs?

I've been really clumsy lately and keep breaking members of our ceramic mugs collection. They are handmade and the glazing is really pretty, so it seems like a waste just to throw them away. I've glued a few of them back together as toothbrush holders, but am running out of ideas.

What else can I do with the sad remains? (As the pieces mostly have a bit of a curve to them, mosaic tables seem impractical...now if only I were breaking plates instead...)

posted by brambory to home & garden (9 comments total)

Mosaic...flowerpots? Some kind of jewelry?
posted by Neofelis at 11:12 AM on October 3

Crush them up some more, and glue/stick them on to something as a decoration. I have a friend who did this with glass beads and a coffee/side table. (The table had a square recess she filled with them.)
posted by Solon and Thanks at 11:18 AM on October 3

Transform them into cool Mug Organizers.
posted by jgwong at 11:18 AM on October 3

Wow, sorry, no excuses for not reading the entire question. However, if you crushed them smaller (and it still preserved the design) a table might still work. It works best for slightly decorative tables to begin with.
posted by Solon and Thanks at 11:19 AM on October 3

Put herb plants in them, or slice them up and make bangle bracelets out of them.
posted by iconomy at 12:14 PM on October 3

Wind chime

Or you could smash them further into evenly sized bits and use as a "mulch" for your houseplants.
posted by moonshine at 12:36 PM on October 3

I use all my broken crockery to make mosaics. Also, if you have a garden, put them around plants-- both potted and in the ground-- pointy-ends up to discourage squirrels and rabbits (just don't do this if you have kids).

Call a local high school or college art department and see if THEY want them for mosaic pieces.

If you have any nice red ones, I could really use some red.
posted by nax at 3:34 PM on October 3

I kicked myself when I broke a vintage Trader Vic's coconut cup in two, but now that the halves are mixed between cactii beside the steps up to my front door I get to enjoy it every day. To the garden, for sure.
posted by Scram at 11:05 PM on October 3

Many thanks for all the good ideas! Unfortunately, the bits are quite small (damn tile floor), so wind chime it is! (Though I do really like the idea of the bangles--that's one I certainly hadn't thought about)
posted by brambory at 1:42 AM on October 4