IKEA Spice Racks Upcycled for Craft Storage

So in the lifelong attempt to keep craft supplies organized, I attempted a little project on the weekend and here’s how it turned out.
 

These spice racks were part of a stash of supplies I picked up during the Christmas holidays.  I was happy to find them since they are often out of stock.  As things are.  You don’t have to browse the internet for long to find that these spice racks are popular for book display, especially for kids.  But I was looking to add to my craft storage space and it seemed these would do the trick.

I decided to spruce them up a bit so they would look pretty in my craft space.  Here’s what I used to start:  IKEA BEKVAM spice racks, Homestead House milk paint powder in Sturbridge White, water, measuring spoon, whisk for mixing, and foam paint brush.

I mixed the paint two parts water to one part paint for a very thin consistency, more like a whitewash.  Four tbsp water and two tbsp paint mix was plenty for two coats each on two spice racks, so it goes a long way.  The great thing about milk paint is that it’s completely non-toxic so you can easily use it indoors without getting a headache.  Mix up as much as you need and it keeps for a few days if you seal it.  Also it dries really fast so you can be finished your project without lots of wait time in between coats.  Using a water-based paint on bare wood does cause the grain to raise, so I gave it a light sanding after the first coat, then sanded/distressed it after the second.

So then I indulged my inner obsessive label love.  I got out my Tekton metal stamping kit, because I wouldn’t want anyone to mistake these for spice storage, right?  So I stamped one with the word Twine and the other one Odds & Ends.  That clarifies everything.  No spices here.  Then I rubbed it all down with some Miss Mustard Seed dark wax to add to the distressed look and highlight the lettering a bit.

They assemble really easily and I mounted them on the wall in my little craft corner.  The shelves are deep enough to hold the 500mL mason jars which makes for a good amount of storage.

That’s what I can do when I lock myself away for half a day on the weekend. And you can see how it fits into the rest of my crafty storage space in this post where I was inspired by Pottery Barn with my styling.

What kinds of creative things have you been up to?  And are you somewhat labelling obsessed too?