How to Organize Spices in a Small Space

Want to learn how to organize spices in a small space? Try using baby food jars! + 25 additional creative spice organization ideas.

When we remodeled our ranch home galley kitchen I knew I wanted some extra drawers! (See how to remodel a ranch style kitchen.) It was so fun to figure out where the little things would go like dish towels and miscellaneous cooking tools. Our pantry was at the other end of the kitchen so that wasn’t a good option.

There was a narrow spice cabinet by the stove on a stair step organizer. It NEVER worked for me and I didn’t have easy access to the spice containers. There just wasn’t enough cabinet space for them.

One day I decided to change a few things around. A shallow kitchen drawer I had used for medicines was emptied out and suddenly I had a spice drawer with storage space and a uniform organization!

There are certainly a myriad of different ways to store spices (and I’m including all the best projects at the end of this post) but it also had to be pretty. Kinda my thing, isn’t it? I chose to use matching baby food jars as a way of repurposing and saving money. If you don’t have matching jars I’m linking some clear containers that work for a storage solution below.

So this post is a two-for-one because my husband I separated right after I finished the project in our ranch home. I needed to find a new place for my jars in my sweet cottage. I found the perfect wall rack for them!

Instructions

Step 1. Clear out expired spices and ones you don’t use!

By checking expiration dates and getting real about the spices you really use, you can save time and money by choosing an organizer for only the ones you use.

Step 2. Clean the baby food jars inside and out, making sure to dry completely.

If you don’t have baby food jars just ask a new mom! My daughter has had three babies in eight years so I had saved the jars for just this project!

Step 3. Make sure and get all the sticky label material off.

I actually tried a few different strategies for this. Sometimes the label peeled right off with no problem. And sometimes there was some work involved.

The first attempt was with nail polish remover and a baby wipe. Then I switched to a toothbrush and finally a scrubby sponge. Towards the end I also tried using oil on the baby food jar. Honestly, there’s no perfect way other than spending time scrubbing!

Step 4. Take the lids outside and spray paint the tops.

I used a chalky spray paint and added a couple of coats. I didn’t apply polyurethane or any kind of sealant because I didn’t feel it was necessary. To me the painted lids add the color and pretty factor I was looking for!

Step 5. Fill with your favorite spices.

Depending on the type of label you use you may want to switch steps 5 and 6. Since I used a small label I went ahead and filled the jars then added the label.

Step 6. Using any kind of label maker type each specific spice and attach to the jar.

I chose to use this DYMO Label Maker with white paper. But you can also buy labels off Amazon and other places. Group spices by A-Z category or maybe even use custom labels with the spices you use most often the closest to your work space.

Step 6. Find the best home for your spice collection.

There are many ways to store spices but in my ranch home I chose to use a drawer for organizing. Lazy Susans might be a better option for your spice storage or even the back of a cabinet door or side of the fridge.

In my ranch home the drawer with the spices contained extra room so I used two small organizers for small miscellaneous items.

In my new cottage home I have only three drawers available. I chose these racks as a way to save space in my small kitchen (and add the pretty factor!)

25+ Spice Organization Ideas for Your Home