Type Case Printer Drawer Spice Rack

I needed to use up the last few printer drawers that we had found in the house... my husband has been eying the corner where they sit and sighing a lot. ( I do mean a LOT.) Plus, my spices were just lined up all over the counter, taking up space.
I rub-stained it this neat retro green color, did a quick clear (spray) coat to seal it, and added picture hangers to the back. It also looks cute propped against the wall on the counter!

 I big puffy heart printer drawers and their versatility! 

Materials Used:
Vintage Printer Drawer, sitting in my corner being clutter
Leftover green stain, also being clutter
Rag, for rubbing the stain
A can of spray clear coat, leftover from another project (bought a few too many)

I also used a paint respirator mask because fumes+human=bad things happen. I will not show you a picture of this, because the mask looks beyond silly on me...you can find these in most hardware or home improvement stores. I happen to have a few of them laying around, because we paint a lot of things around these here parts. 

Hint: Always test stain on a scrap piece of wood first — the color is hard to determine until applied to the wood you've chosen. Different color woods will look different with the same color stain. 

1. Wipe down your drawer and make any repairs needed. The nails were a little loose, so I gently tapped them back in with the edge of a flat carpenter's pencil. A tiny dab of super glue holds them tight.

2. Apply the stain to the wood using a circular motion, then wipe with the grain to get rid of any streaks.

Hint: a water-based stain will evaporate more quickly than will an oil-based one.
3. Allow stain to dry-this will depend on the type of stain you have chosen. Read the instructions on the can of stain you have chosen.  (I let mine dry overnight.)

4. Stains add color but don't protect wood, so some type of sealant must be used. Hint: I don't recommend that you use polyurethane, or lacquer, as it has a tendency yellow over time. I recommend a water-based finish sealant.

Right now I just have my spices tucked in the nooks in their usual bottles...I am in the process of collecting vintage spice jars to use instead! This is perfect in my Tuscan style kitchen! What do you guys think?


This work by Little Mom on the Prairie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.