Friday, August 19, 2011

Spice Rack

Ever have one of those projects like all of mine that you think you'll just print, cut, paint, hang, and then you'll be done? But then the printer doesn't line up like it should, and every step is taking about 10 times longer than you planned, and you can't get a blog out for 2 days because everything is going so slowly.  Well, I have about 3 of those projects going on right now.  


So, if anyone is still out there.......I have several things to post about as soon as I get the finishing touches on them.  Please stick around?

OK, enough excuses.  Here is one of the projects I've been working on:  A new Spice Rack.  Yay!!!


For years I've been looking for a spice rack that would hold all of the spices I use.  I have yet to find one I like.  Either they don't hold enough bottles, the bottles are too small, or their style doesn't work in my kitchen.  What's a girl to do?  Well, design one, of course, and get honey to help make it.  :)

This strange little wall is actually a chimney that runs from the basement to the roof of the house.  Remember, this is a house built in 1929, so it has lots of little things to work around.  A spice rack fits perfectly here.


The brackets were some I picked up at Hobby Lobby, and Edward cut the shelves for me.  Notice the notches he had to put in the shelves to fit around the door facing.  It's really not a rack but three individual shelves hung to look like a rack.

The jars are from Hormel Bacon Bits.  Yes, we stopped buying bacon for a long time so I could collect the jars.  At least the bacon bits were real!  Their size is perfect, and I like their look for spice jars.


The frame used to make the spice labels can be found here at the Graphics Fairy.  I just copied and pasted it several times.  I was hoping to stack the words of the spices on top of the graphics, but couldn't seem to do that on my Mac. With some trial and error, and running the 8.5"x11" shipping labels through my printer, twice, I was finally able to get labels. 

This picture is not a printable.  If I get a nice one created, I will post it at a later time.

To align the labels on the jars, I drew a line on the side of a sticky note to mark how far down from the bottom of the curve of the jar I wanted the label to be.  I, then, used the sticky edge of the note to mark the center of my label.  It was very easy to match the edge of the sticky note with a glass seam that ran down the side of the jar in order to center the label.  I'm a bit anal about such things and since the jars were kind of curvy at the top, it was difficult to measure and mark the jars.  This system worked pretty well.


Also, I cut clear contact paper squares a little larger than the labels and placed them on each jar.  This will allow me to wipe down the jars without ruining the labels.


It's really not fancy, but it certainly does what I need it to do. My spices are now accessible, organized, attractive, and protected from too much heat and light.  I'm absolutely delighted with it!

So, what favorite craft or decoration have you created out of necessity?  The rest of us would love to hear about it.

Thanks for stopping by,

Ellie




21 comments:

  1. What a great Idea! I have a similar problem, and though I don't think I could eat enough bacon bits any time soon to follow your example exactly, I am looking for a similar solution. P.S. - Architecture from the 1920's is my favorite!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Ellie, This is such a cute way to display spices. I love the brackets and the labels turned out wonderful! Thanks for sharing at the Open House party this week.
    xo,
    Sherry

    ReplyDelete
  3. Such a cute idea, this would even work for things like buttons! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I wish my spices were that organized...*sigh*

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am VERY impressed with your project. It looks great!

    ReplyDelete
  6. love it great organization and the shelves look amazing come see me at http://shopannies.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. Super cute! I love the shelves too!
    New follower,
    Kim
    Kimberlyannblog.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. I can't believe you don't think this is fancy? I think it is fancy and fabulous! Well done! I wish my spice rack looked like this. Thank you so much for linking up at Savvy HomeMade Monday. We are partying again and I hope you will stop by! :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love your ideas! Always so creative and functional. Keep them coming.

    ReplyDelete
  10. If you don't mind sharing, how tall are the jars? I wonder if this would work for my spice rack.

    Thanks,

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thanks for posting this! I'm making a spice rack for my in-laws for Christmas and have been looking for a way to make the labels. Yours looks great!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I made this for my SIL for Christmas and it turned out great! Thank you for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Saw this on Pinterest and I have to tell you I love it!

    ReplyDelete
  14. It's awesome! Love the shelves and the jars.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much and thanks for coming by!

      Delete
  15. I love your spice rack but I also love the white jar to the right on the counter. I have one just like it! Mine is a drink decanter that I purchased through Home and Garden Party years ago when I was a designer for the company.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! My jar is also a drink decanter from Home and Garden - and I love it. I hate to have things sitting around unused, so I have mine turned with the spigot facing a corner and I keep it filled with tea bags until I need it for a decanter. When I saw it, I just had to have it!

      Delete
  16. Awesome. I am in the middle of this project right now. One tip about wiping the jars and not wanting to ruin your labels. You can get the printed sheets laminated first. My husband owns a laminating shop - so this is really easy for me. I can give him anything I print out and he can not only laminate the front but put a sticky back on the backside. I'm sure if you call a local laminator - they can do this for you and save you the step of the clear contact paper.

    ReplyDelete
  17. LOL I thought they looked like bacon bit jars! I cannot imagine how long it took to eat that many! would take my family a couple years.

    The project is beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I love the way this rack looks. Sad to say, we don't have enough wall-space in our 80s-era farmhouse to have enough open racks for all our spices!

    ReplyDelete

I LOVE your ideas and comments. Thanks for taking the time :)