Turn An Ordinary Thrift Store Spice Rack Into The Ultimate Bathroom Organizer

Incorporating a repurposed thrifted vintage piece into your home is a surefire way to add character, charm, and unique visual interest. If your secondhand find can also serve a functional purpose, it's an absolute win-win. However, without a plan, a packed thrift store can seem overwhelming. But with proper upcycle project inspiration, often found all over social media, you can hunt for antique treasures with confidence and an intentional shopping list. One such incredibly clever, practical, and inspirational secondhand DIY was shared by Cynthia Harper (@cynthia_harper) on TikTok, who demonstrated how she transformed an old-school thrifted spice rack into an elegant and practical bathroom organizer with just a bit of elbow grease. 

By finding the right spice rack design for her needs, refinishing it, and hanging it in the bathroom, Harper upcycled the outdated spice rack into a charming vintage treasure with smart functionality to boot. This bathroom organizer would be lovely with convenient guest needs in a secondary bathroom, an assortment of hand soaps and lotions in a powder room, or as a great, attractive storage solution for a primary bathroom to keep all of your essentials close at hand. No matter which bathroom you choose to showcase the repurposed thrift store find, this beginner-friendly DIY is the perfect way to add storage and charm to your home, as well as give an abandoned spice rack a new lease on life.

The premise of this hack is beautifully simple. Head to your favorite local thrift store(s) and go on a treasure hunt for a pre-loved, wall-mounted spice rack. If you'd like to be able to use the bottom rail as a hand towel holder, be sure to look for a spice rack with an open front rung used to hold the spices in place that will allow you to loop the towel through. A two-tier option is ideal for storing one shelf of products above with a towel bar below, but feel free to look for something larger or smaller to fit your bathroom's needs.

Once you have a vintage spice rack in hand, it's time to upgrade the aesthetics. As with any painted vintage piece, it's advisable to test for lead paint before proceeding with any project. When you know it's safe, begin by removing the old finish from the piece with an electric sander. Assuming the piece is wood, you can then apply a fresh coat of stain to give it an updated look, but paint is also a great option. Since the organizer will be placed in the bathroom, you will likely want to apply a matte sealer to prevent moisture damage from spills or splashes.

Once the piece is refinished, hang it on the wall near the sink. Fill the top shelf with pretty bottles of soap, lotion, body or hair products, perfume or cologne, room fragrance spray, and any other attractive bathroom products that the space needs. Hang a hand towel from the bottom rung to create the loveliest one-of-a-kind vintage bathroom organizer on a thrift store budget.