Introduction: Wall Mounted Oil Tin Spice Rack

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Turn your spent oil tin into a spice rack or junk box!

Okay, I love olive oil. A lot. I bought a three liter tin, and consumed it in a few weeks. Woo. Time to reuse. Surprisingly, removing 10 spice jars from my cabinet freed up a lot of space. And now my frequently used spices are readily at hand. What's not to love?

Step 1: Materials and Supplies

For this project, you will need:

1 Spent oil tin of desirable size. My tin contained 3 liters of olive oil and was obtained at Whole Foods Market.
Hammer
Awl
Wire Cutters / utility knife / strong scissors / tin snips / something that will cut tin
Pliers (needle nose proved useful but not necessary)
Marker
Drill

Step 2: Rip It Open

Locate the spout on your tin. Got it? Okay, remove the cap, and use your pliers to rip it out. This may take a bit of brute force. Once that's taken care of, rinse your tin with some soap and warm water. Don't fret if there is still some oil inside, we're going to gut this thing later.

Step 3: Create Your Window

Mark your window in the front of your tin. The opening will end up being a bit larger than this rectangle, so keep that in mind. Use your hammer and awl to stab a hole right in the center; and then proceed to cut out that rectangle with your weapon of choice. I really wished I had tin snips while I was doing this, but I got by with my utility knife.

After you've made a nice hole, cut a slit in each corner at a 45 degree angle. Where the slit ends will be the edge of your opening.

Step 4: Fold the Edges

Using your pliers or fingers (carefully!) fold the edges inward. I found that using pliers actually caused more scrapes than using my hands because the pliers kept slipping. Anyway, don't cut yourself.

After your edges are rolled inward, use the pliers to flatten the edge. In the photo you can see I wrapped mine with masking tape to reduce the scuffing on the surface.

Step 5: Drill Holes for Mounting

Flip the tin over, mark, and drill holes for mounting. This really isn't that hard. (:

Step 6: Mount and Enjoy

Put it wherever you please! If you are me, you appreciate your spices to the right of the stove (being that you are right-handed) at eye level. Just keep them away from excessive heat (above the stove) or moisture (above the sink).

One final note: unless you intend to build a miniature railing of sorts on top of the tin, I would recommending limiting the storage up there to plastic jars.

Enjoy!