How to Organize Your Pantry
Do you want pantry perfection where every platter, small appliance, and sweet treat has its place? At Madewell Designs, we organize pantry spaces to make it easier to find ingredients and to reduce food waste. Say goodbye to cluttered countertops and hello to streamlined pantries! In this blog article we’ll guide you through the essential steps to organize your pantry, from assessing your current space to implementing storage solutions and maintaining your perfect pantry. Follow our tips to transform your pantry into a functional and aesthetically beautiful storage area that keeps you organized and enhances your overall cooking experience.
This was Angie’s labor of love where she space planned, categorized, purchased containers and labeled everything! This pantry makes it a breeze to find whatever you need!
How to Organize Your Pantry Like a Pro
Let’s start by picking you pantry essentials, space planning, and categorizing your foods and goods!
1. What’s in Your Pantry Right Now
First things first! Let’s declutter and sort Items by removing expired and unused items. If that can of soup has been sitting there since the pandemic, it's time to toss it out. Clear out the clutter and throw away anything past its expiration date or that you simply never use.
2. Space Planning Your Pantry
You need to evaluate your current storage capacity. Take a look at your pantry. Is it FULL and busting at the seams or does it feel empty like a deserted island? You need to know how much or little room you have to work with when space planning. Next, see how quickly you can spot that can of beans you're searching for - is it easy to find or is it difficult where you have to dig through a mountain of bags and boxes to find it? Make sure your new pantry layout will allow you to see and reach items with ease.
3. Categorize and Group Similar Items
Organize your pantry like a boss by grouping similar items together. Keep all your pasta together, your dried goods like rice and beans together, your spices should all be together, and keep your snacks in their own snack kingdom. Your pantry is one step closet to being well-organized and Instagram worthy!
We sorted like foods together so they can easily be found, especially on busy school mornings!
4. Planning and Creating Zones
Think of your pantry like a tiny supermarket. Create zones for different categories of items - baking supplies here, canned goods there, dried goods on one shelf - pasta, rice, beans - and maybe a special hidden spot for those guilty snacks we want to keep to ourselves (chocolate!).
5. Arrange Items Based on Frequency of Use
Put the stuff you use most often front and center. Don't make yourself do a pantry obstacle course every time you need that jar of peanut butter or cooking oil. Keep your go-to items easily accessible for a smoother and quicker cooking experience.
6. Utilizing Storage Solutions
We love us some clear storage bins and fun baskets! You’ll need to invest in containers to keep your pantry organized. Remember, storage containers are like the superheroes of pantry organization. Invest in clear containers for baking supplies, a set of baskets for snacks, and maybe a lazy Susan for those hard-to-reach corners. Your pantry, and kids, will thank you. We LOVE these glass bins from Container Store for all your baking and dried goods. There are endless options with clear plastic storage containers! We love the OXO cereal containers from Container Store as well as the Home Edit stackable containers. Our favorite clear Lazy Susan is from Target and can hold everything from oils to spices to snacks. Utilize your bins, they are your friends!
We LOVE these glass bins from Container Store. They are easy to label and create a beautiful display in your pantry.
7. Labeling Containers for Easy Identification
Now that everything is in its place, let’s label all of your containers so you’ll know what’s in each bin. Labeling your containers on each shelf is like giving them little name tags so they can introduce themselves to you every time you open the door. It's all about easy identification and avoiding "Where did I put the lentils again?". Labeling your pantry also helps you easily put away your groceries when you get home as you’ll know exactly where everything goes. Grab that trusty label maker or even masking tape and a marker, and start labeling away. Our favorite label makers are Cricut Joy™ + Label Making Bundle which has everything you need or the more budget friendly label maker from Brother. You can go for a simple approach with basic labels or get fancy with color coding – it doesn’t matter, just label! You'll always know where everything belongs and even your youngest houseguests can help put things back in the right spot.
8. Make the Most of Vertical Space with Shelving and Hooks
Don't let that vertical space go to waste. Install some extra shelves or hooks to store items like mugs, aprons, or extra whisks. Embrace the power of vertical storage!
We organized this pantry to maximize the storage since it’s a small spaces. We recommend this built in system which doubles your pantry capacity as both sides open up giving you loads more storage!
9. Establish Routine Checks and Create a Reorganization Schedule
Just like your favorite TV show or that weekly grocery trip, setting a routine for checking and reorganizing your pantry can work wonders. Make it a habit to do a quick scan of your pantry each week. Toss out expired items, move things around to keep order, and jot down what needs restocking. It's like giving your pantry a little refresh to keep things running smoothly.
With the right planning, sorting, and storage solutions, organizing your pantry and maintaining order will save you time (and your sanity!), reduce stress, and make meal preparation more enjoyable.
At Madewell Designs, we’re happy to organize your pantry to get you started! We also offer routine maintenance to keep you orderly if that’s not your jam (because it’s definitely Angie’s jam!!). Here’s to a new, organized perfect pantry!
XO,
~kelly