Handmade Spice Spinner with Mexican Ceramic Aesthetic

For my final project, I am making a spice spinner for my mom, inspired by traditional Mexican ceramics and pottery. I want to create something that is both beautiful and functional, incorporating handcrafted details that reflect my aesthetic. Traditional Mexican ceramics often have bold colors, hand-painted designs, and a rustic feel, which I plan to incorporate into my project. Many ceramics are made from brown clay, so I want to bring that style into my design by using wood as the main material. A wooden base will give it a natural, handcrafted look, similar to how Mexican artisans create pottery. The most decorative part of my project will be the lids, which I will make from air-dry clay and paint with Mexican ceramic-style patterns. I want the spice spinner to feel like it belongs in a kitchen filled with culture and tradition.

Inspiration and Aesthetic Vision
My inspiration comes from Mexican pottery and handmade craftsmanship. I love the intricate details, bold patterns, and vibrant colors found in Talavera tiles and Michoacán pottery. Since Mexican ceramics are known for their handcrafted nature, I want my project to feel like it was made with care rather than something mass-produced. Traditional pottery is often imperfect but beautiful, so I will embrace small flaws in the clay to maintain that authentic handmade aesthetic.
I also looked at existing spice racks and lazy Susan designs to see how I could construct mine. Many modern spice racks are made from metal or plastic, giving them a sleek, industrial look. That was my alternative aesthetic, but I ultimately decided that wood was the best material to match my cultural inspiration. The Mexican ceramic-inspired version will feel warm, artistic, and full of character, while a metal version would feel minimalist, modern, and structured. I want my spice spinner to reflect my heritage and my mom’s love for cooking, so I will be following my original aesthetic. Instead of sketches, I will include two images of spice spinners—one made of wood and one made of metal—to show the difference between these two styles.

Project Design and Structure
The spice spinner will consist of seven wooden pieces. Four of them will be used to hold the spice containers, one will be the top piece, another will be the base, and the last piece will sit at the bottom with the lazy Susan bearing to allow smooth rotation. The spinning mechanism will be a lazy Susan bearing, which will make the process easier compared to a simple press-fit ball bearing. The spice containers will be small glass jars, and I will customize each lid with air-dry clay, shaping and painting them with Mexican pottery-inspired designs.

Materials List and Fabrication Plan
I did get one comment asking if I was going to buy a spice spinner and just add the designs to it. I will not be buying any spice spinners. I plan on creating the whole thing from scratch, designing each piece and assembling it myself. Since I do not have any materials at home, I will need to buy everything, and some items may need to be ordered online. I will have to do that soon to stay on track.

Materials:

• Wood for the structure
• 18 small spice containers
• Air-dry clay for the lids
• Paint for the ceramic-style designs
• Lazy Susan bearing for the spinning mechanism

The first step is to gather all the materials and figure out where I can buy them. Once I have everything, I will begin modeling the design in CAD, making 3-4 drawings to plan out each wooden piece. After that, I will start cutting the wood and assembling the structure. While working on the spinner, I will also begin forming the lids with clay, allowing them to dry before painting them with my chosen designs. Once everything is finished, I will assemble the final product and test its function.

Timeline for Completion
My timeline is very flexible because there are a lot of steps where I have to wait for materials to dry. The air-dry clay needs time to fully dry before painting, and once painted, I need to let it dry before gluing the clay to the lids. There will be a lot of waiting periods in between steps.

Learning and Challenges
This project will require me to learn new skills in woodworking and clay sculpting. While I have some experience working with wood, I have never used air-dry clay to create lids, so that will be a new challenge. I also need to figure out how to make sure the spice containers fit securely in the rack while still allowing for easy access. Another challenge is making sure the bearing system works smoothly so that the spinner rotates without issues.
To prepare, I will look up tutorials on air-dry clay techniques and wood joinery methods to make sure everything comes together properly. I also need to experiment with different paint types to see what works best for creating the ceramic-style designs on the lids.

Conclusion
This spice spinner will be both a functional and artistic piece that reflects my Mexican heritage and my mom’s love for cooking. The combination of wood, clay, and hand-painted details will make it a one-of-a-kind design that brings warmth to a kitchen. While the modern steel aesthetic was an interesting alternative, I know that the traditional Mexican pottery style is the right choice for me. I am excited to start building this project and see how my vision comes to life.

Citations:
[1]. 16-Bottle Chrome Revolving Spice Rack. (2022). The Container Store. https://www.containerstore.com/
[2]. Hold Everything Revolving Spice Rack. Williams Sonoma. https://www.williams-sonoma.com/
[3]. Laura. (2023, August 9). Tazas Mexicanas. Pinterest. https://www.pinterest.com/
[4]. Michoacan Pottery – Etsy. (2020). Etsy. https://www.etsy.com/
[5]. Everbilt 6 in. Square Lazy-Susan Turntable with 400 lb. Load Rating 49548. (2025). The Home Depot. https://www.homedepot.com/
[6]. Empty Spice Jars with Label Pack. Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/
[7]. Crayola Air Dry Clay. Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/