Comments on: How can I reuse or recycle … mugs with broken handles?

By: louisa

louisa — Tue, 11 May 2010 14:21:21 +0000

It’s not advised to glue handles back onto cups or mugs which will hold a hot liquid for safety reasons – if the glue gives way, you might get severely scalded.

By: HuntingWabbits

HuntingWabbits — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 18:15:31 +0000

You can try your hand at using superglue to get the handle back on, but that’s really just postponing the inevitable. You could sand the white part back down, paint it, and shellac it so it blends in.

By: Jessica Woody

Jessica Woody — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 15:58:58 +0000

Oh my goodness, I am so glad that you posted this. Recently I had a couple of my friends over and one of the handles broke off of my beautiful Japanese tea set porcelain cups…I have been wondering what in the world can I do with this; now I can turn it into a lovely planter for my bamboo plant. Thank you for the great idea!

By: Olga

Olga — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:15:31 +0000

Cover the top of wooden poll outside to prevent water damage.

By: Lizzy

Lizzy — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 11:24:00 +0000

if they’re intact apart from handles, you could use them to put peaches or other easily bruised fruit in for picnics to stop them getting squashed

By: Jocelyn

Jocelyn — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 04:42:49 +0000

I had the same problem with my favorite mug. I loved all your suggestions. I think I will try grinding it down and making it a sugar bowl. :-)

By: Reese

Reese — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 18:56:57 +0000

recycle it maybe???

By: kelsie

kelsie — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 20:02:40 +0000

well you can just glue it back on dun
kelsie age 11

By: Dan

Dan — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 09:30:17 +0000

Holders for pencils or those odd screws and bolts that everyone has

By: Cally

Cally — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 20:58:00 +0000

When they are really smashed they make excellent drainage material for the bottom of plant pots – especially a curved piece put over any large hole to stop it getting clogged with earth but allow water through. It is quite fun to spot old cup pieces when you repot : )

By: John

John — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 23:27:24 +0000

You could rub down the cup where the handles broke off and reuse them as handle-less cups ;)

Once you’ve removed the sharp edges, you can use them for anything from pen holders, organisers, sugar bowls, etc.

By: AliceJ

AliceJ — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 15:14:48 +0000

Since they’re totally inert, you could “recycle” them by breaking them up into bits as small as you can manage and then just mixing them into the soil in your garden. They’ll do no more harm than all the other stones in there, although they may make the soil a little more alkaline than it was.

By: Katz

Katz — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 21:57:45 +0000

If they are too small for plants – maybe they are just the right size for growing herbs in the kitchen?
You may be able to use them as candle holders – just pop a small candle in and enjoy!

By: Linda

Linda — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 22:00:44 +0000

I have a friend who uses broken pieces of crockery decoratively in her garden. If you bury the broken part, no one can tell the piece is broken. You might want to break the mugs a bit more so that they drain, then put them in the garden at an angle with a plant growing out of them. If you have toads in the garden, you can partially bury one upside down as a toad house.

By: shan

shan — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 22:24:14 +0000

if the cup part itself is still intact, you can touch up the chipped places with paint and use them in other serving capacities- for soup, ice cream, dipping sauces, etc.

you could also turn them upside down and use them on shelves for tiering the display of knick-knacks and picture frames.

By: Delusion

Delusion — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 07:31:32 +0000

They are great for using as paint pots for crafts especially if you are using decent amounts of poster paints. You can give the paint a good slosh around inside without it splashing everywhere.

If the mug is nice or a favourite, how about using it as a pen holder on a desk. Just keep the handle-less side facing away ;)

By: Emily

Emily — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 21:28:46 +0000

How about using them as plant pots? At least before the plants grow to big and need re-potting…

By: Bobbie

Bobbie — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 14:26:58 +0000

p.p.s. I should have said Google IMAGE this term. Arrrgghh!

By: Bobbie

Bobbie — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 13:55:02 +0000

Pique Assiette is the art of using broken crockery in mosaics. Many of these mosaics are useful items, such as outdoor benches and birdbaths, and are as beautiful as they are useful. Cup handles are especially useful in this art. Just Google this term and you will see some wonderful stuff.