How to Organize a Flavoring Collection?

[Gahh]

I do not sell e-liquid, but just make it for myself as a hobby. I've been hunting for a better way to organize my flavoring collection of about 200 bottles, mostly 10ml, plus a good amount of 15 and 30ml. I know there was an "Organizing" thread in the past, but since some time has gone by and the thread is closed now, maybe there are more ideas. I want to use wall space in my kitchen, and be able to see the bottles easily. Hunting around online this evening, I found some possibilities. I live in a rented apartment, with no plans of moving, but even so, I really don't want to put a bunch of holes in the wall. I will though, if doing so gives me the results I want.

One possibility is a nail polish rack. I found two nail polish racks that would work, but there is not a good way to keep them covered - not all that concerned, but it would be nice. New Heart Metal Nail Polish Display Wall Rack Shelf Fit Up to 180 Bottles Black | eBay and Amazon.com: 96 Bottle Nail Polish Wall Rack Display: Beauty The wrought iron one is pretty. The acrylic one would be easier to stick on labels (probably don't really need to do that though). There are a lot of homemade nail polish and toy car displays - nice ones out of wood and not so durable ones out of foam-core board.

What I really want is a very shallow cupboard, with shelves and a door. I found some very nice and expensive display cases for shot glass and matchbox/hotwheels car collections. I don't want to spend hundreds of dollars though.

Then I thought of just plastic cases made for the little cars and found a YouTube video of a collector who had a very nice display. It is rather impressive and made with Plano boxes. If you want to see the video it is . I found the boxes at the Home Depot online site for only $5.99 each. If I turn them so they have a vertical orientation, the bottles could stand upright. Also, it would be like having a bunch of little cupboards, each needing 4 holes screwed into the wall. I really don't want to put that many holes in the wall to mount 8 Plano boxes and I'm not sure if they would be easy to open.

My kitchen is dark unless I'm working in there and turn on the ceiling light. When I do, it's just for short time periods. Most of the liquids I use (about 50) are sitting on the top edge of a Formica covered base-board (a very short splash board I suppose) that is against the wall along the back of the counter top. Some have been balancing there for about a year away from the rest which are in storage containers inside a kitchen cupboard. The ones that are sitting out seem to be as good as new, so maybe I don't really need to be all that concerned about keeping them covered and away from light.

I don't do woodworking. I don't personally know anyone who does. But I have made a couple stretched canvas frames from scratch in an art class years ago. I think pre-cut pieces for making canvas frames are now in art supply stores. Maybe I could make a frame - cut and attach tiny shelves from the art store canvas frame-making supplies, and have pieces of wood cut for the back and door at Home Depot. I could handle a little sawing, sanding, painting, nailing, attaching hardware, blah, blah, blah. Maybe I could hire a carpenter for this small project. If I ask at Home Depot, they could probably recommend someone reliable, maybe? I don't know. I'm willing to spend around $50.00.

I am curious to know how other DIYers keep their flavorings organized. Thoughts? Answers? Pics?

Sorry for the sideway picture
I recently went bigger with a flavor inventory and found searching for the flavors needed in a recipe to be a hassle.
This is what I came up with

I cut and glued ( with a glue gun ) pieces of cardboard to fit into a cheap tote box from Walmart. The paper sheet has the flavor location.
I have to boxes , the other for Cappela flavors

 

[Gahh]

I would think keeping the flavoring in a darker, cooler location to be the best.

 

[Mad Scientist]

I'm at the point where I need to better organize what's on hand. My plan was to just get a few spice rack type units and go from there.

 

[Janet]

I would like to get every flavor in the cobalt blue dropper bottles, that would really give it some order. Unfortunately if every flavor was in a 30 ml size bottle they would cover my entire desk. I decided to only dedicate it to a dropper bottle if it was 4 oz or more.

I have a "thing" for colbalt blue glass - so pretty!

 

[Janet]

I would think keeping the flavoring in a darker, cooler location to be the best.

I'm sure that's the best, but I've never kept flavorings in the fridge - just in a kitchen cupboard. Before e-liquid DIY, baking flavorings (vanilla, almond, etc.) always just lived in a kitchen cupboard, most for a few years - and those never seemed to change. The grocery stores don't keep flavorings like regular baking flavoring or LorAnn in any special place. Even specialty baking and candy making stores just keep all their flavorings on the store shelves. Up until recently I've kept all the e-liquid flavorings in plastic boxes in a cupboard. Some of them are 6 years old and are fine. If I were selling e-liquid, I'd probably make sure it was always kept at least in a dark place and not let it get any warmer than room temperature. Since my kitchen has no windows, and I don't spend a lot of time in there, it's practically like a big cupboard. Once I get all the flavorings up on the kitchen wall, I'm pretty sure they'll be alright. You are right though, it seems cool and dark would be best, especially if the flavors don't get used up quickly.

 

[Janet]

Sorry for the sideway picture
I recently went bigger with a flavor inventory and found searching for the flavors needed in a recipe to be a hassle.
This is what I came up with
View attachment 477583 I cut and glued ( with a glue gun ) pieces of cardboard to fit into a cheap tote box from Walmart. The paper sheet has the flavor location.
I have to boxes , the other for Cappela flavors

Reminds me of those boxes of assorted chocolates that have a "key" for which kind is where in the box. Great job on making the dividers!

 

[Dixie1954]

I used to sell Tupperware so I used some of these type of freezer containers for my flavorings - if there is room I use some bubble wrap to keep them upright. I used sharpies in different colors to write on the caps so a different color for fruits,bakery,sweeteners,creams,drinks,and tobaccos. I store all my flavorings and base mixes and finished juices in the fridge which works for me. The juices I make up and put into different size and color glass bottles then put a sticky note with the info on my desktop - I would hate using labels I hate sticky stuff and labels get real sticky in the fridge. >>> New Tupperware Set of 11 Freezer Mate Storage Containers with Lids Bag 30 | eBay hope you can see this link I own more than this amount lol.

 

[Janet]

I used to sell Tupperware so I used some of these type of freezer containers for my flavorings - if there is room I use some bubble wrap to keep them upright. I used sharpies in different colors to write on the caps so a different color for fruits,bakery,sweeteners,creams,drinks,and tobaccos. I store all my flavorings and base mixes and finished juices in the fridge which works for me. The juices I make up and put into different size and color glass bottles then put a sticky note with the info on my desktop - I would hate using labels I hate sticky stuff and labels get real sticky in the fridge. >>> New Tupperware Set of 11 Freezer Mate Storage Containers with Lids Bag 30 | eBay hope you can see this link I own more than this amount lol.

I used to sell Tupperware too! Back in the 80's when I sold it, these containers had just come out. They are my favorite because of the easy-to-peel-off lids if frozen. The lids were pretty colors and I especially liked the feel of these containers. Over the years and a few moves, a lot of my Tupperware got lost or ruined from being in storage too long. Reminds me that I need to get some replacement pieces. This line had so many sizes and I used it to store so many things other than food. People loved it when they got a gift inside a Tupperware "gift box." I just may need to shop for some Tupperware soon.

 

[Gahh]

Reminds me of those boxes of assorted chocolates that have a "key" for which kind is where in the box. Great job on making the dividers!

FUNNY!!! ...........lol

I'll bet the flavorings in the kitchen , like a display will LOOK great. It'l be a conversation piece.

 

[kas122461]

I Just got a coat of poly on this last night, and I need to let it fully dry before using it. I tried to make one of these several months ago and it turned of terrible, this one is not perfect but it is better than the last one I made, good enough for a picture. I plan on making one more of these.



KAS

 

[kas122461]

I just got home from work and I could not wait to put that stand to use, seemed dry enough to me so I loaded it up with all mt TFA flavors. I then used my old one for my Flavor art stuff that I never had a place for, I still need to organize them a bit better but this is a vast improvement.





Sorry about the other messy shelves, I need to reorganize everything.

KAS

 

[kelleyjo333]

Reorganized everything into alphabetical order by name not company. I've also made it where I can just swivel from mixing station to computer desk. The only problem I forsee is my next order and having to re alphabetize all over again. lol It's been a long boring day and this was fun regardless!

org

 

[Janet]

I just got home from work and I could not wait to put that stand to use, seemed dry enough to me so I loaded it up with all mt TFA flavors. I then used my old one for my Flavor art stuff that I never had a place for, I still need to organize them a bit better but this is a vast improvement.





Sorry about the other messy shelves, I need to reorganize everything.

KAS

This is wonderful - and I don't see any messy shelves! I bet you can find stuff a lot quicker now! Thanks for the pics!

 

[kas122461]

This is wonderful - and I don't see any messy shelves! I bet you can find stuff a lot quicker now! Thanks for the pics!

Thanks I thought about something like this for a while, I had considered one of the plastic lip stick stands, and like the one someone, pictured above. Then I was in a Lowes, and saw everything I would need to just make one, it is just stained Pine with Oak for each shelf, and the little rails are also Oak, which took me a week just to make all those, everything is just glued together.

KAS

 

[Janet]

Reorganized everything into alphabetical order by name not company. I've also made it where I can just swivel from mixing station to computer desk. The only problem I forsee is my next order and having to re alphabetize all over again. lol It's been a long boring day and this was fun regardless!

orgView attachment 479637 View attachment 479638

Oooooo - I want a place like that! What a nice workstation - It looks so inviting! If it were mine, I'd have to try extra hard to not put anything else, i.e., paper piles, anything foreign to e-liquid, etc. there. You should see my sewing room - the sewing stuff has "homes" so keeping it from getting out of control is not a problem - it's the non-sewing stuff that doesn't have a home that ends up on my work surface that is the problem. Any flat empty surface in my apartment acts like a magnet or landing place for stuff that needs a different home. Well, at least I'm making homes for bottles of flavorings and I will feel so good when that is done.

I've tried different ways of organizing flavorings - alphabetizing everything, alphabetizing within a brand and just keeping everything in groups of flavor types. The flavor-type grouping works best for me and it doesn't matter much if the bottles don't stay in alphabetical order. When I get my new mini shelving hung, I think I'll just concentrate putting all flavors in groups and leave a few inches of extra space between them.

Thanks for the pics! They motivate me.

 

[Janet]

Thanks I thought about something like this for a while, I had considered one of the plastic lip stick stands, and like the one someone, pictured above. Then I was in a Lowes, and saw everything I would need to just make one, it is just stained Pine with Oak for each shelf, and the little rails are also Oak, which took me a week just to make all those, everything is just glued together.

KAS

I'm quite impressed. I think I like the little rails the most.

 

[WillyZee]

10ml flavour bottles ... ice cube trays work ... they hold about 12-16 bottles.

You can have a Tobacco tray, a fruit tray, a dessert tray .... or trays with a few recipes grouped.

 

[Kodak]

Sorry for the sideway picture
I recently went bigger with a flavor inventory and found searching for the flavors needed in a recipe to be a hassle.
This is what I came up with
View attachment 477583 I cut and glued ( with a glue gun ) pieces of cardboard to fit into a cheap tote box from Walmart. The paper sheet has the flavor location.
I have to boxes , the other for Cappela flavors

That's similar to what I do with mine--only I used some Styrofoam insulation I had left over and cut squares in it for the flavor bottles.

 

[Gahh]

That's similar to what I do with mine--only I used some Styrofoam insulation I had left over and cut squares in it for the flavor bottles.

Great Idea !!!!!!

 

[kas122461]

I finished my 2nd flavor rack, I made a couple of changes to it, I made each step a 1/4" shorter, and each guard rail an 1/8" higher. the first one was just a bit to tall, this reduced it's height by 3/4". I put all my TFA flavors on the new one, and my FA flavors on the first one I made, I am done with these for now, till I get another flavor line.

The new rack with the TFA flavors.


The 1st one with the FA flavors.


KAS