Sunday 26 February 2012

Minute make...Nice rack! [Spice holder upcycle]

My nail varnish collection is usually housed in various make-up bags and scattered around the house, but it's far better kept upright so I'd vaguely considered buying one of those stands like you see at the beautician. I looked, but it turns out they're at least £25 on Amazon/eBay and a bit clinical in appearance. I know that keeping it in the fridge is supposed to the best thing, but then there'd be less room for wine and petit-filou yoghurts - the mainstay of all households with school-aged inhabitants. [Obviously only one of these things goes in the Ben10 lunch bags. I've not got it wrong yet]

Anyway, I had a Google for other people's solutions, browsed for ideas on Pinterest and settled on looking for something I could make-over. Second hand 80s kitchen accessories don't usually do much for me, but I was hopeful this scruffy pine Schwartz spice-rack I won on eBay would be just the thing.

£7.00 eBay

£26.00 eBay

I reattached the backboard a little more firmly, gave it my patented once over with a wet-wipe, and was ready to do a quick coat of paint. I've seen Annie Sloan chalk paint raved about all over the internet, and thought I'd give it a try. It gets the full five stars from me - the lazy crafter's seal of approval! There really is no need for sanding, removal of old varnish or priming. It covers in one coat, doesn't have that nasty painty smell (and is low in VOCs) and doesn't show brush marks. Added to that, it was fully dry in about half an hour. Genius. I got a 100ml tester pot in 'Provence', and still have enough left to do another similar sized project.




Aah, sweet organisation.
There's enough room on the shelves for certain polishes to be two deep.



Maybe not quite a minute make - but nice and quick none the less. Of course, you could keep other make-up on it if nail varnish is not your thing [why ever not?]

I'm counting this as my Monthly Make for February
Linking up with Flea Market Finds
and
Lakota x

Have you entered my blogiversary giveaway? There's Nails inc polish up for grabs there, amongst other goodies. Click on the link to go to the post.

64 comments:

  1. Genius! It looks stunning. Never would have thought of that one, and the paint sounds really good to use.... and look! You still have room to buy a few more bottles! :) x

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  2. Ooh, smart! I love a good organisational project!

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  3. Amazing what a lick of lovely paint can do, the shade is gorgeous - will have to seek some of the Annie Sloan paints out - such a pretty way to store your polishes too. They're such colourful, pretty things in themselves that it's a shame not to have them on display :-) Although now is the point at which I admit that I only own 2 nail polishes!

    Jem xXx

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  4. Fab idea! Definitely one I shall have to steal.....er, I mean, borrow LOL

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  5. That looks brilliant, I love the colour. Much better than my stupid system of sticking them in a vanity case and having to tip it all out every time I need to find the colour I'm after. x

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  6. love the eggshell blue paint, brillant idea xx

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  7. What a super spicy idea Lakota xox I love the eggshell blue paint as a back drop to all your colourful nail varnish xox

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  8. What a great idea! I love organized places! ;)

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  9. Very impressive! Damn, I saw one of these in a charity shop yesterday- I should have bought it but I was on a ban!

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  10. Bloody love it! Recycling and upcycling must rank in the higher echelons of monthly making! As a nail varnish fiend this really project really appeals to me. And thanks for the Annie Sloan feedback, sound like my kind of thing.

    I am pining this for future reference!

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  11. What a great idea! I love the paint colour. I haven't tried using chalk paint before..I will have to check it out, sounds perfect. You have a lovely collection of nail polishes :)

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  12. brilliant makeover! I love it when something like this does the job exactly the same, is miles cheaper and looks just as good (or even better) as the original - a great idea!
    BH x

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  13. Great idea and I love the colour.
    Liz @ Shortbread & Ginger

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  14. What a fantastic idea, I can see ribbons and laces there too,it is endless a fabulous idea,love the colour,it is just a great upcycle.

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  15. What a cleaver idea. Saves a lot of pennies and has much more character too!

    X x

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  16. It looks really good looking and very useful. What clever paint and what a clever craftswoman.
    Love from Mum
    xx

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  17. What a brilliant idea, and it looks wonderful.

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  18. This is a fantastic idea! I really love it! Now I just need to find an old spice rack! xxx

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  19. Love this! I have seen similar things in peoples makeup organisation videos on YouTube (yes I am sad enough to watch them!) I love your Nails.Inc polish collection along the top *drools* xxx

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  20. Top of my wish list- an old spice rack! I love this idea, I am quite obssessed with storage, I am always looking for ways to store stuff xxx

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  21. This is a great make! Will have to try out that paint as i too have heard good things and now you've given it the thumbs up i'll use it for a future project :o) Scarlett x

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  22. Very, very cool! Do you have a nail varnish to match! I like your thrifty, sarky, occassionally crafty tag

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  23. What a good idea, and decorative as well as practical!

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  24. Very nice indeed. I thought I was genius for finally putting all my polish in a shoe box. Thats where it lives till this day.

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  25. Oh thats so very smart of you! I like the paint too. You have a lot of really pretty nail polishes :)

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  26. I really like this idea!!
    All my polishes sit in a square fabric traincase. And then hidden inside my vanity table.
    BUT this idea... is lovely and makes such a colorful display.

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  27. Nice idea! If ever I am a grown up with a real house I totally want to do this!

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  28. Now that is a good idea, especially as you can see at a glance what colours you've got. Unlike me who has to delve deep into the Primark make-up bag!

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  29. Great idea! My nail polish has expanded a lot recently even though we are banned at work.... Mine are in an over flowing sewing box. x

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  30. That's lovely - gorgeous colour and so much nicer than the salon-style ones. I'll look out for the paint, minimum effort sounds good to me.
    Baby Bird is a Mister Maker fan - gotta start them early!

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  31. What a brilliant idea! I love the colour! x

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  32. Ahhh, room for 6 new colours!

    Fabby makeover, it literally is unrecognisable.

    I'd wondered about the raving re Annie Sloane, but you've convinced me now.

    x

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  33. Great makeover. I still use my old pine Schwartz spice racks for spices! but I might do a paint job on them as you make it look so easy.

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  34. oooh you clever lady ! Love it.
    Inspires me to stop biting my nails and get all girly xx

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  35. I love the colour you have painted them and they look great.

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  36. Totally marv, and grrreat colour
    x
    (Teehee, love comparing stuff I've made to what I would have had to spend elsewhere too)

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  37. A gals gotta have somewhere to store her polish, or in my case sewing thread, you've just given me the idea to use a spice rack instead of trying to buy an over priced thread rack! Thank you!

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  38. That looks amazing, who would've thought a spice rack could make such a huge comeback! I have been raving about Annie Sloan paint too after painting my kitchen cupboards with it. It's saved us a fortune replacing the units, which it has to be said are on their last legs but will remain for another five years or so until we bite the bullet and extend the kitchen. I am now on the look out for spice racks in charity shops. x

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  39. that's a great idea u have inspired me. i have very limited space in my little house so any ideas on saving space is wonderful. luv your blog would be delighted if you would check out mine.just started recently hard work though but good fun. x Leo

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  40. Lovely idea! Mind I'd need about 10 of them for all my polishes.....

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  41. Ruddy 'eck, this is inspired! My nail varnish bottles and skittering around in my top drawer. I love everything about this makeover. Great job, you gorgeous woman! :)

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  42. Wow! What a genius idea! :)

    R xx

    http://rebecca-daydreambeliever.blogspot.com/

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  43. Your nail polish storage idea caught my eye. I just last week took all my np out of the drawer I had it stored in and put it on a shelf. I want to get one of those acrylic spice storage thingys that set one row up about an inch above the one below it (so I can see all the colors at a glance). Signing up to "follow" as it looks like you're a girl after my own heart ;)

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  44. Excellent idea and beautifully done

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  45. Such a good idea making use of the old spice storage shelves.

    Brilliant!

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  46. fab idea and such a grt makeover of the spice rack x

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  47. You talked me into it (coming back!).

    I wish I had enough nail varnishes to need a rack for them! I certainly have more spices than cosmetics, but spice racks are not cool for spices any more, are they?

    What will you organise next, Lakota? Can't wait to see,

    Congrats on your blogiversary too!


    Lucy x

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  48. So clever! So simple! Love the colour too. What a fab idea. I might steal it! Sarah xxx

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  49. You're a bloody genius, you are!
    Nice rack indeed! xxxxx

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  50. This is awesome, I can't wait to make one for myself, I have only recently become obsessed with painting my nails and I have been searching all over for a great way to display them. This will be absolutely perfect!

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  51. LOVE it!!! Old price racks have so much potential, I panted a similar one white and us it as a book display for my boys' tiniest books :-)

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  52. That is indeed a fine rack you have yourself there! Looks great. This paint of which you speak sounds marvellous, I must remember that when I finally get round to painting some stuff. Did you get it off the interweb?

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    1. Yes you can buy it direct from her website or certain interiors shops will stock it.

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  53. Oh, this is adorable, I could definitely do with something like this x

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  54. Well.. I much prefer your version!

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  55. Genius, Lakota. Must get that paint. I've heard such good things about it from you and other bloggers.xx

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  56. Jeepers, that looks great, I want one! I've tagged you over on my blog xx

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  58. I love the idea! and i love the annie sloan chalk paint too! i gotta go and buy some! love the color you chose, Lakota! it's a great way to store your lovely collection of nail polish! genius!! which reminds me i have a similar stand/rack that i havent done anything so this is going to be my next project!

    thank you for sharing!

    x susan

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  59. Adorable. I love that colour and must try chalk paint, lol. Nice job - so glad you shared at our LInk It Up Thursday party.

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  60. You = Genius! I don't think I could do it myself though, hubby would know how much nail polish I have that way. Some things are best kept hidden!

    (And the nail-obsessed person here has to ask - what are the two on the far right, middle shelf? Gold box & something that looks like an eyeshadow?)

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