I know I’ve climbed on this soapbox before, so please forgive me, but I’ve just got to gripe about it one more time.
Why in the world do companies – especially companies that have been around forever – switch from awesome product packaging made of metal with fantastic designs, to ugly plastic and boring designs? Why, why, why?
I’m sure there’s some bottom-dollar reason for it, and perhaps I’m part of a small percentage of the population that actually cares, but I am willing to spend more money on a product that has packaging that looks amazing and isn’t so disposable. I miss the days of metal coffee cans – not plastic red and blue ones you see on grocery store shelves today, and I miss getting spices in metal containers that were so cute people saved them, and people like ME buy them in antique stores.
A few summers ago, there was a gal selling Watkins products at the same Farmer’s Market where my son was selling specialty cheese. I noticed she had the spices in metal cans, and I’d been wanting to find someone who sold them, so I went over to look at them. When I told her how much I loved the metal cans, she informed me that Watkins had discontinued the metal cans and gone to plastic ones. My heart sunk. To tell the truth – oregano is oregano to me, but oregano in an adorable metal can – THAT I will win me over and get my money. I bought one of every can she had.
So what does that have to do with anything, you might wonder…
Because I’m SO glad I have these pretty metal spice tins to display on my new project today, and not ugly plastic ones! 🙂
I made a Rosemary and Thyme Garden Herbs stencil!
To make it I used a piece of new wood, which is unusual for me, but I found this piece of scrap in my garage and it was just the right size.
Also unusual for me is remembering to put on gloves BEFORE starting to stain wood. I’ve gotten used to having brown fingernails. 🙂
Once the stain dried, I used white paint to stencil the words.
Another piece of wood added to the bottom easily turned it into a spice rack, to hold pretty spice tins! 🙂
I created a companion “Never Enough Thyme” stencil as well.
I used green paint to highlight the word “thyme”.
See more Vintage Sign Stencil Projects HERE.
See more Garden Herbs Projects HERE.
Vaya con Dios,
Your spice shelf is wonderful, and I’ve griped about this same thing!!! I really miss metal coffee cans!! I was recently ridiculously excited when I saw Kroger changed their metal spice can design to a more vintage looking design. Perfrct for the kids’ play kitchen. My kids just roll their eyes and laugh. Metal containers were so nice for reusing, whether repainted or not. I’ve seen a set of kitchen “canisters” made of painted plastic coffee cans and they look just like…painted plastic coffee cans.
Yep, I’m soooooo with you in regards to the shoddy packaging we are seeing now…and yet, we are certainly paying much more for the same product in much cheaper packaging…it doesn’t make much sense, does it? Aren’t we supposed to be reusing before we recycle? Reusing tin and glass is a heckuva lot easier to reuse than cheap plastic, imho, and a lot more attractive, too!
I just love your spice stencil and the beautiful spice rack you’ve made! Spices are one of my favourite things to grow because they are so easy to get along with…and certainly, they are one of my favourite things to experiment with in the kitchen! I’ll have to get this one down the road, for sure!
You have the greatest sencils! Thank you for such wonderful opportunities and ideas. 😉
I agree whole-heartedly. I save my glass spice jars and when empty I wash them out and refill them. I just like they way they feel and I like seeing the spice through the jar, plus some of the plastic ones no longer fit in my spice rack. My daughter found the best bulk food store and their spices are in little ziplock bags and you can get just the amount you want. Perfect. Love your spice tins too. They look great in your kitchen.
Ok I’m on my Soap Box now too. I too miss the days when the container our food, spices and many more items came in was metal or wood. I know shipping is costly and the urge to be politically correct with everything is shoved down our organically cleaned throats. But those item’s were easily re-used too. I bet our parents & grandparents used these containers for lots of other uses. Baby food jars for dads nuts & bolts. Large jars to hide mom’s spending money. Cans to mix paint in.
While we can still paint those spaghetti/ mason jars every color to match your occasion. And diapers come in great boxes that can be wrapped and decorated to create cost effective storage. I still miss those spice tins. So today it just requires more thinking out of the box. But I especially miss the great advertising art!
Barbara Ann
etsy.com/shop/barbaraannscreations
I totally agree Angie. This world is becoming so plastic (in more ways than one) that character, originality, and quality are becoming a thing of the past. Kicking myself for all the tin containers I’ve recycled over the years (I used to sell Watkins).