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| Sad, Messy Kitchen Shelf :( |
I'm always looking for ways to better organize my limited kitchen space. But spice racks are expensive, bulky, and many of them require that you use only one particular size and shape of spice jar. Lame.
So I decided to make my own, easily customized spice rack for under $20. This staircase-style rack is perfect to fit into a pantry shelf or set on the counter top. And it can be easily expanded if you need to add more "stairs."
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| Happy Organized Shelf :) |
Materials for a Staircase Spice Rack
- Three 2x4s cut to desired shelf length (mine are 24")
- Sandpaper
- Latex paint (I use this)
- Paintbrush
Project Cost
Mine was under $20. But the cost is variable, depending on the length of your shelf, the number of "stairs" you want, and how you want to paint it.
If you buy the 2x4s from Home Depot or Lowe's, expect to spend about $1 per foot. They will cut the wood to whatever length you need.
Tip: Coarse sandpaper will work best. The lower the number, the coarser the paper. I used 80-grit. Also, a small 1-pint can of paint is plenty for this job.
Prep and Painting
Step 1: Sand the 2x4s thoroughly. It gives you a much smoother surface to paint on. Focus on the edges, removing splinters and rough patches. You'll want to do this outside, as it can be quite messy!
As you can see, the wood will look much smoother and lighter after properly sanding. Now, use a stiff brush, a broom, or a towel to sweep the remaining wood dust from your 2x4s, and you'll be ready to paint!
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| Eww. Messy. Glad I did this outside. |
Step 2: Paint the 2x4s. Alternatively, you could stain them, spraypaint them, or cover them with fabric. You could even use chalkboard paint and label the name of the spice with its corresponding space on the shelf. Get creative :).
I skipped the primer and painted directly on the untreated wood, 2 coats for each board. I allowed the boards to dry 2 hours between coats, and then overnight (about 12 hours) before I assembled the spice rack.
Building the Staircase
This couldn't be easier. Once the 2x4s have dried thoroughly, simply stack them on your shelf or counter top, or wherever you want your spice rack. As you can see in the pictures, the boards should be stacked on the 2" side so that you can easily read the labels and access the spices.
I only went 2 stairs high, but this could easily be expanded by stacking three more 2x4s to create a third stair. Finally, a spice rack that can grow with you as you expand your spice collection!
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I love how narrow these shelves are! They take up very little space and are tall enough that I can grab spices from the back row without knocking over the ones in front.
Some Tips for Storing Spices
Of course, you can use whatever jars your spices come in. But I buy mine in bulk from the health food store (it's way cheaper), so they come in plastic bags. I found my spice jars at the dollar store. I like them because they have salt-shaker type lids, and the jars have wide enough mouths that I can fit my measuring spoons inside to scoop out the amount I need for recipes.
Baby food jars and the little bitty mason jars (like this) are great for spices too. Just buy a pack of sticker labels or write directly on the lids the name of the spice.
One final tip: Spices are the kind of thing that can sit in your pantry for years. Use a sharpie to write on the jar the month and year you bought it. That way you'll know when it's time to use it up or throw it out.
I hope this article helps if you're looking for a cheap way to organize your pantry. If you have any questions or want to share your thoughts, please leave me a comment! If you do this project, please send me a picture and I'll share it on the blog :)
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