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Last updated on April 9th, 2022 at 04:54 pm
We all dream of having those amazing, bright, walk-in pantries we see all over Pinterest, but the truth is a lot of pantries are small, deep, dark cabinets where we forget we even had that package of Oreos hanging out in the way back. Some pantries are so large, it’s difficult to figure out an efficient way to use the space and half the time they are a jumble of canned food and snack boxes.
Then there those pictures of the pretty food storage containers with cute little labels or the custom pull out drawers that make you green with envy when you open the door to your black pit of a pantry and you think, “Must be nice to have that kind of time and money.”
The problem is we are real people with real pantry space issues and really constrictive budgets.
Today I’m sharing some budget-friendly products and efficient tips for organizing your pantry – real people pantries.
Let’s talk about 2 types of pantries, with before and after examples.
Type 1: Cabinet Pantry
The first type of pantry is the small, deep, dark, cabinet pantry. These are tough since things tend to get lost in the back if you have no way of getting back there unless you empty the entire shelf.
I am now going to share with you a family secret for organizing a cabinet pantry that has existed in my mom’s house for the past 15 years:
Cabinet Pantry Organizing Tips:
– Use low storage bins (sans the lids) as “custom pull-out drawers.”
– Organize pull-out drawers using drawer organizers and airtight containers like these OXO containers.
– Remove the lids off the snack boxes for easy accessibility.
– Organize your shelves based on use and accessibility for different family members.
The shelves are organized based on what can be within a toddler’s reach. The storage containers at the bottom are safe for him to play with and we used his eye-level shelf for his snacks so he can pick what he wants. Grown-up snacks are in the middle and cooking foods are near the top at eye level.
As you can see, this is a VERY small pantry. Fortunately, they have a nook in the garage that can easily be converted into a second pantry, but it hasn’t happened yet because they really did just move in.
Type 2: Closet Pantry
The next pantry is what our realtor declared as the “Costco” pantry. I will never forget that declaration as she opened those double doors to reveal this amazing pantry space…
…that eventually got out of control…
…and had to be reorganized.
Honestly, the bigger pantries can be much more difficult to figure out when there’s so much real estate.
Closet Pantry Organizing Tips:
The key to making the most of your large pantry is to use baskets to corral like items.
– Use storage baskets like these ones to corral bottles, jars, and cans.
– Baskets in sizes like these baskets I use are key to organizing snacks and supplies.
– Use airtight containers and mason jars make for easy access to ingredients for cooking and baking and keep food fresh.
– Add an expiration label to the bottoms of containers using masking tape.
– Chalkboard labels make it easy to modify and label all your containers.
Similar to the cabinet pantry above, I keep foods for cooking at my eye level. I can quickly grab what I need as I’m making dinner. The snacks are on the lower shelves so my daughter can see her snack options.
Pantries are not easy to keep organized, especially when you’re busy. They require frequent maintenance to sort out stale snacks and expired food. When I was a kid, it was my job each month to reorganize the pantry and throw out anything old whenever my mom came home from a big shopping trip. My mom didn’t have the time or the desire to do it so she delegated to me since I’ve always had a knack for (and loved) organizing.
So, if you don’t like organizing your pantry or you can’t figure out a good system to make it work, I’d love to do it for you! You can find out information about what I do on the Professional Organizing Services page.
Comment below to let me know if any of the tips I shared helped get your pantry organized or if you have a tip you’d like to share.
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