How to Build an Easy Tiered Spice Rack

Hi, it's Amy from Hertoolbelt back with another DIY build for your home. My pantry shelves are in need of some major organizing, my spice bottles in particular.  I used to have this cool hanging gadget that was a carousel for the spice bottles.  It was nice and kept the spices off of the shelf and saved room, but was a little tedious waiting for the spice bottles to make the rounds.

However the motor died and I had to have all of the spice bottles sitting on the shelf, which ended up being a mess. Instead of replacing the gadget, I built a cheap and easy tiered spice rack.  This tiered spice rack is made from a simple $3 2×4 board and a few screws. You can build it in less than 30 minutes + paint dry time. It is a great solution to get those spices organized and visual. 

I made two versions of the spice rack. The first is a 3 tiered spice rack that holds the small spice bottles great.  Note: my pantry shelves are 11″ high.

The second version is for a 2 tiered spice rack that I can keep my club store (Costco/Sam's) sized spice bottles behind the rack and still access them.  

I'm using this rack in my pantry, but you can also use it in a cabinet, just adjust the length for your cabinet width.

How to Build a Tiered Spice Rack

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Materials

• 1 – 2″ x 4″ x 8′ board
• 7 – 2 1/2″ wood screws
• wood glue
• sandpaper
• paint
  • Approximate lumber cost is $3!

Tools Used

• Miter Saw
• Drill and bit for the screws
• Sander
• Countersink bit

** Before cutting any wood. Measure and decide the length of rack that you want for your space. For this example I used 24″. Adjust the board lengths accordingly. **

Step 1 – Cut the boards

3 Level Tiered Spice Rack 

• 3 – 1 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ x 24″ pieces of 2×4 (note the 2×4 actually measures 1 1/2″ x 3 1/2″)
• 1 – 1 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ x 3″ piece of 2×4

2 Level Tiered Spice Rack

• 2 – 1 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ x 24″ pieces of 2×4 (note the 2×4 actually measures 1 1/2″ x 3 1/2″)
• 1 – 1 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ x 1 1/2″ piece of 2×4

Step 2 – Sand the boards

It is easiest to sand the boards before assembly. Sand the 2×4's with 80 grit sandpaper until smooth. If painting the rack I will usually stop at 80 grit paper. If staining the wood then I will do a finish sanding with 120-180 grit sandpaper, sanding with direction of the grain. 

Step 3 – Drill holes

3 level tiered spice rack drill holes in 2 boards. 2 level tiered spice rack drill holes in 1 board.

On the boards measure and mark in from one long edge about 3/4″ in 3 places evenly spaced.  Use a countersink drill bit to pre-drill holes for the screws. 

Step 4 – Assemble the spice rack

3 Tier 

1. Turn all of the boards so the bottom side is up (countersink hole side). On the 24″ boards, measure and mark 2″ from a long edge. Take the board without holes drilled and place one of the boards with holes on it and line up with the 2″ marks. 
2. Apply wood glue where the 2nd board will be attached and use 2 1/2″ screws to secure the 2nd board to the first.
3. Place the 3rd board on the 2nd board and line up with the 2″ marks.  Apply wood glue and secure the 3rd board to the 2nd board with 2 1/2″ screws.
4. Drill a hole in the 3″ support piece about 3/4″ from the bottom. Use wood glue and a 2 1/2″ screw to secure it to the center of the second board as shown. 

2 Tier 

1. Turn all of the boards so the bottom side is up (countersink hole side). On the board without holes, measure and mark 2″ from a long edge. Place the board with holes on top and line up with the 2″ marks. 
2. Apply wood glue where the 2nd board will be attached and use 2 1/2″ screws to secure the 2nd board to the first.
3. Drill a hole in the support piece about 3/4″ from the bottom. Use wood glue and a 2 1/2″ screw to secure it to the center of the second board as shown. 

Step 5 – Paint spice rack (optional)

This is totally an optional step.  I applied 2 coats of Behr pure white latex paint to the tiered spice rack and let it dry fully.  To label my spice bottles, I used a Brother label maker with black on clear tape. 

There you go an easy peasy way to organize those spices.

3 Tier Spice Rack

3 Tier spice rack with spice bottles.

The 2 tier spice rack leaves room to access large club sized bottles in the back.

For more build plans check out Hertoolbelt:

Cordless Drill Organizer // Farmhouse Table // Mail Organizer

More easy pantry organizing ideas:

slim space-saving spice shelf

build a custom spice rack

organize a pantry with clear containers

printable chalkboard labels for pantry items

Published: January 30, 2017Filed Under: Contributor, Cooking, Organizing, Sketches/Renderings, Tutorials Tagged: building plans, DIY kitchen storage

About Amy Baesler

Amy is the tool lover at Hertoolbelt. On Hertoolbelt, Amy shares DIY furniture plans, handyman tutorials, and craft patterns. She has two pint sized 'helpers' that help fix things around the house and build fun projects.