Spicing Up The Spice Drawer

When I first started looking at rearranging our kitchen set-up, my spice cabinet was not something I was planning to change. My spices are kept in a handy spice rack in the cupboard next to our stove. For the most part, this storage is working. But then I saw this. The bright colors, uniform containers, and order of that spice drawer drew me in. I suddenly realized everything that was wrong with my current set-up and decided an upgrade was in order.

The spice rack in the cupboard next to the stove is actually quite handy. I like how it fits in the cupboard easily and how each shelf pulls down for easy access. I don’t like how it is not big enough to hold all of our spices and I don’t like that the spices it holds are not in any particular order. Now, I realize that only one of those things is beyond my control but the varying sizes and shapes of all of the spice bottles didn’t allow me to arrange them alphabetically. 

Research tells me that spices should be stored away from heat, light, and humidity. While my current storage is in a dark cupboard, it’s a dark cupboard right next to our stove which puts off a lot of heat and humidity. That being said, my new storage spot is in a drawer right next to our refrigerator. But, the fridge puts off a minimal amount of heat and humidity compared to our oven and stove, so I tell myself that this spot is better... 

I decided to go with 8 oz. jelly jars instead of 4 oz. like Angela. The reason was simple – my drawer was tall enough for the 8 oz. jars and most of my current spice containers were around 5.5 ounces. I actually found 11 jars at our local thrift store for a nominal price. I picked up another dozen at our local supermarket for under $8. 

I originally thought that I would buy large labels to design and print at home. Once printed, I’d cut out the circles and stick them on the lids. I decided against this idea for two reasons. First, I didn’t want to pay all the money to buy labels. Second, I wanted my labels to be colorful, but not necessarily solid colors. So I turned to my scrapbook paper stash and picked out a few pieces that matched the colors in kitchen. I printed the names of the spices on the scrapbook paper and then cut them out using a scallop punch. Then I adhered the labels onto the jar lids using some glue dots.

The next step was to transfer each spice into its own jar and seal the lid. 

Then, I arranged the jars in the drawer alphabetically so things are easy to find. I’m thinking about getting a drawer organizer like this one in hopes that it might hold the jars in place a bit better. I just have to determine if it will fit in my drawer and if the jars will fit inside. 

Here is the finished product as it stands right now.

It’s so bright and cheery and it’s incredibly easy to find what I’m looking for. Thanks Angela for your creative spice solution!

How do you store your spices?

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