Organizing Your Pantry in 5.5 Steps
Earlier this year in April, I overhauled our small kitchen pantry. I will show you what it originally looked like and what it looks like now. Here we go!
Gasp! Yes, I’m embarrassed. I kept thinking, who’s pantry is that? How do these people not notice that it looks like “something” monstrous lives in it? Yes, those people were us!
So, finally one day, I thought, I need to get a handle on this monster and get it organized.
So here are the 5.5 Steps I took to get it from looking like this hot mess to a pantry space that I could post on Instagram.
Step 1: Clean your pantry and purge. I had three garbage full of stuff that were a combination of half opened bag of chips that were stale, expired items (a lot of it) and stuff that truly should be housed in the garage instead of inside our small pantry.
Who here loves to shop at Costco? We do and those big containers and bags take up a ton of room in the pantry. There’s no way we can fit everything, manage to keep it organized and keep food fresh. I have boys that will open up a bag of chips and put it back half eaten without sealing it. So, you Costco shoppers, you need not bring in the entire thing in your pantry if you don’t have the space for it. I have a shelf in the garage that I’ve recently organized for big Costco items.
Step 2: Determine what you need in your pantry. What is left after you've purged and cleaned it up? Look over the items you have to put back in your pantry and what else you may need. Do you have canned goods? Snacks? Do you keep Tupperware in your pantry like we do? Our pantry items have a bit of everything that we use on a daily basis. Remember to always think of what works for you and your family. You don’t need pumpkins in your pantry
like this right? Neither do we but it looked very appropriate for the fall season and cute in photos.
Step 3: You have to invest and purchase quality containers that will keep your food sealed and fresh. I have used regular containers in the past, that didn’t work. I’ve used glass jars with a metal closures that didn’t work overtime. THE best ones I have found are the OXO Pop Up Containers that I bought discounted at Costco and the ProKeeper brand from The Container Store. These, I highly recommend. They are the best! I am not a spokesperson for either one of these brands and I am preaching them because both truly work. I purchased both of them while they were on sale.
Step 4: Marry your containers with the items you keep in your pantry. We also have plastic bins we purchased from the Container Store to organize our canned goods and other items in smaller bags. These are a must because it’s a great catch-all bin but make sure you organize the contents of each bin.
Step 5: Arrange your containers, bins and other pantry contents on each shelf. Make sure it makes sense for your daily use. I had to lower the cereal container to the next shelf down because where I had it was too high for my 9 year old to reach.
Step 5.5: This is the extra fun step. Why not label your containers and bins? I received mine from The Talented Kitchen. These are premade, preprinted labels and they are available in different styles. All you have to do is peel and stick. I chose the Black Script Pantry Labels and I need more because now I want to label everything! They are not only cute to look at but these labels serve as a guide in what you place in your containers. And above all, for me, seeing my containers in the pantry makes the OCD side of me really happy.
I hope these 5.5 steps help you. Don't forget to share any tips that have worked for you. I'd love to hear them!
Now, are you ready to get to work? What are you waiting for? Your pantry is calling!
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