Using Glass Jars for Kitchen Storage

Guest post from Lauren Mirecki

Who doesn’t love the look of glass jars in pantry spaces or on the counter top, filled with ingredients and supplies? It seems to be a pretty big kitchen item right now, and one that I have always wished I could do, but never thought I could.

Until I got completely fed-up with my current spice storage solution, and decided it was time for things to change. I had purchased this (what I thought was) fantastic spice carousel off craigslist, only to begin to hate it within weeks.

A few problems with it were that the lids would never close properly on the jars, the pots and kettle would steam right into the spices, and, of course, spices aren’t supposed to be stored in the light (because they will begin to lost their flavour).

So a solution was born! Dollar store jars (3 for $1), a shelf riser, some cupboard reorganization and a few labels later, and I had a new spice cupboard!

I purchased the riser from Solutions, but you can also get them from Amazon and Organize-it and other locations (just google ” pantry shelf riser”). The labels I ordered off etsy from this store, but I could have used free ones, like these also. They were printed on Avery sticker project paper and cut out individually.

Now that I had the spices off the counter, I had more room for my baking ingredient jars and canisters, so I went to town! I have had these white ceramic canisters for 8 1/2 years (since we got married!) but have never known what to do with them. Since I was sick and tired of having the flour bags on the floor in the corner, and always going to the cupboard for the sugar when baking, I decided it was time to get some of it on the counter.

Martha Stewart chalk labels were purchased from Staples, and I used a china pencil to make the lettering (but of course, you can just use chalk!). Ta da!

One last change was a giant glass jar I had been using for granola, and before that laundry soap (before I switched back to soap nuts). Since we go through so much flour, it was the perfect size for storing it, and looks GREAT on our corner cupboard!

The jars above are decorative ones we’ve collected over the years, and don’t need labels since they’re more for decor and we can tell already what’s in them.

So there you have it! One project leads to another, and pretty soon I have the jar and canister storage in my kitchen I’ve always wanted! If you have a project you think you’ll never get to do, look at what’s keeping you from the project. Sometimes it’s just one obstacle that needs to be removed that opens up a whole new world of possibilities!