I Tried TikTok’s Magnetic Spice Jar DIY and Here’s How it Went

My TikTok “For You” page understands me well — and knows I love a savvy home organizational project. So when I came across this amanda_cleans video showing how you can make your own magnetic spice jars, I had to try it. Of course, you can buy these spice jars if you want to skip the DIY, but at $40 for a set of 15, they’re not exactly cheap. For a lot cheaper and not that much work, you can do it yourself. 

I chose a set of 24 rectangular jars that came with labels and purchased magnets with dot stickers. I quickly learned those stickers weren’t as tough as they were made out to be, so out came the hot glue gun. With a coin-size dab of hot glue, I attached one magnet to the bottom of each jar. 

Next was the fun part: the labels. There’s just something about spice jars, all lined up, that’s so aesthetically pleasing!

When I took the finished jars to test them out, I saw that one magnet was not going to be enough to keep them. I wasn’t ready to give up yet, so I added two, three, and even four magnets to the bottom — which looked ridiculous, as they were all hanging out the side. So then I adapted my design to have three magnets down one side.

At this point, I was feeling pretty confident, so I filled the jars up with spices in preparation for what TikTok coined as The Fridge Test. Simply put, the spices should be able to stay put even when you slam the refrigerator door shut. Alas, the Pork Rub jar flew off and shattered all over the floor. 

Okay, so it didn’t turn out exactly way I’d hoped. However, it’s clear what went wrong: When the Pork Rub flew off the fridge, the magnets stayed, meaning the weakness came from the glue attaching the two. My advice: Skip the glue dots and hot glue gun and go straight to heavy-duty super glue.

Also, if you plan to put the magnets on the bottom, make sure you have magnets strong enough to hold the weight well. The last thing you need is a crashing-down domino effect when you’re already having a bad day and slam the fridge a little too hard.

Now off to the hardware store I go to get some stronger materials and try again.