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I love a good DIY organizing hack, especially when it makes my kitchen less chaotic. My cabinets are in a bit of disarray, to put it mildly. And my spice jar collection is a scene. So when I saw this surprising hack on Apartment Therapy using picture frames to create spice storage in a drawer, I knew I had to try it.
How to Use Picture Frames to Store Spices
After removing the packaging, lie the frames down to create a slope with the backs raised. Then, lay out your spices on top.
Make sure you are picking up horizontal picture frames (I accidentally purchased vertical ones on my first visit) and measuring the drawer you intend to convert into a spice storage space. For instance, you might need 6×4 frames instead of 7×5 frames. (I decided to pick up a couple of 6×4 frames, in addition to 7×5 frames, with the intention to use them for some photos, but it turned out to be a fortuitous purchase — more on that in a moment).
How I Tried Out This Picture Frame Spice Storage Hack
I decided to free up a narrow drawer by my stove, moving the plastic wrap and aluminum foil rolls that were stored there elsewhere. Turns out that drawer was too narrow for the 7×5 frames — so it’s a good thing I picked up the 6×4 ones!
I emptied the drawer and wiped it down. Then, I placed the four frames in a vertical line, arranged so that the bent edge was placed upward and the frames sloped down. Then, I started adding my spices, lining them up side by side, propped up on an angle.
Wow! I can’t believe how many spice bottles I was able to fit in this drawer. All the spices are in the original bottles, so they’re all different sizes, which can make things trickier. Aside from a better aesthetic, the storage works better if the bottles are at least similar sizes, so this would be a great excuse to decant them. But the real genius of this storage format is that the spices are kept at an angle, so they won’t spill out in the drawer.
I liked it so much that I tried it out with the original 7×5 frames in a larger drawer on the other side of the stove. Yes, this is my junk drawer, but thanks to a better organization system, it’s not as messy or overflowing as it used to be. I arranged the frames in two rows, then loaded in the spice bottles. This also worked quite well, and I still have half the drawer left, which I may commandeer for my larger cooking utensils that are taking up space on my countertop.
Suddenly, I felt like I had a wealth of options for storing my spices. Keep them in the smaller, narrow drawer, or finally get rid of the stuff in my junk drawer and use it for spice and utensil storage? Decisions, decisions. I asked my husband, who does most of the home cooking, for his insight, and he liked the spice storage in the smaller drawer. So did I, and that was that.
My Takeaways from Trying This Storage Hack
I’m glad I was able to adapt it to the smaller frames to fit my drawer. I would suggest that if you give this a try, you measure your drawer’s width before heading to the store to ensure that you get the right-sized frames. Also, it helps if you’ve got deeper drawers so that you can actually close the door on the larger bottles of spices. I found that if you spread the photo frames a little farther apart, you’ll be able to place those wider bottles and close the drawer with no issue.
Could you use this storage strategy elsewhere in your house? Probably. My first thought was makeup: I could see the picture frames propping up nail polish bottles, skincare products, lipsticks, and more in a desk, a vanity table drawer, or a closet shelf. If you’re a crafter, I’ll bet this would work for lining up markers, washi tape, or any other small items in a drawer for easy access.
The best part of this hack is that it’s inexpensive and easy to set up, so you won’t waste much time or money giving it a try, whether for spice storage or something else.
