Turn Those Baby Food Jars Into Magnetic Spice Containers To Declutter Your Pantry

All kinds of foods, drinks, and ingredients can contribute to the jumbled mess many face in the pantry, but your spice collection doesn't have to be one of them. A magnetic spice container holder is a perfect way to clean up your pantry while making the kitchen experience more efficient. Since they're crucial to almost any dish, cooking is so much quicker and easier when you can keep your spices nearby and visible. And if you've got a collection of baby food jars you're looking to recycle responsibly, upgrading your kitchen organization with DIY magnetic spice jars can be a cheap, fun, and practical solution to consider for your next project.

Better than most spice racks, a magnetic holder places your spices exactly where you need them without stealing storage space from other kitchen essentials. Thanks to their metal caps, you have two ways of working with baby food jars. A magnetized metal strip (like the HEREOF 10-Inch Magnetic Strip) is an easy installation. While normally used for items like kitchen knives, they can hold small baby food jars by the cap either vertically on the wall or mounted under a cabinet. The other option is to set up a simple metal sheet, like this K&S Sheet Metal, in a similar fashion and add strong magnets to the jars instead. Pick a spot where your jars will stay away from light and heat but also remain convenient for where you'll do your cooking. You can then start designing your spice organizer.

Compared to using a magnetic metal strip, attaching magnets to the baby food containers allows more flexibility with how you arrange your spices. You can place them anywhere you want on the jars. Put them on the cap, bottom, or sides. Choose the most sensible, space-efficient position based on the jar's shape and how you want to add labels and designs. Then, get your supplies.

For the basic design, you'll need magnets and an adhesive to hold them to the jars. A metal sheet will attach to the wall or cabinet, holding the jars by the magnet. Neodymium magnets are strong and small enough to fit on even the tiniest baby food jars. Magnets with higher "N" ratings (N35 through N55) have a stronger magnetic force, but you can also double or triple up your magnets if the jars struggle to stick to the metal surface.

Keep in mind that the stronger the magnetic pull, the better the adhesive needs to be to hold the magnets on the jars. Use a sturdy two-part epoxy or superglue, two types of glue you should have on hand for your DIY projects. A powerful adhesive tape, such as 3M Super-Strength Molding Tape, can also work. Before applying, clean the baby food jar's exterior with rubbing alcohol or a nail polish remover hack to remove sticker adhesive from the glass. Once it's clean and dry, you can glue on the magnet and hold it in place until the adhesive sets.

Affixing your magnetic spice jar collection to a holder is only one half of this DIY. Since they're hanging out for all to see, the spice jars can make or break your kitchen's overall look, putting the onus on you to give them decorative details. They'll need labels, anyway, giving you a perfect starting point to inject a little flair. Either make your own, find printable sets online, or get pre-made sticker labels you can slap on the jars. Whatever you choose, make sure it will fit the side facing out to make each spice easy to identify on the holder.

Embellishing beyond the label adds personality and style while also protecting the spices. Applying paint and other covers is a smart way to block the spices in the baby food jars from damaging light, helping to preserve their flavor. Make it a fun decoupage project. Find prints and fabrics to overlay, grab your Mod Podge, and start decorating the jar, including the magnet to make it blend in with the rest of the design. You can even go a step further and paint the metal sheet holding the containers. A clean coat of spray paint can create a colorful backdrop to bring the look together, though this may slightly affect the magnetic attraction with the jars.