20+ Clever Uses for Everyday Items in the Kitchen

No matter how fancy new gadgets or high-tech accessories become, there are some tried and true kitchen hacks that don’t require another appliance at all. Just some clever upcycling! Instead of impulse buying, take a look around your home for items that can serve wonders in the kitchen. This boho produce hanger? It’s just an old basket from the thrift store. Read on for our favorite clever uses for common household items in the kitchen.

From parsley to cinnamon, it's easy for spices to take over your cupboards. To fix this problem, Lauren Davison repurposed baby food jars and turned them into magnetic spice jars that easily attach to the side of the refrigerator. "They're a great way to keep clutter out of your cupboards, save time while cooking and add a touch of personality to the kitchen," she says. "Plus, it's easy to find the spice you need and see when you're getting low." Want to make your own? See Lauren's full tutorial and get step-by-step instructions.

Just because your old shutters don’t give your house curb appeal doesn’t mean you have to toss them! A good coat of paint and a couple of wire baskets make the perfect backing for a vertical product bin. The design is clutch if you’re short on counter space, but you could also mount it to your pantry door or back wall for potatoes and other produce that like the dark.

Cookbook racks and countertop shelves can get pricey, but here’s a secret: Use a cheap dish rack. Yes, really. This minimal stainless steel rack looks totally intentional once styled with books. And the utensil cup is perfect for keeping page markers handy.

Planning to decorate desserts or get into a messy craft? Your linen closet’s got you. A fitted sheet makes the perfect makeshift tablecloth and it’s especially clutch when crafting with kids or setting up a kid’s table for get-togethers because the elastic band keeps the tablecloth secure and protects your table.

Organizing plastic food storage lids is such a pain. And they always get messy and tossed around in drawers. Keep them neatly organized with a magazine rack. Just mount the rack to the back of a cabinet door for nifty, vertical organization.

Whether you’re moving and packing up the kitchen or you’re storing items you don’t use all the time, coffee filters make a great liner for stacking bowls, plates and glasses. Even if you have padded storage cases for fine china and porcelain, taking the extra step to line between each item decreases the risk of sliding and thereby chipping in transit. And at just a couple of bucks for a 100+ count pack, this hack won’t break the bank either.

This idea from Green Wedding Shoes will instantly jazz up a birthday party or a fun dinner at home. Just take an assortment of old vinyl records (you can pick up a variety for a dime at a flea market) and set them as place mats or chargers for serving dishes. Or as an alternative, use the album jackets instead. Photo courtesy of Jessica Velarde Photography

Don’t want a basic silver utensil crock? Use your favorite wallpaper or craft paper! We love wrapping a washed No. 10 can with contact paper or wallpaper for a pop of color, pattern and personalization.

Changing your dining room decor? Before you donate that old wall-mounted wine rack, consider using it in the kitchen. A vertical wine rack is also perfect for rolling pins. This can double as decor if you have various pastry pins in different shapes or have heirloom rolling pins from family to display.

Under the sink is a popular spot to store cleaning supplies but it can easily get messy with stacked boxes and spray bottles shoved to the back. Keep all your sprays easily reachable and neatly organized with a simple tension curtain rod! This storage method also creates more space at the bottom of your cabinet for other supplies,

We love using ice trays for saving herbs, creating custom-flavored cubes for cocktails and keeping sprinkles organized when decorating cookies with little ones. And another great toddler hack is using an ice tray as a snack tray. It keeps all their favorite bites easily within reach and the choices on display help encourage trying new fruits and veggies.

Hanging oven mitts and aprons can shore up some serious drawer space, but you probably don’t need to go buy new hooks. If you’ve recently updated knobs or pulls on a dresser, just use one of those! This also adds personality to a kitchen, especially if you use mismatched antique pulls.

No more stacks of menus stuffed in a junk drawer or hanging on the side of the refrigerator! It's possible to keep these tidy and organized (along with coupons and new recipes to try). Simply adhere any clear folder or plastic sleeve for paper documents to the inside of a cabinet or pantry door. Or, place one on the wall by the phone the look is clean enough to keep in plain sight. Photo courtesy of Cristin Bisbee Priest

Getting all those pot lids in line is a snap with this organization idea from Aimee Wimbush-Bourque. Just screw a metal magazine rack into the back of a cabinet door and arrange lids by size. The sleek design not only makes it easy to find the right lid but also opens up some additional cabinet space, too.

No need to shell out for new storage containers when you already have some in your cabinets. Aimee Wimbush-Bourque thought outside the box (literally!) and came up with this simple display for smaller cake-decorating supplies. An old loaf pan is a chic alternative to plastic containers, and it's easier to pull items from no lid required!

Are your canned goods getting lost in the shuffle? If you're tired of toppling towers of cans in the pantry, try this eco-friendly idea. Take an old cardboard soda box, coat it in Modge Podge, and then cover it with decorative paper. Cut an opening in the back to restock cans so the older ones rotate to the front.

To encourage her kids to drink more water, Ginny Sheller had her husband craft this space-saving mug rack. To make, turn a coat rack on its side, or screw individual hooks into the wall, and assign each little one their own personal hook based on their height. What's even better: They won't reach for a new cup each time they get a drink.

Take dish and hand soaps to new heights by placing them all on a cake stand next to the sink. If you don't have an old stand you're willing to part from your pastries, try creating one like Natalie Wright did, by gluing a plate atop a wide-based candlestick. It adds an elegant touch to the sink area, while freeing up counter space.

Whether you've accumulated more muffin pans than you bake with or have found some great antique versions at rummage sales like this one featured on Vintage Indie, it's time to put them to use. A tray placed in a junk drawer can separate odds and ends in a snap and keep them in place. Or, slide one onto a cupboard shelf to organize teeny baking supplies like food coloring, toothpicks and sprinkles. Photo courtesy of Heather Dutton

Juxtapose elegant glassware with this rustic, utilitarian idea from Dana Pugh. Simply remove the handle from any metal rake, and then anchor the head directly to the wall with screws. Flip each glass upside down and slide the stem between two prongs. Or, instead, use the rake to hang spatulas, wooden spoons or other kitchen utensils.

Save precious countertop real estate with this holder for pens and pencils or small kitchen utensils. Take an old box grater (you'll want one with dull enough openings to prevent cuts) and fill the opening at the top with floral foam cut to fit snugly inside. Loop a wire through two holes on one side of the grater to form a hook, then flip it and hang on the wall. Photo courtesy of Alicia McDonald and Jamie Timmer