DIY Vintage‑Inspired Organizers: Simple Ways to Store Spice Jars With Vintage Finds

DIY Vintage‑Inspired Organizers: How I Store My Vintage Spice Jars (No DIY Required)

Just the other day, my friend Sadie (name changed for privacy) told me she didn’t know how to store her vintage spice jars. I lit up like a Christmas tree because I already had the perfect solution — my antique ribbed mission‑style spice jars tucked neatly inside a vintage cheese crate.

When I shared how I was storing mine, she said, “Cara… you need to share that on your blog.” I laughed and said, “Oh, I doubt anyone would be interested.” She replied, “You just solved my problem. You don’t think others have the same issue?”

So if this helps you, you can thank Sadie. I never planned to write a whole post about this, but here we are — exploring one of my favorite DIY vintage‑inspired organizers that technically requires zero DIY. Teehee.

Get ready, this little setup quickly became one of my favorite DIY vintage‑inspired organizers in the kitchen.

The Vintage Cheese Box That Started It All

Growing up, my mom kept a wooden cheese box on the kitchen counter. It didn’t hold anything — it was simply cute, sentimental, and had belonged to my great‑grandparents. That little box lived there my entire childhood, and I always thought, one day I’ll have one just like it.

You still see these boxes in antique stores (though the prices have climbed like everything else), but they’re worth every penny for the charm they bring.

My sister loved the cheese box too and picked one up years ago. She has a habit of buying things and then deciding she has too much stuff — which is where Cara gets the good stuff. She handed it to me for free, and I happily adopted it.

The Auction Haul That Brought the Spice Jars Home

I tend to cook with the same spices, so I only filled a few of the spice jars

A few years ago, my husband and I won several items on a local online auction that brought a lot of new to us glassware into our home. And for once, I wasn’t the culprit — it was all him.

We ended up with:

• a glass flour canister on a wrought iron stand

• several other canisters

• a green glass juice bottle like my great‑grandmother had

• green depression salt and pepper glass shakers

• and the stars of today’s show: ribbed mission‑style spice jars

These jars originally lived in a Hoosier cabinet, the Cadillac of kitchen cabinets. I recently read that even with all our modern storage inventions, the Hoosier still ranks as the most organized cabinet in kitchen history. Hard to argue when you see all those clever compartments.

Source: Newspapers.com

Why I Wanted the Spice Jars Out on Display

When we began the remodel on our kitchen, I dreamed of restoring a Hoosier cabinet like my grandmother had. But our kitchen layout — with its doors, windows, and built‑ins — made it impossible.

Still, I didn’t want those antique spice jars hidden behind cabinet doors. I wanted them front and center, used and loved. Antiques aren’t meant to be museum pieces in my world. They’re meant to live.

The Lightbulb Moment: Spice Jars in a Cheese Crate

One day, while rearranging the kitchen (as I tend to do often), I picked up the vintage cheese box and plopped a spice jar inside.

Bingo.

Instant charm. Instant organization. Instant vintage magic.

The ribbed tea canister matches the spice jars, how lucky were we?

This is the heart of DIY vintage‑inspired organizers — using what you already have in a new way.

Styling the Space With More Vintage Organizers

Once the cheese crate was in place, I kept going. Because why stop when you’re having fun?

This organizing basket has never had a use in the kitchen, until now that is.

I added:

• a vintage wicker two‑drawer organizer (I’ve had it over 20 years, so it’s officially vintage!)

• a marble cutting board behind it

• a glass rabbit candy dish filled with kosher salt

I like to cook with kosher salt often and like it right by the stovetop

Suddenly I had a whole little vintage‑inspired organizing station — all from things I already owned.

This is the kind of organizing that feels like play. The kind that makes your kitchen feel like you.

The two drawers hold my spoon rest in one drawer, our extra spice jars, and extra green depression glass salt and pepper shakers. Funny enough, all of these came from the same auction. 

And because I love showing the real, functional side of organizing, here’s what I keep inside the drawers:

All my extra spice jars and shakers hidden in this drawer, keeps them all located close together

Note: We found each set of depression glass shakers had one shaker that was cloudy. It is from years of storing salt inside that makes them cloudy. I kept to tradition and keep my salt in the cloudy ones as well.

Why Vintage Organizers Work So Well

They add charm. They add character. They add history. And they keep things functional without feeling sterile or store‑bought.

The thrill of the hunt at auctions and antique stores is fun — but so is shopping your own home.

Shop Your Home: More Ways to Use a Vintage Cheese Box

Before I used mine for spices, I almost hung it on the wall to store Bentley’s leash and treats. It would’ve been adorable under the light switch.

Wouldn't this be adorable hanging on the wall?

If spice storage isn’t your thing, a cheese crate also makes a great:

• cell phone charging station

• soap and lotion caddy

• bathroom organizer

• entryway drop‑zone box

Who says it has to stay in the kitchen?

A Little Note Before You Go

Everything I used for this little organizing moment was already in my home. Sometimes you just need to play — the same way we did as kids dreaming up our future homes.

Walk around your home. Check the attic, basement, garage. You might already have the perfect piece for storing spices, salt, or even your spoon rest.

This maximalist at heart is trying to simplify… just a little. And using vintage pieces as organizers is the sweetest way to do it.

Ciao,

Cara