Most flavorful DIY ever: Turn a pallet into an organizational spice rack

For those with a passion for culinary creativity, the kitchen can easily double as a welcoming haven and as a flavor laboratory. Mixing and matching just the right ingredients can be a blast, but success often depends on being able to find exactly what’s needed in the moment inspiration hits. When it comes to spices, kitchens have a way of swallowing those small, colorful bottles whole, which can be frustrating when the search is on for everything from sea salt to saffron. Instead of letting chaos reign in the kitchen, try turning an old pallet into a one-of-a-kind spice rack as decorative as it is useful.
A saw, drill and screwdriver are the primary tools required to make this DIY project a success. Once the pallet boards are cut to size, it’s a matter of positioning them to create a shelving unit that’s ideal for spices. Adding bronze hooks to either side is a great way of incorporating additional organizational space to the final product. Feel free to hang measuring spoons or even an apron from these side hooks for added convenience. Hanging this spice rack on a kitchen wall next to a vase of lavender adds a beautiful country touch to the culinary aesthetic.
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Materials
- Wooden pallet
- Sawhorse (2)
- Hand saw
- Measuring tape
- Orbital sander
- P150 grit 8-hole loop disc
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Short wooden dowels (12)
- Handheld power drill
- Painter’s tape
- Wood glue
- Screws (8)
- Table vice
- Bronze hook with double screw attachment (2)
- Gold screws (4)
- Screwdriver
DIY Everywhere
Instructions
 
1. Position a wooden pallet on top of two sawhorses.
2. Cut a 12.5-inch pallet board using a handheld power saw.
3. Cut a 16-inch pallet board.
4. Measure the boards with a measuring tape to ensure accuracy once removed from the pallet.
5. Attach a P150 grit 8-hole loop disc to an orbital sander and sand the surfaces of both lengths of wood.
6. Cut out four additional pallet boards measuring 16-inches in length and a second 12.5-inch pallet board. Sand all pallet board surfaces smooth.
7. Turn a 16-inch pallet board on its side horizontally with the long-edge facing up. Do the same with a 12.5-inch pallet board.
8. Line the short corners of the two boards up to create a spice rack corner. The 16-inch board will create the top line and the 12.5-inch board will extend down on the right vertically.
9. Mark the interior meeting point of the two pallet boards with a pencil before lying both boards down flat on the working surface.
10. Mark the 1.25-inch mark and the 2.25-inch mark from the left edge of the shorter pallet board using a pencil.
11. Measure and mark the identical points on the short end of the 16-inch pallet board.
12. Wrap a piece of painter’s tape around a handheld drill bit to indicate a half-inch shallow stopping point.
13. Drill through the two markings on each of the pallet boards to the indicated tape depth.
14. Fill each of the drill holes on the 12.5-inch pallet board with a small spot of wood glue before pressing a short wooden dowel into each hole.
15. Fill the two holes on the 16-inch pallet board with wood glue and press the pegged holes of the 12.5-inch pallet board into the openings to secure the corner.
16. Complete the three remaining corners of the spice rack frame by connecting a left side pallet board measuring 12.5 inches in length to a bottom pallet board measuring 16 inches in length in identical fashion.
17. Connect a 16-inch pallet board shelf to the frame horizontally with the flat surface facing up. Connect the shelf approximately 6 inches down from the top using drilled holes, four pegs, and wood glue in a similar manner to the previous step.
18. Position two 16-inch pallet boards behind the main spice rack frame diagonally on the bottom left and top right corners leaving a small triangle of open space at each corner.
19. Mark where the two pallet boards meet the edges of the frame with a pencil.
20. Cut the two pallet boards to size using the pencil markings as stencils.
21. Flip the spice rack frame over and line up the diagonal pallet boards on the backside where they were originally marked.
22. Mark two drill and attachment points on each of the diagonal pallet boards with a pencil.
23. Drill through the four markings with a small drill bit on each of the boards.
24. Secure the diagonal boards to the back of the frame using eight screws and the handheld drill. Use a table vice as needed to keep the diagonal boards in line with the frame edges.
25. Remove the vice and flip the spice rack frame on its side so the short end is facing up.
26. Place a small bronze hook with two screw attachment points at the desired height on the short side of the rack.
27. Mark the attachment points with a spin of the small handheld drill bit in each hole.
28. Secure the hook to the side of the rack with two gold screws and a screwdriver. Repeat with a second hook on the opposite side of the spice rack.
29. Hang the spice rack on the kitchen wall, and fill the shelves with everything from sea salt to saffron! Use the side hooks to hang measuring spoons, and enjoy the benefits of culinary organization to the fullest.
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