Glass Spice Bottles

There are many components that combine to make up my design style. What I like, what catches my eye, colors, patterns, sales, things that jump out from the shelf screaming “take me home, love me!” Sometimes it’s all about falling in love with one particular piece but overall it’s about making everything in my home look fabulous and be 100% functional for my family. I don’t want the closed off front room that no one is allowed in, the antique white sofa no one is allowed to sit on, or the wedding china packed carefully away in a box. What’s the point of having beautiful things if you can’t use them? Beauty and function, that’s my motto!

Sometimes this motto comes out to play in a big way such as my gorgeous German Haviland Blue Garland China that I have spent years collecting… but we still use for special dinners. The hubby actually made me a special dinner a week or two ago, just because it was Tuesday… and he used the good china! It was nice to see it out of the cabinet and on the table. Don’t bother ladies… he’s taken!

Several weeks ago I came across a set of 8 tiny bottles for sale in an antique shop. They were in great shape and only a couple of dollars so of course my wheels started turning. Since I typically collect blue glass bottles that are unique these bottles did not fit my usual mo. Either way I figured I would find something to do with them… for only $3 it was worth the risk! I went home and started Google-ing (okay let’s face it, that didn’t work… I went straight to Pinterest!) ideas for tiny glass bottles. They are about three or four inches tall so they aren’t miniscule, and they have glass tops with rubber stoppers. So they are air tight.

I found several ideas on Pinterest but nothing that really caught my eye and said “do this!”. Then an idea struck, they are the perfect dimensions for spice bottles. I recently tried to organize our spices with absolutely no luck. The bottles are all different shapes and sizes… which would be fine except some are plastic some are glass, the tops are different colors, some are new and shiny, some are old and torn. It’s a typical spice collection and it drives me bonkers! I decided this was the end… those spices were getting a makeover!

I gathered my supplies: old ratty spice bottles, new shiny spice bottles, a couple paper towels and a paper plate to catch any spice overflow or spills. I would have loved a funnel but apparently I don’t have one! I did put funnel on my shopping list though so don’t worry (I know you were all freaking out… it’s under control). After that it was pretty easy. I sat on the floor in the living room transferring spices while the hubster watched Robo Cop. It didn’t take very long (maybe an hour? Half the movie?) before all eight bottles were full.

I absolutely love the way this project turned out! It was easy, cheap and gorgeous! Now instead of hiding my old ratty spice bottles in a cabinet I can display them proudly! I love using kitchen appliances or food to decorate the kitchen. I learned that tip from an episode of Dear Genvieve on HGTV and it really stuck. Of course I do what I want (I’m a rebel that way) but whenever the opportunity arises… I use kitchen like objects to decorate the kitchen! Like my antique ice cream maker, scales, potato masher, and now spice bottles! The list really can go on and on.

I decided to line the little bottles up on the back on my blue pie safe. With only eight bottles they fit beautifully behind my white silverware caddy’s. Of course we have more than eight spices but I figured we had better do a test run with these eight before running out and buying more glass bottles! As beautiful as the glass looks I want to make sure we don’t have any problems actually using the bottles. I’m not sure why we’d have a problem but better safe than sorry right? I did see more at the original store so if this works out… I’ll be back!

I absolutely love the way the light hits the sides making the spices inside dance. Of course I wish they were completely glass, the rubber stopper isn’t quite as pretty. It also tells me these bottles probably aren’t true antiques as plastic stoppers weren’t used hundreds of years ago. But a girl can pretend! Plus rubber is better at sealing a bottle than glass, the rubber stoppers definitely makes these bottles air tight. I would hate for my spices to become old and icky after only a couple months in their new bottles!