DIY Magnetic Spice Rack

Photo by Ross C.

Yesterday, while I was in the process of making spaghetti sauce and meatballs from scratch, I became frustrated with how my spices are organized in the cupboard (or, more accurately, their lack of organization).  I’ve seen various blog posts about building your own spice rack, but when I tried to find them again I came across a unique and interesting solution for storing spices that saves cupboard space as well as preparation time.

Lance Vaughn had similar frustrations with his spices and decided to go the DIY route for spice storage.  His first attempt at the spice rack involved four metal cases that held the spice containers.  After actually putting the spice rack to serious use, he decided that there must be a better way, one that doesn’t involve opening four different cases and constant reorganization.  Also, the containers he used were not meant for spices, so they didn’t have any convenient openings for shaking or pouring.

Disclaimer: This DIY spice rack was built in order to improve kitchen workflow and organization.  Thrift was not a high priority, so if you’re looking for the cheapest solution, this is probably not for you.

His second attempt is extremely simple, organized, and efficient.  It involves mounting a magnetic whiteboard on a wall (or in his case, the back of his pantry door), magnetic metal containers, and a label maker (he used the same Brother PT-1280 that I have!).  All told, Lance said that he spent $200 on this project.  That sounds rather high, but keep in mind that this includes 56 magnetic containers, a whiteboard, and the label maker (including label refills).

For my frugal friends (not to mention myself), I found some cheaper alternatives to the materials that Lance used:

• Containers
  • Magnetic plastic spice bottles by Lipper International (black) - $2.79 each (or $2.33 if you buy 12 or more)
  • Magnetic Spice Tins - package of 3 for $5.99
• Whiteboard
  • Board Dudes 22″x35″ Magnetic Whiteboard - $29.99
  • Skip the whiteboard completely and stick the containers right on the front or side of the fridge.
• Labels
  • Opt for some White Masking Tape and an Ultra Fine Point Sharpie.

Read the original article for photos and additional insight:

Spice Rack 2.0 [vaughn austin]

OUTSOURCERS: Buy an expensive spice rack that may not suit your specific needs.

INSOURCERS: Determine  your exact needs, then build a custom design that improves your workflow.  Feel rewarded knowing that you brainstormed and executed a custom solution!