Declutter Your Kitchen Cabinets and Countertops (attach Mason Jars Under Cabinets)

A paleo diet kick left me with bags and bags of alternative flours cluttering my kitchen cabinets, not to mention all the different kinds of seeds, nuts, etc. etc.

A bout with Marie Kondo left me feeling guilty anytime I left anything out on the countertops. I wasn't sure where to put it all and still use it.

My solution: put all of it in mason jars and then back in the cupboards. The problem with that - mason jars are bulky and don't flex when next to each other like the paper or plastic bags all the stuff comes in. And, jars get lost behind other jars.

My solution 2.0: use the unused space under the cabinets by attaching the jar rings to the underbelly of the cabinet. The mason jars hang so you can see them. The kitchen counters are still clean (Marie Kondo is still happy), and the cabinets are less cluttered. Win-Win-Win.

Supplies

Tools:
drill (hand or power)
screw driver (match type to screw head)
hole punch
scissors
marker (fine tip sharpie)
pencil

Materials:
wide-mouth quart mason jars (as many as you want/need for under the cabinets)
jar lids and rings (equal to the number of jars)
(2) screws per mason jar (I used 3/8" #4 phillips screws - you want something that won't go thru the cabinet base)
sheet of cardstock or construction paper
string, twine, or ribbon

Step 1: Assess the Damage, Gather Materials

Check your cabinets and countertops. If you're surprised that you had flax seeds hidden in the back of your cabinet, or that the full bag of coconut flakes are about to expire, this might be for you. If you have three opened bags of half to mostly used alternative flour (coconut, almond, oat, etc.), this should be for you.

Gather your materials. I already had some food stored in jars and some additional jars lying around. I picked a spot under my cabinets and decided about 10 jars would fit. When deciding how many to do, plan to space them about 3-6 inches apart so you can still spin them off the ring.

Step 2: Drill Holes in Lid, Attach to Cabinet

Drill two holes in the lid (not the ring). I didn't measure where they go and it shouldn't matter. Just keep them a little away from the edge. You can do this with a hand or power drill.

Once you have the holes drilled, put the lid and ring up under the cabinet in position. I positioned them to the back of the cabinet so they wouldn't hang down into usable counter space. Screw in the screws until tight. Be careful not to poke through into the inside of the cabinet base.

Step 3: Make Tags, Attach Them to Jars

Cut 1-2in wide strips the full length of the cardstock or paper choice. Then, cut down into 3-4in long tags. Depending on the contents of the jar, you may need longer strips. Starting with longer strips is better as you can always cut them down later.

Hole punch each tag. Cut the two corners by the hole to make it look nice.

Draft in pencil the word description for each jar. Go over in marker or sharpie.

Wrap the string around at least twice, more if desired, and then square knot. Trim the string so you have enough to do a bow. Attach the tag and tie in a bow.