Sometimes even the most organized spaces can have a catastrophic system failure. I’m not sure what or who is to blame for the pantry calamity, but I do know that the husband was home on holiday for a couple of weeks. (I’ll just let that linger in your thoughts.)
Two pieces of good news:
- The shelves have been sorted out.
- I have some great ideas about organizing a pantry to share with you.
Organizing requires more than just buying pretty containers. When organizing a room, closet, cabinet or drawer you need to think about how to make that space convenient and functional for your everyday life. I realize that not everyone has the same love and passion for organizing that I have been blessed (or cursed) with, so I suggest starting small. Begin with a desk or a junk drawer, then gradually move to bigger projects.
I decided to invest in glass jars for two reasons. First, I wanted that instant visual of what I have on hand when I open the pantry door. Second, I wanted a better way to keep food fresh. The goal is to save time and money. Right! Two things we can all use.
I love the clean fresh look of the dry goods in jars. Did you notice the tea jars above? As promised, I found the perfect shelf to store them in the pantry. Read the post by clicking Water Color Labels For Jars.
The pantry in my kitchen has a very small foot print. If you share that problem with me, try adding shelves that extend to the ceiling. By taking the shelves to the ceiling, lesser used items can be stored at the top.
Skinny wire shelves are on the wall to the left of the door. I found this is a better area to store bottles and small miscellaneous items that would get lost on deeper shelves.
I’m reusing the wire baskets to hold mixes and snacks. These are the kind of items that can get out of control fast if they don’t have a designated place to be stored. Plastic bags, foil and parchment paper are also contained in a wire basket. They seem to be happier stored vertically or at least I’m happier having them within easy reach.
One of my favorite additions to the pantry are the dog food containers. The containers have easy to open lids, plus the clear storage will help me know when it’s time to buy more food.
To get started, group each of the following categories together:
- Canned goods
- Cereal and cracker boxes
- Baking supplies
- Spices
- Bottles (olive oil, vinegar, syrup…)
- Drinks
- Snacks
- Pasta and rice
By grouping like things together in designated areas, the pantry was transformed from a chaotic mess, into a clean and organized space. Remember, it’s much better to consolidate than to have three open bags of sugar. Just sayin!
When my budget allows, I plan on adding plastic stacking containers for smaller items like rice, nuts, seeds and lentils. Until then, I hope some of my ideas will help you get started on your own organizing adventures. Keep calm and organize on!
Cheers!
Linking up with The Scoop at Stone Gable
© 2017 Organizing A Kitchen Pantry was first published on Thistle Key Lane™
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