DIY Cooking Utensils Rotating Storage Rack
This is part 2 of our DIY kitchen organization series. I am on a mission to get my kitchen organized without spending a lot of time or money, and this is the second step along that journey.
I’ll be posting one project per week and here’s the plan at the moment…which is always subject to change if I have another brain wave or see another great idea in the meantime 🙂 Click the links if you want to see more information about the other projects.
- Turn hard-to-reach shelves in the base cabinets into easy-to-access drawers.
- Clear drawer clutter (part 1) by moving cooking utensils to a hanging storage rack. This is this week’s challenge.
- Clear drawer clutter (part 2) by organizing the rest of the utensils that end up in a drawer.
- Clear the countertops (part 1) by moving spice racks to a magnetic spice wall.
- Clear the countertops (part 2) by building a pull down cookbook stand
- Clear the cabinet clutter where serving trays and cookie sheets are stored by building custom dividers and shelves
- Make the corner cabinets more useful by building some kind of easy-to-access storage system
- An added bonus: 6 Cabinet Door Storage Ideas That Will Organize Your Kitchen
Be sure to check back for all of the future updates!
Now onto this week’s post. It is all about being able to find your cooking utensils without having to dig through over-crowded drawers. This rotating cooking utensils rack doesn’t take up much space, makes it really easy to find what you are looking for, and you can build it in less than an hour for less than $10.
Click Next to find out how to build a cooking utensils rotating storage rack.
The Starting Point
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As you may or may not know I cook a lot. And when I’m cooking I like to have all of my frequently-used cooking utensils in an easy to access location. That’s why I used to have a container full of spoons and spatulas right by the stove…very convenient!
And I also happen to have a drawer that looked something like this. It contained all of the other things that could not fit in the jar. Not so convenient!
There were 3 problems with this set up:
1. The container wasn’t big enough to store all of my utensils. Every time I went to pull something out of it, a bunch of other things would come out with it.
2. It takes up valuable counter space…something I don’t have a lot of in my kitchen.
3. Obviously, finding anything in that drawer was not an “easy-to-access” scenario.
So I needed a solution that would make it easier to get at my cooking utensils but not take up any counter space.
[easyazon_image align=”center” height=”493″ identifier=”B00BJ86MTK” locale=”US” src=”https://www.celebrationobsession.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/41ncPVv1RxL.jpg” tag=”frhotoho0b-20″ width=”500″]
[easyazon_link identifier=”B00BJ86MTK” locale=”US” tag=”frhotoho0b-20″]Ikea Steel Kitchen Organizer Set*[/easyazon_link]
My original thought was to install one of these IKEA rods with S-hooks. It would get everything off the counter and be easy to organize. I actually bought one, but when I went to try it, it was too easy to pull the hooks off the rod when you grabbed a utensil…which adds the extra step of always having to put the hooks back up. I knew I wouldn’t be happy with that solution.
Then I saw this lazy susan hack on pinterest. The comment on the pin says that they actually took apart a lazy susan and installed it upside down from the bottom of their cabinet.
I loved the idea but didn’t have a Lazy Susan to hack. I also needed way more than 8 hooks for my collection of utensils. So I decided to make my own.
Click Next to see how to make your own compact, easy-to-access, rotating cooking utensils hanging storage rack (the whole process takes less than an hour!)
What You Need
Materials
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Scrap piece of ½” melamine or plywood that is at least 4″ x 4″ in size. To minimize the amount of work, don’t make it too much bigger than the size of the lazy susan hardware you are using…otherwise you will need to drill extra holes in the right places in order to be able to install it.
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(optional) Small piece of pegboard*
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Tools
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How To Put It Together
Since this “lazy susan” will be installed upside down under the cabinet, I didn’t really care if the hardware showed. You can’t really see it anyway…so I went with a square piece of wood (instead of the standard round one). It’s much easier to cut!
1. Cut the ½” plywood into a 6″ x 6″ square.
2. If you want to finish the edges, you can either paint them, or use iron-on melamine edging.
3. Screw one side of the [easyazon_link identifier=”B002TIPWNQ” locale=”US” tag=”frhotoho0b-20″]Lazy Susan hardware*[/easyazon_link] to the piece of plywood. You’ll need to rotate one half of the lazy susan hardware so that you can see the holes where the screws should go.
4. Mark where you want the cup hooks to be placed on the plywood. You can use the pegboard holes to make sure the holes are evenly spaced if you want to.
5. Using a drill bit that is smaller than the width of the hook end (mine was a [easyazon_link identifier=”B00004RGW2″ locale=”US” tag=”frhotoho0b-20″]5/64″ bit*[/easyazon_link]), pre-drill the holes where the cup hooks will go. This will make it easier to install the hooks and make sure that they go in straight.
6. Screw the cup hooks into pre-drilled holes. Note: I used brass cup hooks because I happened to have them in my tool box. If I were actually buying hooks for this project, I would definitely go with the [easyazon_link identifier=”B00VEDFAH0″ locale=”US” tag=”frhotoho0b-20″]white vinyl covered ones*[/easyazon_link] that blend in better with the melamine.
7. Attach the other side of the lazy susan hardware to the bottom of the cabinet. Do this by rotating the plywood side around until you can see the screw holes in the top half of the lazy susan hardware. Make sure that it will be able to turn completely without hitting the wall or the edge of the cabinet before screwing it in.
The Finished Product
Hang up your utensils and you are ready to go!
Just rotate the rack to find what you need.
You can fit more in by rotating the hooks in different directions depending on the type of utensils. Flat ones like spatulas and tongs can be hung sideways. Larger spoons can be hung on an angle.
If you end up having some utensils with fatter handles that don’t fit the small cup hooks (like I did), swap out a few of the cup hooks for larger ones so that everything fits.
My new cooking utensils rotating storage rack works perfectly, and it no longer sits on the countertop…the perfect solution!
Have comments or questions on the Cooking Utensils Rotating Storage Rack? Tell us in the section below.
This post was originally published on February 1, 2016 but was updated with new content on May 29, 2019.
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Thank you for this! I’m trying to clear our counters off as much as possible, but my wife would strangle me if I tried to put all the spatulas and spoons in a drawer. This gets them off the counter without hiding them away.
I ended up with an 8″ circle with 4″ lazy susan hardware, and I was cursing myself for not following your advice about the relative sizes the whole time I was attaching it under the cabinet. The finished product will be worth it, though (I think/hope). We’ll see when she gets home from work!
Thanks again!
I’m happy it was helpful, Whytte! It works really well in my kitchen so I hope your wife liked it, too 🙂
Wanda,
Love this idea. I have junk in the round ceramic utensil and in my drawers. Would love to do a clean out and hang them. Just wondering, though, the screws you mentioned are they able to go into the bottom of the cabinet without coming thru. I have real wood cabinets and the bottom is pretty thick but I would hate to screw it in and have the tip of the screw sticking through.
Hi Lynne…The 3/4″ screws worked fine on my cabinets without coming through. But to be on the safe side, I would measure the width of the wood on your cabinets, and then get screws that are 1/8″ shorter. You don’t need them to be very long to hold this up.
Love this idea!! Do you have a neat way to store measuring spoons, cups, and potholders?
Thanks, Debbie! I haven’t come up with any great ideas for storing potholders, but I do like hanging measuring spoons and cups from pegboard on the inside of my kitchen cabinet doors. Here’s the link to that project: https://www.fromhousetohome.com/cabinet-door-storage-ideas/. Hope that helps!
Hi there. Loved the idea. Question though, I bought a large piece of oblong pine (with the bark around the edge.) I want to hang it on my ceiling. (I live in an RV) but I can’t figure out how to hang it because I can’t get to the screw holes that will attach to the ceiling. Do you have any suggestions?
Hi Jeannie…I think you might need to drill holes in the pine directly in line with the lazy Susan screw holes so that you can get at them. I would use a small drill bit to drill a pilot hole from the lazy susan side through the screw hole and all the way through the wood. Then flip it over and drill bigger holes where those pilot holes are using a drill bit that is larger than the head of the screws you want to use. Install it by lining the holes in the wood up with the holes in the lazy susan and putting the screws in through the holes. Then fill in the holes with wood filler. I hope that makes sense. Good luck with it!
Sounds like a great idea. Thanks for sharing. Love your ideas.
Love your idea for utensils. Do you have any recommendations as to how to make the cabinets above a refrigerator more accessible? Seems like wasted storage when I can’t get to them.
Is it possible to reply via email?
Thanks
Hi Eleanor…If you have a 24″ deep cabinet above the fridge, it can actually be pretty useful for storing long things. I put in vertical dividers for cookie sheets and cutting boards, as well as some shelves that aren’t very far apart for serving plates and trays that I don’t use very often (prevents them from all being stacked on top of each other). You can find the instructions for my DIY over the refrigerator organization project HERE.
If your cabinet is only 12″ deep, that makes it a little trickier since they are so hard to reach. I would be tempted to build it out so that it is 24″ deep. Either buy or build a second cabinet the same size as the one you have only without a back on it. Then add legs so that it sits on top of the refrigerator at the same height as the existing cabinet. Take the doors off the cabinet that is there, attach your new cabinet to the front of the existing one so that you now have a 24″ deep storage space. Finally, put the doors back on to the front of the extension. (If you built it, you’ll have to get a side panel or some paint to match the color). Then you’ll be able to reach the front of the cabinet more easily and can put in an organizer like the one above.
Hopefully this helps!
Hi Wanda,
Recently cut my counter to rid myself of an old cook top stove and bought a spanking new stove, and have a storage 3 tier slider next to it but above this an empty space, so, because of your perfect utensil hanging idea where to hang what I usually reach for when cooking has been solved. Thank you for coming up with a genius and inexpensive solution. God bless you and yours.
Thanks, Marilyn! Sounds like the perfect spot for it! I really love how convenient it is in my kitchen 🙂
Hi again Wanda,
Bought all I needed from my Home Depot store, came home and put it up, looks terrific and freed up 2 of my utensil drawers. I shall continue to follow you to see what other genius ideas you come up with in helping myself and others in solving kitchen issues, pesky stuff !! Thank you once more. God bless.
I’m happy it worked out for you Marilyn! And thanks for following along 🙂
Great idea for new homeowners. Put it in before/when you move in and unpack. Your kitchen utensils will be organized from the beginning.
Thanks, Kari! You’re right, it would have made my life so much easier if I had done this from the beginning 🙂
Your DIY Rotating Cooking Utensils Storage Rack gave me just what I needed to create something better for me (I need to store a lot more items). My wonderful husband used the ideas you provided, and then created one that makes use of the rather large area in the kitchen. It’s DEFINITELY not one that a homeowner could make, but my husband can do just about anything. If you tell me how to send you a picture, I’d love to show it to you.
Hi Barbara…that sounds awesome! I would love to see a picture. You can email it to me: [email protected]. Thanks for sharing!
It actually does take up the counter space directly underneath it, no biggie though, still a great idea.
Thanks, Valerie! You’re right that you can’t put tall things under it, but I usually use that area for staging plates or cookie sheets that I’m about to use…and it works fine for that…
Love this DIY. I’m going to Lowe’s now to get parts to make me one.
Thanks, Catherine! Hope you are as happy with yours as I am with mine 🙂
I showed it to my brother, who is a retired building contractor, and he was quite impressed. I hope to remodel my kitchen after summer is over and will incorporate the hanging utensil storage rack then. Thank you so much for the great idea!
Genius!
Thanks, Shirley! I thought it turned out pretty well myself 🙂
I love this idea!! Where did you find the “lazy Susan” hardware?
Thanks, Charlotte! I bought mine at Lowes (at the Lowes by me, it was in the same section with the drawer slides and other cabinet hardware)…but I’m sure Home Depot and other hardware stores carry it, too. Or you can order online from amazon.com. It’s called a Lazy Susan turntable (although they would probably know what you were talking about if you asked for Lazy Susan hardware).