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DIY: Bent Utensil Mug Holders

by on Sep 16, 2010

My DIY bud  Stephanie Raab has been riding a DIY creativity wave here lately. Yesterday we chatted about getting these spoons to stick and this morning I get this photo of the cutest mug holder ever. She was inspired by a similar key rack project she saw on Design Sponge. But as all good DIY souls do, she tweaked it a bit and came up with her own design. Love that Steph!! Materials:

  • Wooden blocks in various shapes. (You can cut your own or I found mine at JoAnn fabrics for 59 cents each)
  • Spray paint 
  • Pieces of silverware, thin works best, as you will be bending these 
  • Gorilla glue (I used gorilla epoxy)
  • Gift wrap or a patterned paper (scrapbook paper will work just fine)
  • Mod podge, in matte
  • Sponge or brush for spreading the mod podge
  • Brass triangular hangers (you will nail these into the back of the wood)

Here’s what you do:

Steps:
1. Bend your utensils: You can either: drop the three utensils into boiling water, and once they’ve softened a bit, bend the silverware around something small and round; or, if they are thin enough you can just bend them by hand.

2. Paint your wood pieces, I used spray paint. Several light coats are better than one heavy coat. Be sure to allow proper drying time in between.

3. Nail in the brass triangles with the tiny tacks that are included with the triangular hangers (make sure they are straight or your key rack will hang crookedly)

4. Cut the patterned paper a little larger than the block of wood. I then held it in place and creased it over the edges of the block of wood. Once you have the creases in the shape of the space you will cover, I flipped it over and cut on the crease to reveal the shape of the space you will cover.

5. I then took Mod Podge and with a thin layer on both a wood and the back of the paper. Be sure the layer of mod podge is thin and is even so the paper will not wrinkle. Flip over the paper and apply to the wood. I also put a layer to seal it on top of the paper, pressing down. Allow this to dry. I did the next one and then came back to the previous for the next step.

6. Follow the directions on the epoxy on how to mix the product. Then apply a generous amount to both the utensil and the block of wood. Press down firmly, for a minute or two. I would allow these to dry overnight since they will be used in a weight bearing manner.

7. Hang up your new mug hooks!