The Simple Pantry Shelving Upgrade You Can Make For Safer Glass Jar Storage

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Have you ever been searching for something in the pantry, and when you finally pull a bag out from the back, you happen to drag a Mason jar with it? There's a moment of relief when you find the key ingredient, but then comes the jarring shatter of glass on the floor. It happens to the best of home cooks, even if you keep a tidy pantry with a spreadsheet. If you employ a declutter bowl in the pantry, this might not be a disorganization issue, but rather the design of the shelf.

A simple upgrade to keep Mason jars in place is installing a front lip to a shelf. Glass Mason jars are slick — when placed on a laminated wood or plastic shelf, these can easily be dragged off if you're not careful. It's far too easy to knock one onto the ground when rummaging around, especially if you keep obtrusive round containers in the pantry. But, with a front lip in place, there is now a barrier that prevents glass from flying out when you reorganize, pull an item out, or go searching for something.

A front lip for a shelf is basically an additional strip of material that attaches to the front of a shelf. It typically offers less than an inch to a few inches of protection, making it more difficult for something sitting on a shelf to accidentally get knocked off. While some shelving already offers this feature, it's possible to attach a front lip to existing shelves with little effort, no matter if you have built-in or floating shelves. It can even be added to pantries.

Put down the electric saw and drill — the easiest way to add a shelf lip doesn't include any power tools! First, take measurements of the length of the front of the shelf. Then, decide on how high of a lip you want. Armed with this info, you can let your local hardware store staff know you're looking for wood trim or moulding; if you have plastic or metal shelves, you can also ask for trim made from these materials. Give them the measurements of the shelf, then ask the trim to be cut to this size. This piece of material can then be attached at home with an adhesive, such as Gorilla Glue, or a non-permanent solution, including picture-hanging strips.

To save a trip to the store, other options can be purchased online. You could order the Jnlodge ¾-inch birch edge banding, a roll of pliable material with a wood appearance that comes with an adhesive side. This can be attached to the edge of a shelf by applying heat, such as with an iron or hairdryer; any excess can be trimmed off with an X-Acto knife. If you like this option, plenty of other colors and materials, including the Art3d peel-and-stick flexible vinyl molding trim, can be pressed on the shelf edge and trimmed with scissors.