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Wall Spice Rack[4/4 · 2ft · 5-Pack]
One pack. One build. All 5 boards used. • Makes 1 spice rack
Shop Black Walnut 4/4 · 2ft Pack Shop All Speciesselect 2' Lengths
How it goes together
Black Walnut
Hard Maple
Cherry
White Oak (QS)
Red Oak
Ash
Hickory
Ambrosia Maple
Sapele*
Padauk*
Purpleheart*
*Exotic — not available for shipment to US customers.
A three-shelf rack that gets your spices off the counter and onto the wall, all labels facing out. Each shelf has a low lip so jars don't get knocked off. The shelves screw between two sides, and the screws hide under wood plugs. It holds about 30 standard jars.
Quick Build — for experienced woodworkers
| Part | Qty | From | S4S size | S2S size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelves | 3 | Boards 1–3 | 20" × 4" × ¾" | 20" × 3½" × ⅞" |
| Sides | 2 | Board 4 | 11" × 4" × ¾" | 11" × 3½" × ⅞" |
| Front lips | 3 | Board 5, ripped | 20" × ¾" × ¾" | 20" × ¾" × ⅞" |
Lips: ¾" strip glued on edge on top of each shelf, flush at the front — long grain to long grain.
Shelves to sides: 2 counterbored #8 screws through the side into each shelf end, ⅜" plugs. No glue on end grain.
Hanging: a keyhole hanger in the back edge of each side, on a stud screw and a rated anchor.
Finished size: S4S 21½" W × 11" H × 4" D · S2S 21¾" × 11" × 3½". Clear height above the lower shelves 4⅜" (S4S) or 4 3/16" (S2S); jar depth behind the lip 3¼" (S4S) or 2⅝" (S2S).
Before You Start
Shopping List
- 1 lumber pack — 4/4 · 2ft (S4S or S2S)
- Wood glue (Titebond II or III)
- 12 × #8 flat-head screws: 1¾" (S4S) or 2" (S2S)
- 12 × ⅜" wood plugs
- 2 small keyhole hangers (about ½" wide) with screws
- 2 × #10 × 2½" screws and 1–2 wall anchors rated 25 lb or more
- Sandpaper 120 / 180 / 220
- Finish: wipe-on oil, hardwax oil or water-based poly
Tools
- Saw for crosscuts (mitre saw or circular saw with a speed square) — with a stop block
- Saw for rips (table saw, or circular/track saw with a guide)
- Drill/driver, countersink bit, pilot bits
- ⅜" counterbore bit (or ⅜" Forstner bit)
- Flush-cut saw
- Small chisel (for the keyhole hangers)
- 3 bar clamps, 24" or longer
- Stud finder and level
- Random-orbit sander or sanding block
- S2S only: jointer, straight-line rip jig or hand plane
S4S or S2S? S4S boards arrive flat and square on all four sides — cut and build. S2S boards have rough edges you straighten first, and finish ⅞" thick instead of ¾". No jointer? Choose S4S.
Our sizing assumptions: ⅛" per saw cut · S4S boards 23½"/47½" long with ¼" to square an end, 4" wide, ¾" thick · S2S boards trimmed ½" each end and ¼" off each rough edge (3½" clean), ⅞" thick · sizes drawn for the narrowest board in the pack. Wider boards give you a bigger offcut or a wider part — never a shortage.
Step-by-Step
S4S Lumber Pack
Surfaced 4 sides — no jointing
- 1 Sort the boards. Boards 1–3 are the three shelves, board 4 makes both sides, and board 5 gives the three front lips. Put the nicest board on the sides — they show the most.
- 2 Cut the shelves and sides. Square one end of boards 1–3 and crosscut each to 20", using a stop block so all three match. Cut board 4 into two sides at 11".
- 3 Rip the lips. Rip three ¾" strips off board 5 with a push stick, or on a bandsaw. Crosscut each to 20". The leftover strip is a planned offcut.
- 4 Sand. Sand every part 120 → 180 grit. Round the top edges of the lips and the front corners of the sides with a sanding block.
- 5 Glue on the lips. Stand each lip on edge on top of a shelf, flush with the front edge and both ends. It stands ¾" tall and stops jars sliding off. Glue and clamp it — lip and shelf both run grain the long way, so the joint is strong. Leave overnight.
- 6 Drill the sides. Mark three shelf lines on the inside of each side: the bottom shelf flush with the bottom, the top shelf flush with the top, and the middle shelf 5⅛" up from the bottom. Drill two ⅜" counterbores, ⅜" deep, per shelf, about ¾" in from the front and back edges.
- 7 Assemble. Stand the shelves between the sides, lips to the front, and clamp. Check that the rack is square. Pre-drill into each shelf end and drive #8 × 1¾" screws — 12 in all. No glue here: the screws go into end grain, where glue doesn't hold.
- 8 Plug and finish. Glue ⅜" wood plugs into the counterbores (glue on the plug only), flush-cut and sand to 220. Apply wipe-on oil, hardwax oil or water-based poly, 2–3 coats.
- 9 Hang it. Fit a small keyhole hanger into the back edge of each side, about 1" below the top. Level the rack and hang it on #10 screws: into a stud where one lines up, and a 25 lb rated anchor for the other. A full rack weighs about 10 lb.
S2S Lumber Pack
Surfaced 2 sides — straighten edges first
- 1 Prep the boards. Trim ½" off each end to remove any end checks. Joint one edge straight, then rip the other edge parallel (¼" off each rough edge is our planning allowance). S2S boards finish ⅞" thick, so screws and some sizes change — use the sizes in this column.
- 2 Sort the boards. Boards 1–3 are the three shelves, board 4 makes both sides, and board 5 gives the three front lips. Put the nicest board on the sides — they show the most.
- 3 Cut the shelves and sides. Square one end of boards 1–3 and crosscut each to 20", using a stop block so all three match. Cut board 4 into two sides at 11".
- 4 Rip the lips. Rip three ¾" strips off board 5 with a push stick, or on a bandsaw. Crosscut each to 20". The leftover strip is a planned offcut.
- 5 Sand. Sand every part 120 → 180 grit. Round the top edges of the lips and the front corners of the sides with a sanding block.
- 6 Glue on the lips. Stand each lip on edge on top of a shelf, flush with the front edge and both ends. It stands ¾" tall and stops jars sliding off. Glue and clamp it — lip and shelf both run grain the long way, so the joint is strong. Leave overnight.
- 7 Drill the sides. Mark three shelf lines on the inside of each side: the bottom shelf flush with the bottom, the top shelf flush with the top, and the middle shelf 5 1/16" up from the bottom. Drill two ⅜" counterbores, ⅜" deep, per shelf, about ¾" in from the front and back edges.
- 8 Assemble. Stand the shelves between the sides, lips to the front, and clamp. Check that the rack is square. Pre-drill into each shelf end and drive #8 × 2" screws — 12 in all. No glue here: the screws go into end grain, where glue doesn't hold.
- 9 Plug and finish. Glue ⅜" wood plugs into the counterbores (glue on the plug only), flush-cut and sand to 220. Apply wipe-on oil, hardwax oil or water-based poly, 2–3 coats.
- 10 Hang it. Fit a small keyhole hanger into the back edge of each side, about 1" below the top. Level the rack and hang it on #10 screws: into a stud where one lines up, and a 25 lb rated anchor for the other. A full rack weighs about 10 lb.
Why no glue on the shelves? The shelf ends are end grain, and glue soaks into end grain without holding. Two screws per end do the work, and the rack can come apart if it ever needs repair.
Why is the lip on top of the shelf? Sitting on top, the lip stays flush with the front of the sides for a clean look, and it gets a full long-grain glue joint along its length.
Why pre-drill? Maple, oak and hickory split if you drive a screw without a pilot hole. Pre-drill every screw and countersink so the heads sit flush.
Make It Yours
- Label strip: paint the front of each lip with chalkboard paint and write the spice names.
- Taller jars: leave the middle shelf out for two tall bays — good for oils and vinegars.
- Two-tone: walnut sides with maple shelves and lips.
Safety and Care
- Wear eye and hearing protection. Use a push stick for every rip under 4" wide.
- Rip the ¾" lips with a push stick or on a bandsaw. Never hold a narrow strip by hand near the blade.
- Pre-drill every screw — hardwoods split without a pilot hole.
- Mount into wall studs (or rated anchors sized for the load). Check for wires and pipes before drilling.
- Hang it away from the stove top. Heat and steam are hard on spices and on the finish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not for S4S boards — they arrive flat and square on all four sides. S2S boards need their edges straightened: a jointer, a table saw with a straight-line jig, or a hand plane all work. No jointer? Choose the S4S pack.
Standard round or square jars up to about 2" across fit behind the lip. On the lower two shelves, jars up to about 3½" tall lift over the lip easily. Taller jars go on the top shelf.
About 10 lb — a full rack of glass jars. Hang it on one stud and one rated anchor, or two anchors rated for 25 lb each.
Not this one — it's 4" deep and too heavy for a door. Hang it on the wall beside the stove or over the counter.
Planned offcuts only: about 3" off boards 1–3, about 1" off board 4, and a narrow strip from board 5. All 5 boards go into the rack.
Yes. A 4ft pack makes two racks: crosscut every board in half first, then follow this plan twice. Or cut the shelves at 44" for one long rack — add a fourth side in the middle to stop the shelves sagging.
