Back in early December I finally reached my breaking point. I was trying to locate my beloved garam masala in my small pantry and got totally overwhelmed by the lack of organization of everything in there. If there’s two things you should know about me is that I’m a visual person and that I crave organization. After my ever so hangry meltdown of epic proportions I scoured Amazon for an option that would work in my small space. Unfortunately, they just were not cutting it so I decided to make a spice rack myself.
MATERIALS USED:
- 2×4’s
- Steel Rods
- Wood Screws
- Caulk
- Corner Brackets (for aesthetic purposes only)
I first began by measuring the wall I planned to hang my spice rack on. Afterwards the hard work began – prepping the area. I took a magic eraser and scrubbed every inch of the space then I slapped some spackling in the nail holes from the previous owner, waited for it to dry then sanded to my hearts delight. Let’s be honest here, the wall was still looking ever so ugly and there really was no saving it so I decided to use some leftover wallpaper I had from a previous project and really go out all with my transformation. I am so glad I listened to my instincts – it looked 100x better when I was finished.

With my measurements in hand I taped my 2×4’s together so I could cut them evenly all at once. I then brought them inside the house to work on as it was getting dark outside and my garage light is about as bright as a lightning bug. (That in itself is a project for another day)

To make it a little easier on myself I made a template out of a scrap piece of paper of where I needed to drill each pocket hole. After securing each shelf to the base of the spice rack I ensured everything was level then moved on to the next one.

Now was time for the messy part – caulking all of the seams and screw holes. This took less than 20 minutes and I was even able to watch TV while doing it.

The next morning I lugged it outside to give it a very generous sanding. I then lugged it back into my house and began mixing up leftover paint samples that I had lying around to create the perfect neutral color. Two coats later it was looking absolutely perfect.

Again, I made another template – this time to use to ensure all of the metal rods lined up perfectly so the spices would stay in place and not tip over. It was at this point where I felt like I was the queen of making templates. (This accomplished feeling did not last long. As you can probably see by the 3rd picture, I pinched my finger pretty hard trying to cut the metal rods to size with the tool I was using and at one point my dramatic self thought it was broken.) Now onto adding the actual rods to the spice rack – I first began by putting a piece of tape on my drill bit to use as a guide of how deep to make the hole so I didn’t drill straight through to the other side. I gently placed my rod through the hole in my template and then began to wiggle it to make a mark on the inside of my wood where I would have to drill the hole out. Once I had all of the rods inserted I made a spur of the moment decision to add some decorative l-shaped brackets to every corner.

For awhile there I went back and forth debating on the most secure way to hang my spice rack so everything wouldn’t topple over and give me a heart attack in the middle of the night. Ultimately, I decided to cut a piece of scrap 2×4 and make a brace that would attach to the top of the spice rack and could be drilled directly into the wall. This method worked perfectly.

After locating all of my strewn about spices I began putting them on my spice rack and staring it at in awe. I was able to make this custom 2’x4′ spice rack for under $60.
Stay tuned – next weekend I’ll be finally tackling my much needed coffee table DIY. Until then, happy DIYing!

