Spice Rack

Sometimes things find you even when you don’t look for them or even if you don’t know you need them. One cold winter day, I decided to venture out to the thrift store I don’t usually go to. Originally, I was looking for some glass decanters for my new bar cart (and I scored a really nice one). But, I found another gem – a spice rack made for my kitchen!

I tend to buy spices by ounce and I end up leaving them in the plastic Ziploc baggies they came in – admittedly not the most efficient way of storing them. I’ve thought about getting a spice rack to house loose powders, but the thought of a large spice rack on my already limited counter space just did not seem appealing.

And then I saw it – a set of nine test tubes in a thin metal frame, placed three in a row, each capped with a cork. This space saver was almost perfect and I knew I could “fix” it to match my aesthetic and kitchen decor. They looked even better after being thoroughly washed.

Gold is always a good choice!

First order of business was to spruce up the frame – updating that generic metal color that didn’t give it much personality. You may have noticed that I am a bit on a gold kick, so (naturally) I used Krylon Metallic Gold spray to add some interest to the frame.

Next thing I had to figure out was find a method to write the spice name on a tube. My initial idea was to use some kind of etching technique to engrave the glass. After doing some research, it seemed that each of the methods could potentially leave me with a damaged tube. I really did not want to risk having an incomplete set. Also, I could possibly think of what spices I wanted to have on hand at all times. But what if there were some more obscure spices I wanted to store in the future and all I had available was a tube with “Garlic Powder” etched on. That would truly be unfortunate.

Finally, I settled on chalk board effect – it looks good and can be erased. I experimented with Chalk Paint spray, but the edges were giving me too much trouble and getting too messy.

So, I scrapped that plan and opted for stickers. I’ll admit that the stickers are not the greatest, but they work. And if you want to attempt to work with the spray and you can contain the mess, I would highly recommend that method over the stickies.

Proof that I am a master of making a mess below.

Now, I did’t just leave a disaster behind! I also packed the powder so tightly that this decision became a gift that keeps on giving every time I cook. Admittedly, that is not too often, but something to keep in mind.

Moral of the story: do NOT pack loose spices.

After wiping and cleaning, the end product looked just as I imagined – a pretty pop of bling on the counter. Rich colors of tube contents created a warm artisanal feel and added just a dash (pun mildly intended) of mystique.