How to Organize your Kitchen Spices (and be able to find them later!)

There is nothing quite like a home cooked meal seasoned to perfection. Ever since I first learned to cook, I have been fascinated with mastering the use of herbs and spices in my every day cooking.

It’s not uncommon to find me sprinkling, pouring, and dumping various amounts of seasonings in whatever I may be cooking at the time.

I’ve tried a variety of different methods of organizing my ample collection of seasonings; racks, shelves, cupboards, and more. But it always comes down to the same problem: it never stays organized for more than a couple of days…

However, I have finally discovered a way to organize my seasonings that is not only functional, but also pretty at the same time.

I’ve found that I prefer keeping my herbs and seasonings in a neatly organized drawer, rather than trying to sort through a jumble of various jars and bottles at the back cabinet.

If you have some extra drawer space in your kitchen, I highly recommend giving this organizational project a try!

To make your own spice drawer, you will need:

• an empty kitchen drawer
• half pint canning jars with lids and bands (a half pint equals 1 cup)
• colorful scrapbook paper
• glue (any type of craft glue will work)
• labels (use plain white labels, a label maker machine, etc)

First off, check to make sure that your drawer can open and close with the jars inside. I only had one drawer in my kitchen that worked for this. The others were just a bit too small.

Measure, cut, and glue circles of colorful paper that fit on the top of the lids (circles that 2 1/4 inches in diameter work well to cover regular sized canning lids). If you like, get creative with your paper choices: red patterns for chili powder or paprika, or an Italian-style print for your basil and oregano.

Write or print the names of your herbs/spices on the labels and attach the labels to the circles.

Arrange in your drawer and enjoy the bright pop of color every time you reach for a spice.

This may seem like a little thing, but I can’t help but smile every time I open my spice drawer. The colorful papers and labels make finding what I need a breeze, plus nothing can disappear in the dark corners of a random cabinet!

(Curious about what spices I keep in my drawer for frequent use? Right now I have: coarse & fine sea salt, ground black pepper, peppercorns, onion powder, garlic powder, basil, oregano, parsley, thyme, rosemary, sage, dill, cumin, ginger, chili powder, paprika, crushed red pepper, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and nutmeg.)

Blessings,

Jill