Organize Your Pantry With Three Easy Steps

Anna Huff
by Anna Huff
5 Materials
$400
2 Days
Medium

The pantry is one of the most used spaces in our home. Shock and awe, I know! But let's be real, if my kids aren't running around getting into every little thing, they're sneaking into the pantry for another grab at the Goldfish box.

Surprisingly, our pantry was one of the last spaces I organized in our home. Mostly because I felt like I knew it was going to be an undertaking to really do it right. And I have such a hard time getting behind a project if I don't feel like I am wholeheartedly in it.


Getting the pantry organized is one achievement, but keeping it that way is an entirely other battle. For me, I knew our family would need something that would be functional and easy to maintain. I'm type A, but I'm a working mama to three with a side hustle. So if you're anything like me, you will need a system that will allow for you to easily keep it both organized and functional for your family!


Must Have Shelving

Of course you probably have shelves in your pantry. But In order to get the most out of organizing your pantry you need to be able to utilize the space. So whether you have a little or a lot to work with, the type shelves in your pantry matter. If they're not making the best use of the space, it's possible they are not functional for your pantry.


We decided to pull out the wire shelving in our pantry because it was old, dirty, and really difficult to organize. The gaps in the wires made it hard to use anything other than baskets and the placement was off, making it hard to store items where we felt they were most functional for our family.


We ended up DIYing our own shelves thanks to my handy husband. We used 1 x 12 wood planks for the shelves and 1 x 2 wood pieces as the supports for the shelves.


Speaking of utilizing the space - we decided to add an additional shelf to the very top of the pantry because there was about two feet of unused space there. By putting in another shelf, we created a place to store small appliances and items that we don't use often.


This pantry organization idea was well worth the time it took to accomplish. Not to mention, each time I open the door to the pantry, I smile because it looks good and that FEELS good.


The Most Popular of the Pantry Organization Ideas

Baskets are by far the most popular of all the pantry organizational ideas. Look up any beautiful pantry on Pinterest and it'll have baskets.


Baskets are probably my favorite storage go-to anywhere in the home, but before we had a walk in pantry (or any sort of real pantry at all, for that matter), I couldn't wait until I had a pantry to use woven baskets for food storage. Now that I have them, I love them for more than just their visual appeal. They are actually functional too.


Speaking of visual appeal, remember how I said I open the pantry door and smile because it looks good? Woven baskets are an essential pantry organization idea because they give the pantry a warm, homey feel! Tell me, when was the last time you didn't like the idea of using baskets to organize like items?


Another reason they are so great is because you can group like items in them and they will easily fit on the shelves. We use baskets toward the bottom of the pantry to store snacks for the kids to easily access and keep things in a somewhat organized fashion. They are great for being able to throw bags of snacks in and not worry about the little fingers messing up the order. Just fill the basket and stick it on a shelf and you're good to go!


Can Storage

Can storage is more than just stacking them on the shelves and calling it good. When we renovated our pantry, I knew I was going to need a better way to store the cans so I could easily inventory them when I was making (or when my husband) grocery lists. I found the best solution for this with a three tiered shelf for some of the cans that we use more regularly.


I love that they allow me to stack without taking up a lot of added space, and I can easily see all the cans.

Our pantry has multiple tiered shelves and we use them to organize the cans by type of food. Each food type has it's own tiered shelf.


Wire Baskets

I found these trendy, modern wire baskets at Target and decided I needed them in our pantry. They are great for additional can storage because I can pile cans in them without worrying about sorting them and I can still see the labels.


Speaking from a design standpoint, the woven and wire baskets are a great compliment to each other.


The Best of the Pantry Organization Ideas

Space matters! And the corners of the shelves can be an awkward space to utilize. The best of the pantry organization ideas is the lazy susan. Have you heard of them? They are REVOLUTIONARY for your organizational needs. The are basically spinning trays that allow you to store multiple items on them and spin around so you can access all of items with ease. See, it's gotta be easy in this family so it'll maintain its organizational function!


They are great for spices, jars and cans. Storing items like this in the corner on a lazy susan that spins around so you can find what you need when you need. This one tool might be my favorite of all the pantry organization ideas yet. Get yourself some lazy susans, girl.

Before our pantry was an awful mess. So disorganized.

During the process of renovating the pantry we pulled everything out.

After of the pantry renovation. Much more organized.

Using various organizational tools to help keep like items together.

My husband installed new shelving.

Suggested materials:
  • 1 X 12 Wood Planks   (The Home Depot)
  • 1 X 2 Wood Pieces   (The Home Depot)
  • Woven Baskets   (Target)
See all materials
Anna Huff
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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