A spicy desk accessory.

Today I digress. Instead of a jewelry project, I thought I'd brag on a small workspace makeover.

Here is where I make all my jewelry.


It's an old vanity table that belonged to my great grandmother. I love the scraped and worn patina and never want to refinish it.

It's quite a small work surface, though. And all my frequently-reached-for tools, findings and oddments reduced and cluttered the space even further. What I really need - what I've always hankered for - is a big rolltop desk. One with lots of cubbies and drawers and shelves. But I don't want to give up Grandma Eva's vanity. And I don't really want to spend money on a rolltop desk.

Over the weekend, I found this cute, semi-useless object at a yard sale:


It's a kitschy kitchen wall shelf. With three li'l spice drawers, and a plate rail on top. For a dollar, I couldn't resist!


I bought it with no thoughts of what to do with it...maybe I'd paint it white and hang it near the front door or something. Then a thought struck. (Ow.)

Check this out! Again, my workspace before:


My workspace after!


So much better! With everything tucked away or lifted up off the work surface, my desktop suddenly feels luxuriously large. With elbow room! Plus, I love how the worn, scratched patina of the spice shelf matches the old vanity.


I didn't do anything fancy to attach it; in fact, I didn't attach it at all. The shelf unit simply leans up against the wall. It settled into place with a slight backward tilt, and is totally secure and stable.

I betcha there are similar little kitschy shelf units at a thrift shop or yard sale in your immediate vicinity. If you like this idea, may you go forth and find them.

But wait, there's more!

Spice racks on the brain, I scurried out and bought two of these (with matching spice jars) at my neighborhood thrift shop.


They settled in just perfectly beside the wooden spice shelf, and voila!


Perfect storage for small jewelry findings, beads, scrapbooking supplies, or any other oddments you may happen to work with in your own creative life.

Those are seed beads and bugle beads in my spice jars. Handy dandy, eh?


Almost as good as a rolltop desk. And the whole makeover cost $3. Spicy!