Pantry Ideas - DIY Door Spice Rack

Good morning guys!

I am super excited about a little series Ash and I will be sharing called ‘Shanty Storage Solutions’!

We both have a healthy amount of OCD from our mom (Ash received more than me), and one of our favorite things to do is organize! Our goal is to use our love for wood and DIY to create solutions for our kitchens and our homes that help things run more smoothly and efficiently. We also hope to free up some much needed space in the process! The great thing about creating these items on your own is that each one of them can be customized to fit your family’s and home’s needs! Love that! With 8 kiddos between the 2 of us, we hope to offer you guys so cute ideas with a whole lot of function!

I will start it off today with a little something I made for my pantry door! One of my goals is to use just about every inch of my pantry. Since moving in, my spices have been taking up space in a big drawer. They were ready for a new home, and I was ready to get my drawer back! Here is what I came up with…

You like it? I do! This baby is super easy to make! I decided to make mine for the top half of the door to keep my babies from playing with the spices! Plus, I have a fun plan for the bottom half I will be sharing soon!

I used my Kreg Jig® to build mine, but you can also use finish nails and wood glue if you aren’t a Kreg Jig® owner!

Materials –

2 – 1x4x10 whitewood boards (I actually used 3 – 1x4x8 because they are easier to get in my car ;-))

3 – 4ft 3/8″ dowel rods (found mine at Lowe’s for under a buck a piece)

3/8″ dowel buttons (right next to the dowels at Lowe’s)

cup hooks (hardware aisle)

1/4″ plywood for the back (I used a PureBond plywood scrap I had on hand, but you can buy a 2×4′ sheet at Lowe’s or HD and have it cut down to 21″ x 39″)

Total cost – Around $30 depending on what you use for the back of your spice rack

Here is how I made it!

I made all my cuts first.

1×4 cuts –

8 at 19.5″

2 at 39″

Dowel cuts

6 at 20.5″

Plywood back cut to 21 x 39

After making my cuts I drilled my holes for my dowels. I used a drill bit just 1 size larger than my 3/8″ dowels. I knew my holes would be exactly the same on both side boards, so I clamped them together and did them at the same time. This saved a little time. If you don’t have a clamp you can just do 1 board at a time!

Here are the measurements of where to drill your holes! All of my holes are made 3/4″ from the side of the boards.

Next, I used my Kreg Jig® to add pocket holes to my top and bottom pieces, and to all of my shelf pieces. Again, if you don’t have a Kreg Jig®, you can use Gorilla Wood Glue and finish nails to attach the boards.

I used 3/4″ pocket holes and 1 1/4″ pocket hole screws.

Here are what my top, bottom and shelf pieces look like.

I built a box like this…

I used Gorilla Wood Glue for all of my joints.

Now to add my shelves!

Here is the placement of the shelves. The measurements are from the top of the box, to where the bottom of each shelf will be.

I also added a board on the top back side. This will be used to hang my spice rack on the door. Again… use the Kreg Jig® or nails and wood glue from the sides.

Now for the dowels!

Just add some Gorilla Wood Glue to the inside of your holes…

And stick your dowels in like this!

Then, use your dowel buttons to cover the holes on the sides. All you do is add a bit of wood glue and push them in!

I decided to add some cup hooks to the side of mine to hang my measuring spoons… Spices and spoons go hand in hand, so it helps having them in 1 spot!

I added some Gorilla Wood Glue to the back of the whole thing, and attached my 1/4″ plywood to the back with finish nails!

That’s it!

My very final step before hanging was to give the whole thing a coat of my fav!

Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch in Heirloom White – It’s very close to my door and trim color, so it was an easy choice! You can find this at HD!

Now to hang it…

Like many of you, I have hollow core doors in my home.

I used these Hollow Core Door Anchors to attach mine. This is so easy!

I started by drilling some small holes into my spice rack where I would be placing my screws.

Next, I used a pencil and my hubby to mark those holes on my door. He held it in place and I used a mechanical pencil with the lead out really far to mark where the holes would be. Pretty shanty, but it works!

Next, use a drill to attach the anchors into the door. These are self drilling, and all you have to do is make them flush with the door.

Next, use the screws to go through your spice rack, and into the anchors. Easy!

I also added 1 wood screw through the bottom of the rack to keep the bottom attached to the door. No anchor on that one… Just a little screw.

That’s it! Seems like a lot, but it’s because I tried to be super detailed to make it easy. This took me 1 nap time to build and a few minutes to hang! And… I LOVE IT!