I’m Putting a Cheese Grater on My Wall Because She Did, and It’s So Cute

I live in a tiny New York City apartment, so space is always an issue. There usually isn’t enough of it, and don’t even get me started on my (lack of) storage space. I’m always on the hunt for creative ways to add more storage to my home, and sometimes it comes in the most unexpected forms.

When I discovered a storage hack using a cheese grater on the wall, I was skeptical. But when I realized the surprisingly wide range of uses for this box grater — none of which have to do with cheese — I changed my tune. Here’s why.

This video from creator Jordyn Spangler shows how she took an antique box cheese grater with a handle and used two screws to mount it to a wall in her kitchen. The grater is mounted upside down, which means the open bottom of the grater is facing up and the handle is facing down. She then uses the cheese grater to hold a few stems of dried eucalyptus on top and hangs a hand towel on the bottom, a.k.a. the handle. 

A cheese grater has so much storage and decor potential — but note that the grater Spangler uses is likely dull since it’s older and rusted, so if you’re buying a new one, you may want to dull the sides and make sure it’s out of reach to avoid any accidental nicks. Otherwise, you can use an old cheese grater that’s on its way out, but practice caution either way.

You can follow Spangler’s lead and use the cheese grater as a vase for dried flowers, or switch things up with fresh flowers, herbs, faux plants, branches, or even essential oil diffuser sticks. You can also use it to hang hand towels, store spoons and spatulas, or keep ingredients accessible.

Outside of the kitchen, you can use a wall-mounted cheese grater as a jewelry or scarf holder in your bedroom using the small holes or handle, or as a mail catch-all in your entryway or office. No matter how you use it, you’ll never look at a kitchen tool the same way again.