• Red Cottage VIP Printable Library
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

Red Cottage Chronicles

All Things Home

  • Home
  • About
    • Work With Me
    • Contact
    • Legal Stuff
  • Recipes
    • All Things Sweet
    • Appetizers and Dips
    • Mains and Sides
    • soups & salads
    • vegan/vegetarian
  • Around the Home
    • Housekeeping/Homemaking
    • Home Decor
    • Tablescapes
    • flowers and wreaths
    • gardens
    • Seasonal, Holidays & Special Occasions
  • DIY
    • One Room Challenge
    • Thrift Store Upcycle Projects
    • Seasonal, Holidays & Special Occasions
    • DIY Renovation Projects
  • Lifestyle
    • Explore Niagara
    • Family
    • health and well being

Around the Home DIY

Test Tube Pallet Spice Rack

pallet-spice-rack

I can’t believe it has taken me this long to take on a project using an old pallet!  At Tim’s workplace they put out pallets for the taking every day.  I can only explain that I have been waiting for just the right project!

What better way to start working with pallets than joining the Pallet Challenge Blog Hop, which kicks off Pallets Aplenty week on Remodelaholic.com!  An entire week of pallet project inspiration and tutorials. You won’t want to miss a single day.  Plus add your own pallet project to the Pallets Aplenty link party!

pallet projects

 

Ever since I saw a test tube spice rack from Dean & Deluca I just knew I had to have one.  It has to be the best way to store spices I have ever seen.  All nice and organized in one place.  

I am probably the worst person I know when it comes to keeping my spices organized.  Oh, I always start out with good intentions and have one spice cupboard, but they never end up where they belong again.  I end up buying the same spice 3 times because I can never find them.

pallet spice rack project

There were two things that were holding me back from purchasing the D & D spice rack.  The first of course was the price.  Holy Hannah!  Over $100 for a spice rack where there is a good chance I would break at least one of those test tubes in the first month.  

The second thing that kept me from pressing “add to cart” was the overall look.  I like more of a rustic look, and the steel rack just wasn’t doing it for me.

pallet spice rack test tubes

That is when the light bulb went off.  I could finally put an old pallet to really good use. It is already rough and rustic, and I could have one by the end of the day.

When I started searching the world wide web for pallet spice racks, I didn’t see anything that really fit with what I had in mind.  I really just wanted it to look like an old box.  Like a little vintage crate.

I put my exceptional art skills to work and drew a sketch for Tim so he had an idea of what I was thinking of.  He assured me it could be done, but probably would look better than my sketch.  Go figure! 

test tube pallet spice rack

I was so engrossed in the project that I forgot to take pictures along the way, but it really is just as basic as building a box.  

What you will need:

  •  pallet boards to equal 4 1/2″ wide (see how we did this below)*
  •  table saw or skill saw
  •  chop saw
  •  wood glue
  •  1″ wood screws
  •  power screw driver & 1 inch butterfly drill bit
  •  sandpaper
  • 15 1″ x 8″ test tubes plus corks (I got mine locally, but they are available here)

REMEMBER TO ALWAYS FOLLOW ALL SAFETY RULES WHEN USING ANY POWER TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT!

*Since the pallet boards weren’t wide enough to equal the height of the box that I wanted, we used 4 boards, gluing two boards edge to edge to create two 7-1/2″ boards.  (You can eliminate this step if you have a pallet that has boards equal or wider than the total height you want your finished box to be).

test tube pallet spice rack

We used our handy clamps to hold the boards in place while they dried overnight.

I wanted the “seam” where the two boards joined to be in the middle all the way around.  The total height of our box is 4 1/2 inches.  Using a table saw we trimmed 1-1/2″ inches off each side of the board to create boards that were 4 1/2″ wide.

Now we had two 4 1/2″ wide boards long enough to cut all the pieces we needed.  Using our chop saw we cut the pieces as follows:

  • two sides at 10″
  • two ends at 5 1/2″
  • one piece 5 1/2″ inches by 9″ to create the test tube holder

You will also need 2 small pieces of 1/4″ plywood cut as follows:

  • one piece cut to 5 1/2 inches by 9 inches
  • one piece cut to 6 inches by 9 1/2 inches 

test tube pallet spice rack

To create the test tube holder, we glued the piece of 1/4 inch plywood cut 5 1/2″ by 9″ to the bottom of the pallet wood piece.  We did this to add strength and prevent the board from coming apart as we needed to drill straight through the seam in the middle.  

We then mapped out the placement of the test tubes.  Using a 1″ butterfly bit we drilled three rows of five 1″ holes straight through the pallet wood/plywood.  I then sanded the edges with 120 grit sandpaper.

test tube pallet spice rack

To assemble the pallet spice rack:

  • we used 1″ wood screws to attach one end piece onto the test tube holder piece, positioning the test tube holder about a half inch below the top edge
  • next attach one side piece so that it covers the end of the end piece (see photo above)
  • follow with the 2nd side piece and finally fit the last end piece into place
  •  We counter sunk each screw and dabbed it with a vinegar steel wool solution, which will age the screws with time
  • glue the final piece of plywood to the bottom of the box.

We brushed the raw cut edges with a mixture of steel wool and vinegar to age the wood.  We did the same thing when we built this buffet table and love how that turned out.

test tube pallet spice rack

Finally, and this is optional, I personalized it by adding “Red Cottage Spice Co” using black craft paint from the dollar store.  

I used Picmonkey.com to get the font and size I wanted and printed it out on plain white paper then coloured all over the back of the letters with white seamstress pencil.  Next I placed it against the wood and traced out the letters, which left the white outline of the letter, and painted them in with the black paint.  A light sanding of the letters to rough them up a bit, and finally a finish coat of Varathane to protect the whole piece.

And there you have it.  A rustic, yet practical pallet spice rack that makes it easy to organize your spices. Each tube holds several teaspoons of spice, which I got from our local bulk food store.test tube pallet spice rack

You will want to label them of course.  I plan to pick up some 1″ round labels from the stationary store and design a little label to stick on top of each cork.  

I love how it looks on my counter and is always within easy reach.  It makes it easy for everyone who cooks to find (and put back) just the right spice!

You won’t want to miss all the pallet projects this week.  Scroll down for links to 8 more fun pallet projects!

Until next time…
Red Cottage Chronicles

 

 

 

pallet spice rack

outdoor coffee table with drink cooler | Remodelaholic

paper roll pallet memo board | Cupcakes and Crinoline

under bed toy storage | Our House Now a Home

stacked pallet coffee table | AD Aesthetic

hexagon side table | Lemon Thistle

scalloped headboard | This Mama’s Dance

outdoor pallet bar | Our Crafty Mom

rustic pallet wood crown molding | The Weathered Fox

 

(Visited 1 times, 1 visits today)


5 Comments

Subscribe

Get all the latest news from our little red cottage straight to your inbox!

« Pumpkin Spice Dip
Scalloped Apple Casserole »

Comments

  1. Leilani says

    September 26, 2016 at 2:13 pm

    Fabulous! So charming. Love it and love your personalization. 🙂

    Reply
  2. S Cotnam says

    September 28, 2016 at 10:41 pm

    Could you tell me where you bought the test tubes locally as we live in the same city? 🙂 Thanks

    Reply
    • Maureen says

      September 29, 2016 at 7:29 am

      Oh, fun!! I got mine at a place called Indigo Instruments in Waterloo. They are Canadian company (therefore no exchange or duty charges!) that ship Canada wide, but you can also arrange to pick them up if you want! They were $2 each tube and I think .30 or .40 cents for each cork. (I ordered extra corks!)

      Reply
  3. Gian Carlo says

    January 16, 2020 at 6:52 am

    Nice DIY test tube pallet spice rack. I have another pallet project ideas. I will build an indoor koi pond and make the pallet as a frame

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Pallet Projects - 150 Easy Ways to Build Pallet Projects ⋆ DIY Crafts says:
    April 28, 2020 at 7:56 am

    […] Here is what you can do amazing using recycled home materials! Here the pallet wood remains and some test tubes have been repurposed to serve as a cool spice rack! The entire box is made of rustic pallet wood lengths while the test tubes have been filled with spices and comes with corks fitted to their openings! Another cool and mind-blowing pallet project! Complete project details and tutorial here redcottagechronicles […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Red Cottage Chronicles

Oh, hi there!

Well, hello! I am Maureen, and welcome to our little Red Cottage. Married to my high school sweetheart, I am a passionate baker, accidental DIY'er and love all things home! Read More…

Follow Us!

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Stay updated!

Get all the latest news from our little red cottage straight to your inbox!

Categories

Instagram

redcottagechronicles

redcottagechronicles
Introducing our new little bean!! Falcon Lake’s Introducing our new little bean!! Falcon Lake’s Jingle Bell Rock!! Otherwise known as Dasher!!! Can you tell we love Christmas!! He will join the family in about 3 weeks!! So excited!! #goldenpuppys #goldenretrieverpuppy #puppylove
A very Merry Christmas to all! When the snow start A very Merry Christmas to all! When the snow started to fall last night this girl was a very happy camper!! #whitechristmas #letitsnowletitsnowletitsnow #snowmakesmehappy #perfectday
My sweet boy is out like a light after spending a My sweet boy is out like a light after spending a spa day @fetchme.later  He always comes home looking fabulous and happy to be all fluffed and buffed!! #adogslife🐾❤️ #sleepinglikeadog #goldenretrieversofinstagram #goldenlove #lovemygoldenretriever #letsleepongdogslie #christmasready🎄
A sparkly Christmas tree makes me happy!! And, fro A sparkly Christmas tree makes me happy!! And, from what I am seeing not only on social media but also right here in our neighborhood #, folks are decking their halls early this year! Twenty-twenty has been quite a year, and anyway I think people are looking for a way to add a little joy into their lives! Today on the blog I am sharing this, my Victorian inspired Christmas tree, plus links to 27 other inspirational trees!! Link in my bio! And, if decorating for the holidays is too soon for you or you don’t decorate at all, that’s okay, but I encourage you to find a little thing to light up your day!! #christmasdecor #victorianchristmastree #holidaydecor #sparklythings #christmastreedecorating #victorianmagazine #hgtvcanada #dowhatmakesyouhappy #christmasinniagara #styleathomemagazine #canadianlivingmagazine #englishcountrystyle
The living room Christmas mantel is almost finishe The living room Christmas mantel is almost finished!! Instead of buying new garland I used inexpensive garland I have had for several years and embellished it with faux green stems bought during a 2 for 1 sale, and beautiful silk garden roses I already had!  Best part, I can reuse all the elements and create something new next year!  #christmasmantle #fauxgarland #victorianmagazine #repurposedchristmas #handmadechristmasdecorations #christmasdecor #countrylivinguk #nutcracker #pinkchristmasdecor
Our Thanksgiving may be behind us here in Canada, Our Thanksgiving may be behind us here in Canada, I am joining my American friends in sharing some inspiration for Thanksgiving table decor! I am leaning towards the simple things these days and this table reflects that! See the entire post through the link in my profile! #thanksgiving #tabledecorideas #autumntable #easycenterpiece #inspiredbynature #simplelife #homedecor #styledtablesaturday #styledtable #thanksgiving2020
Love autumn in Niagara! #autumncolours #notl #chan Love autumn in Niagara! #autumncolours #notl #changingleaves #niagaraescarpment #niagaraparkway #secretpaths #walkinginthewoods #leafcoveredpathways #redcottagechronicles
Having an outdoor socially distanced birthday cele Having an outdoor socially distanced birthday celebration with my “bubble”! @samantha__38 used my Cricut Explore 2 to make me a fan to “blow out” my candles!! #happybirthdaytome #fabulousat55 #birthdayfun #cricutmade #cricutexploreair2 #cricutcreated #genius #covidbirthday2020 #daughters #cricutcrafts
Decisions. Decisions!! #oneroomchallenge #bedroomr Decisions. Decisions!! #oneroomchallenge #bedroomrefresh #warmgray #benjaminmoore #graypaintcolor #upholsteredbed
Long Sunday morning strolls are so relaxing! Doesn Long Sunday morning strolls are so relaxing! Doesn’t get much better than autumn in #niagara
With 2020 being the most ridiculous year ever it i With 2020 being the most ridiculous year ever it is easy to feel defeated, sad, fed-up, and overwhelmed. I try to find a way to elevate the every day, and y’all know how much I love my fresh flowers!  These gorgeous hydrangeas cut from my garden this morning will bring a smile to face for days to come. And, remind me how blessed I am to have a safe spot to land when the world outside seems too much to handle. #hydrangeasmakemehappy #home #cozy #autumndiningroom grooom #freshflowers #flowermagazine #frommygarden #elevatetheeverday #bigflowerarrangement #simplebouquets #falltabledecor #falltabledecor
Went on our annual trek to go apple picking at @wi Went on our annual trek to go apple picking at @windwoodfarms  It has been a tradition for the last 8 years! That means apple recipes in the blog this week! #applecake #applepickingseason #autumntraditions #applerecipes #niagaraapples #appledesserts #freshpickedapples #bakingfromscratch #autumndesserts #beamsvillebench #passionatebaker #oldfashionedrecipe
Load More... Follow on Instagram

tablescapes

tablescapes

One Room Challenge Kitchen Edition

Budget Kitchen Renovation

STAY UP TO DATE

Get all the latest recipes straight to your inbox

Disclosure & Privacy Policy

Disclosure & Privacy Policy

More From Red Cottage Chronicles

Market Flower Monday – Hand Tied Bouquet

Chocolate Chip Cookies with a Canadian Twist!

Ginger spice cookies

Ginger Spice Cookies

banana-streusel muffins

Banana Streusel Muffins

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

Copyright © 2021 · Site by Pretty Pink Studio

This site uses cookies : to enhance your user experience Find out more.