Organizing Spices and Herbs with Mason Jars

I’m always trying to find ways to use what I have on hand to make my home more organized or to give it that homemade comfy feeling. I don’t do a lot of decorating. I find that it usually just adds more for me to dust and more for me to pack if/when we move. I try to keep it simple. So when I do decide to have something displayed in my home (spices/herbs in this case), I really try to make it functional, practical, and pleasing to the eye.  

I have this shelf in my kitchen that doesn’t really have a purpose. At first glance, it appears to just scream, “SPICE RACK!”. The odd thing, though, is that the previous owner had installed a pull out spice rack inside one of the kitchen cabinets. Did they have two spice racks or something? I’m not sure. As our family has grown, though, I’ve realized that this unclaimed shelf in my kitchen functions better for me as a spice rack than the small pull out option. I like to buy my spices and herbs in bulk, meaning that I need space for larger containers. Mason jars are usually perfect for this purpose.

I saw this post on Keeper of the Homestead, and just had a lightbulb moment. I’m really pleased with how it has turned out. Everything is right at my fingertips while I cook and bake, and I had all of the materials on hand. I just used various mason jars, and made little labels out of card stock cut into 1in by 1.5 inch rectangle, and then covered them with packaging tape. I love it! For the small 4oz jars, I taped the label to the lid. There’s a quilted texture on these jars and I couldn’t get the tape to adhere very well. The jars with corks are from BJ’s. They came with organic spices in them and hold quite a bit.

Is there something in your house that you could make more practical or beautiful to look at without spending any money? Even better if it's something that will make your life easier or save you time while you work around your home. 

Ideas:
- Could your laundry area be better organized? 

- What about your gardening tools? Are they scattered about (I'm guilty!) or are they stored somewhere that's easy to access as you head out to the garden, and easy to put away so that they don't get left out and lost by curious little "garden helpers"? I need to work on this one.

- What about cleaning supplies (rags, sprays etc.)? I could definitely work on organizing them a little better so that they're within reach when I need them.

This post is linked over at:
Little House in the Suburbs: DIY Link Up
The Prairie Homestead: Barn Hop