How to Make Your Own Salt Shaker

Handcrafted wood shakers are an elegant switch from common glass shakers.

Wood salt and pepper shakers are a refreshing change from the typical glass shakers with metal screw tops. A handmade shaker set makes an excellent gift or an attractive conversation piece at the dinner table. Woodworkers use shop tools to form wood shakers in a variety of designs. Each type of wood has a different color and grain pattern that makes your wooden shakers unique and beautiful. Anytime a handcrafted shaker gets nicked or stained, it can simply be refinished and restored to its original luster.

Things You'll Need

• Wood blocks, 2 by 2 by 3 1/2
• Band saw
• Pencil
• Router table
• Drill press
• 1-inch Forstner drill bit
• 1/16-inch drill bit
• Sandpaper
• Clear lacquer
• Paint brush
• Corks or plastic plugs

Instructions

1. Cut a 1/4-inch bevel along all four edges on one square end of a wood block with the table jig on a band saw. The beveled end will be the top of the handcrafted shaker. Bevel cut the top of a second block to make a matching salt and pepper shaker set.

2. Make a pencil mark in the center of one side 1/4 inch down from the beveled edge. Set a router table depth to cut a 1/8-inch groove, and set the fence to cut the grove from the bottom of each of your wooden shakers to the pencil mark. Form wood shakers by pushing the blocks over the router table from the bottoms to the stop fence on all four sides. The router will make a groove with a rounded top on each side.

3. Put a 1-inch Forstner drill bit into the chuck of a drill press. Set a block into the holding vise on a drill press table with the bottom facing up. Set the bit to come down on the center of the block. Set the depth to cut a 3-inch hole into each 3 1/2-inch block. Drill a hole through the center of each block as such.

4. Put a 1/16-inch drill bit into the chuck of the drill press. Drill three to five small holes through the tops of the handmade shaker set that bottom out into the 1-inch hole in the center.

5. Sand the outsides of the handmade shaker set by hand. Brush on one or two coats of clear lacquer finish. Allow drying time according to label directions between coats and before use. Plug the bottoms of the 1-inch holes with corks or plastic plugs.