The Cutest Spice Rack Ever

I've been on the lookout for a good spice rack for ages, but most of them take up too much counter space or have the most random spices in them that I'd never use or are just plain NOT cute. And we all know cuteness is a priority when I make purchasing decisions. (It was even a factor when buying my car.)

So, a few days ago I found these at Goodwill:


Perfect size, great price, but not super cute. On top of that, the woods in the two racks were different, and I knew that would bother me. So, I decided that the situation called for some crafting. I found spice bottles at Bed, Bath, and Beyond, and spent the weekend transforming my boring spice racks into one-of-a-kind, shabby chic, absolutely adorable creations. It's amazing what a little paint, scrapbook paper, and buttons can do!

My spice racks went from this:


To this:


I sanded off the varnish on the spice racks and then painted them with two coats of white acrylic paint. Next came a coat of crackling medium, topped off by the lime green paint, which crackled as it dried. To give it an extra weathered look, I sanded the edges just a bit after all the paint dried, exposing a little more of the white underneath, and then finished it off with a coat of clear acrylic spray paint to protect it a little more.

Then came the spice bottle caps.


I found the perfect scrapbook paper on clearance at Ben Franklin's this morning and cut 1.75" diameter circles to Mod Podge onto the top of each lid. Then I cut out flowers from a doily-like piece of scrapbook paper and added some buttons for extra character. Buttons make everything cuter, don't you think? The spice names I just printed out on large mailing labels, cut out, and stuck on to the lids. A couple coats of clear spray paint over the lids, and I had myself the cutest spice racks ever!

Here's a better view of all the lids I've come up with so far. I still have 7 extra spice bottles, so as I figure out what kinds of spices I might use frequently (yes, that means I have to actually cook more often), I'll add to my collection.


It certainly wasn't the world's quickest project (took me a good portion of the weekend), but I'm absolutely thrilled with the results. It makes me want to go cook something now! =)