–by Jen Ruple
PUBLICATION DATE: May 05, 2020

With a little extra time on my hands, I decided to tackle a few projects around the house I had been putting off for a rainy day. The first was our spice cabinet. While not completely horrible, it needed to be cleaned up and organized so things would be easier to reach and find quicker.
Using some design inspiration I found on Instagram, I ordered supplies such as spice jars, small baskets, canning jars and a label maker to help me get my cabinet in shape.
Here are five ideas to help you create a neat and cohesive look for your cabinet.

Purge, purge, purge!
Do this first while you wait for your supplies to be delivered. Check the date on every item in your cabinet and throw away anything expired. I do this from time to time, but I’m always surprised to find that one item that’s been around since 2006!

Categorize items.
Start organizing by separating things into categories – spices, oils, extracts, sprinkles, etc. Use lightweight, plastic baskets to group like-items together. They’re easy to wipe clean and handy to pull out when needed.

Coordinate jars.
After deciding which spices to keep, pour them into glass spice jars with matching lids. Larger quantity items such as flours and sugars stay fresh longer when removed from their paper wrappings and stored in air-tight canisters or canning jars. Utilize see through jars to make it easier to keep track of how much you have left.

Add a tiered rack.
It’s so much easier to find supplies when they are staggered on risers, especially spices. Arrange them in alphabetical order to make it even more simple to locate them.

Label everything.
There’s nothing worse than mistaking the cumin for the cinnamon! A label maker is a fun and inexpensive tool that makes it a cinch to print peel-and-stick labels for all types of organizing around your home.
With everything visible and in its place, you’ll be surprised how much smoother baking and food preparation will be.