Friday, April 10, 2009

No-Cost Spice Shelf

Like many folks, I have a spice rack. But apparently I use spices that aren't included in said spice rack...like garlic powder, onion powder and paprika. I am Italian...we put garlic & onion powder in our cereal. And for every family event I get assigned deviled egg duty...hence the need for paprika. But somehow I have also acquired many other little bottles of flavor that have been jammed into the cabinet. But I can't see them.

My solution? Well, something like this -


Seems pretty simple right? Well for the low low price of $11 it can be mine. Is a dozen dollars too much? In this economy, you can betcha Beyonce's booty it is. So I decided to make my own. Crafty McSpiceshelf...that's your new name after you follow these simple instructions.


First, clean. That's right. Everytime you use pepper or garlic or tarragon (what's that for?!?!) a wee bit gets on the bottom of your cabinet...go ahead and wipe it up. Next, measure the width of your uber-clean space.


Next, cut three pieces outta a 2x4 to the exact width you measured. I had some wood laying around in the basement so this was no-cost to me. If you aren't the type to have studs hanging around ya, well I am sorry. Maybe a workout will help. jk. They cost under $3 at Lowe's or Home Depot.


Self explanatory. Stack em in the back em.


Create the 'step' by putting the first in front of the back two. Easy peasy booty squeezy. Now that they all fit, you could spice up your new spice shelves by yankin em out, givin them a nice new paint job or stain them to match your cabinets and reassembling. I didn't because I am too lazy right now...it's not on the goal list peeps.


Next, organize your spices on your new shelves. I put the bigger stuff in the back. It works on my body...thought it could work here too. I also put the most used spices up front so the next time I cook all I have to do is grab and shake it...like...a...salt...shaker...like...a...polaroid...picture.

So there you have it - my no-cost spice shelf. Uber-useful, right? So what about you guys? What's your spicy situation? Do you rack it, shelve it, or drawer it? C'mon, spill the salt.
Then make sure you throw a pinch over your shoulder, then brush your shoulders off. (any excuse for a dance move, right?!)

18 comments:

Freckles Chick said...

Niiiice (spice) rack!! I mean, shelf. =)

I have ours in one of those small white, multi-purpose organizer trays. But I might have to figure out a prettier option for when we remove the cabinet & put open shelving there.

Happy Easter =)

High-Heeled Foot in the door said...

Fab idea! I like you keep questioning buying lots of things even if it's not that much $$$. Trying to save where I can. Perfect solution! I love what you did.

Happy Easter as well!

Taryn said...

Nice moves! So simple and yet so perfect!

it is everlasting said...

Love it! So simple! We have pretty deep cabinets so I bought a round spinning thing (technical term) and all of our spices are alphabetically arranged around there. Works like a charm but I am really digging the 2x4, especially painted... Hmm...

Amanda said...

Crafty-McCraft-er-son over there! So creative you are. Thanks for the great idea!

Molly Darling said...

We don't have the space to keep our spices in a cabinet, so I bought a cheapie stainless steal lazy susan and threw my most favorite spices on it. The rest of them (coriander, anyone?) are in the pantry.

Diana said...

Being the sucka that I am, I bought one of those $11 fancy-shmancy plastic shelves from Bed Bath & Beyond (rubberized grips and all...sheesh). And since I'm a bit of a cooking fanatic, I had more spices than the shelves could handle, so I had to plop down another $10 or so for a stainless steel lazy susan. I'm likin' your idea much better. You're one smart cookie, Miss Bower!

Amy Green @ Sweet Home Amy said...

Great idea!! I love your creativity here. And love the dance moves inserted...fun stuff!

Kim @ NewlyWoodwards said...

You are a smart cookie.

I have some in a cabinet on those shelves that I foolishly paid for. I also have a wall-mounted spice rack but I tell Ryan it's just for looks. =)

Kelli said...

I just have them all on one shelf, nothing fancy. Spices on one side and baking spices, like nutmeg, on the other.

Michael said...

I just realized that I keep my spices in the cabinet above my stove, not next to it. No wonder I can't see my spices...duh!

MonkAre said...

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Christina said...

oooh, so creative (and helpful when you're looking for that one thing...)

Bayjb said...

Clever way to make an impromptu spice riser. Nice.

Sherry said...

You are such a genius. Love it!

xo,
s

Lauren said...

Very ingenious of you! My father also invented a spice rack called the SpiceStack that holds random bottles from the grocery store in the kitchen cabinet. IT's nice because you don't have the go digging to read all the labels. Also good for people with open shelving (like the one comment above). Check it out at SpiceStack.com.

Happy Organizing! Lauren Greenwood, SpiceStack Inc.

dawn said...

what an awesome idea. i was ready to buy a cheapo plastic spice organizer too! btw, just discovered your blog- it's hilarious (and informative). kudos!

Unknown said...

That's genious!