i’ve been bitten by the organize your life bug
🙂
i love when it’s a new year
cause it’s reason to start fresh & throw junk out
i feel like my word for this year is
simplify
not that that’s official or anything
well maybe it is since i just typed it?
i yearn for simple
i yearn for peaceful
a more organized home
so that my time is spent with my family
spent doing things i love to do
and not spent looking for the paprika
which i need for the dinner i’m making right now that’s burning on the stove cause my spices are a heaping mess in the pantry then all fall out of the bucket cause i’m looking for the paprika which happens to be at the bottom of this bottomless bucket of spices other expired things
really … you think i kid
i do not.
this is what we’re starting this project with … a few buckets of heaping confusion
everything looks like paprika when you’re in a rush to find it
(what is paprika anyway? does it really do anything??)
(besides make things red?)
to get this act together i used half-pint mason jars
spray paint the lids with Krylon chalkboard paint (joanns)
and i painted the rings with Rustoleum 2X coverage in aqua
(not a necessary step in the whole organizing process)
(necessary step for cuteness factor process)
(plus it matches the polka dots in my drawer liner paper)
…. and! some polka dot wrapping paper (Target)
what’s the best place for spices in your kitchen?
i wanted to move them to a half empty drawer that really wasn’t being used to it’s fullest of potentials
instead of running around my island over to the pantry (in a hurry) …
opening a drawer and scanning names seemed like a much more efficient way to store & locate what was needed (and save a dinner or two from the jaws of scorchment)
i like the idea of using wrapping paper to line drawers … the top side has a bit of a gloss finish to it, great for clean up … when it gets stained or torn, it’s easy enough to toss and cut a new piece … and a much cheaper alternative to the typical cabinet & drawer liners found in most houseware sections
(fyi: Hobby Lobby has a great wrapping paper selction,
very thick paper and super durable)
measure, cut and fit
i sprayed my lids with 2 coats of chalkboard paint … i would highly recommend a primer first
as i later found that my chalkboard marker tip scratched some paint off a few of the lids
i prefer the markers to real chalk, it has a finer tip to fit more letters into small spaces 🙂
and it doesn’t brush off as easily
now all you need is a set of cute measuring spoons
for all the measuring & using of spices you’ll be doing
cause your spice drawer is so dang cute
paprika anyone?
i hope to purge & simplify other problem areas in our house throughout the year
in hopes that our home will run more efficiently
then our time together will be spent more …well … together!
i’m still working on my year long menu plan
that i can’t wait to share with you
(with printables!)
i’ve been working on a few other spots in the kitchen this past week too
i will be back to share those soon
oh! and my craft room feature in Better Homes & Gardens comes out in 10 days!!
the February issue will hit newstands on January 15th
i’m sooooooooooooooooooooooooo excited 🙂
look for me on the I Did It! page on the inside back cover!
a more detailed tour of the room will hopefully be published in one of the BHG special interest magazines sometime this year! can you believe it?? in 2 BHG magazines??
wow … i feel so blessed
loves to you & happy weekend ♥
linking up to …
making your house a home 
I love this! I have been struggling for years now with what to do with my spices. I just recently emptied a drawer in my kitchen and was wondering what to use it for!Can't wait to get this done 🙂
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thank you 🙂 the mason jars were from Target (i found them during the summer)they are 4oz jars… the chalk marker is from Michaels, and the wrapping paper just sits inside the drawer, the weight of the jars holds it down and i cut it pretty snug so it's fits tightly … hope all this helps! ♥
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thank you Amanda! love empty drawers!! :):)
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Hi Jaime,When you line the drawers with wrapping paper do you tape them down or just lay them in there flat? If you lay them in there flat, do they ever get bunched up?Thanks,Jill
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Hi Jill! yes! it just lays flat, the weight of the jars holds in place perfectly 🙂 no bunching!! ♥ thanks for the visit
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Love it. Great job!
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I love the measuring spoons, as well. Please, tell us where did you get them? Thanks.
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I love the measuring spoons, as well. Please, tell us where did you get them? Thanks.
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Good idea! thanks for sharing….
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I love love love this project! So much so, that I passed this DIY project on to my readers! You out did yourself! Clean and classy! Kudos!-Deb (www.DialMforMoms.com)
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Jamie, they look like 1/2 pint jars, is that what you meant to say?
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off to find a drawer for my spices. Where did you get those cute spoons?
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they're from Anthropologie 🙂
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Hi Cindy! yes! they are 1/2 pint jars… need to correct that mistake in my post 🙂 thanks for pointing that out!
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thank you Deb! and thanks for the visit 🙂
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That is cute as ever!
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I love this. I always put mine in alphabetical order too.
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I have looked high and low for the wrapping paper, I love it so much! Any suggestions that I might have overlooked as to where to find?
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I think this is so cute. I have a question about the lids. Did you attach the lids to to the rings, or do you just pop them off when you open each one? I use some Ball jars around the house for odds and ends, and that's the only thing that annoys me sometimes, having to pop the lids off.
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I attempted these…and was fairly successful! It's quite possibly the first project I actually completed haha I only did 6 but they look so much cuter in my cabinets than those plastic spice containers! I was wondering, would priming the metal parts of the lids make them feel not so…strange?I have a blog too, but I'm not even going to link it yet because I just got started and I don't have anything for anyone to read yet!
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OMG….I cannot wait to fix my spices like this. I have wanted to fix the confusion for the longest time. Your so clever.. My niece's spices are in totaldisarray, I'm going to do this for her for a Christmas gift. Thank you so much.
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Working on this project now and running into a problem. Maybe someone can help/ has advice/feedback? I primed lids but the primer is already rubbing off. Not sure if the chalkboard paint will stay on since the primer comes off do easily. Anyone else experience this? Thinking of using sandpaper to create a rough surface on the lids- but I'm not sure if I want to put that much energy into this project if it will just be in vain anyways. However, I am already invested in the jars, and 3 paint colors so looking for some advice from you ladies;)
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I ran into the same problem. The chalkboard paint and the paint on the lids is flaking off. I was wondering if you primed or sanded the lids in order for the paint to have staying power?
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What a great idea and site! Just landed here from a link on Country Living.After cleaning out the junk drawer in my kitchen, I'll prime the lids on 4-ounce canning jars with Rust-Oleum metal primer before spraying with chalkboard paint. Being a creature of habit, I'll keep my “usual” seasonings in the cupboard next to the stove and dedicate the drawer to baking, canning, and seldom-used spices.What a wonderful way to clear up an essential kitchen cabinet cluttered with too much stuff. Thank you so much!!!
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Hi!! I recreated your DIY for my spices and I looove it! Thank you!! check it out on my blog 🙂 http://thelipstickpantry.blogspot.com/2014/11/diy-spice-jars.html
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I just found this and I'm in love! What a great idea. Off to scour the rest of your blog!
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I did this project and the spray paint on the lids started chipping pretty soon after. I was worried that the bits of spray paint would start getting into the spices and I didn't want to eat paint, so I ended up having to switch all my containers and now I have 30 mason jars that I need to repurpose. Any tips for getting the spray paint to stick?
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I did this and it was great!
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