How To Repurpose Coffee Sleeves As Wall Art

I’ve always been a sucker for pretty paper . . . stationery, brochures, logo-emblazoned napkins, and even theater tickets (hey, if you’ve been to the Redford Theatre, you’ll know what I’m talking about!). I know you’re supposed to throw these things away, but I’m completely guilty of saving certain mementos from places I enjoy visiting. Plus, if I actually get back into scrapbooking (like I’ve been telling myself for the past 10 years), I’ll have plenty of trinkets to work with! Yeah, that’s not weird, right?

So many coffee sleeves feature great designs. They’re unique to whatever local coffeehouse (and town) you visit, they flatten (to take up less room), and when you put them together, they’d make really great wall art for a kitchen or coffee nook.

I could frame the coffee sleeves and hang them in our kitchen! After clearing the idea with my husband to make sure it wasn’t too off-the-wall, I set my coffee sleeve aside and started keeping my eyes open for other artistic sleeves whenever we hit local coffee shops. That’s the key: find mementos that also act as souvenirs (unless you really like Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts or whatever). That way, you’ll be reminded of your travels and favorite places every time you look at your finished artwork!

– Coffee sleeves from your favorite local coffee place or recent travels

– A frame matted for multiple photos (we chose a three-sectioned RIBBA frame from IKEA)

– Double-sided tape

– Cardstock (optional)

Another trick: I stored my coffee sleeves in this mini pizza box from Buddy’s! (Don’t worry–it was a clean, pizza-less box.)

Step 1 – Gather Your Coffee Sleeves

This is the fun part! Branch out far and wide to find your coffee sleeves, and at the same time—discover new coffeehouses and some delicious beverages! This project is as much about exploration as it is about creating a product, and you might even finish with a few stories to tell. **Tip: many coffee houses put sleeves by the sugar/cream station, so you’ll be able to grab one or two while you’re in for a visit (just make sure to buy something first!). If you don’t see a stack of sleeves, ask a barista if they have any extras on hand.

Cut your cardstock to the size of the frame and lay the paper on a flat surface (or, if the paper that came in your frame is sturdy enough and you like the color, just flip it over and use it as a backing). Place the mat on top of your paper or backing and arrange the coffee sleeves in the windows. Normal people would probably use a ruler to find the center of each window, but I usually just eyeball it (NOTE: I suggest doing this like a normal person). I did toy with the idea of flipping the frame horizontally, but the coffee sleeves fit much better in our particular frame when the mat was lined up and down (this will depend on the size of your own frame and mat).

When you’ve gotten the sleeves how you want them, use double-sided tape to attach them to your backing. Pop the mat and sleeves/backing into your frame, close ‘er up, and voila! Artwork accomplished.

We put our frame in our kitchen eating area, but these guys would look great in coffee nooks, break rooms, offices, or anywhere else you’d want to be reminded of your favorite coffee places! Keep in mind: you could also create this project using products like napkins, promotional cards, or anything else that fits the theme of your room. The possibilities are endless, and you’ll have a much easier time clearing out your “I’ll scrapbook it one day” collection (or purse, whichever pertains to you)!