Pantry Organization Tips Made Easy
In this post, pantry organization tips made easy, we’re sharing our best tricks for keeping the pantry organized with baskets all year long!
A special thank you and shout out to my sweet friend, Cindy of County Road 407 for putting this hop together.
If you’re coming over from Paula’s blog, Sweet Pea, welcome, we’re excited to have you. I love the way Paula mixes family heirlooms, treasured finds and vintage pieces. It’s always so fantastic.
Plus, she’s got Sherman who is such a cutie!
If you missed any of the previous posts from the Lifestyle of Love Blog Series so far, you can catch up here:
Honest to goodness, I have a love affair with baskets. I look for them at thrift stores, antique malls and charity shops.
We use them all around the house to help us keep things neat and tidy. The real star of the basket show though, is our pantry.
The pantry is one of THE most consistently organized spaces in our home. It’s been that way for several years now which feels like a huge accomplishment.
It took a bit of trial and error, a lot of decluttering, investing in a proven organization system, and the determination to keep it all maintained.
But let me tell ya, the effort has been totally worth it.
Here’s a look at how we made pantry organization easy and how you can too…
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How it All Began
Before we started using a basket system in 2014, our pantry was completely out of control. One side looked like this…
and the other side looked like this.
Once we decided to invest in baskets and glass storage containers though, it made a world of difference.
A Fresh Start
Over the years, I wanted the pantry to feel more like a boutique than a storage closet.
So, we decided to give this space a makeover including stenciling the pantry walls during the Fall One Room Challenge.
Even though the pantry is only about 21 square feet, we were able to divide the space into zones and use one side for vintage dishes,
while using the other side of the pantry for dry goods.
Embrace Baskets and a Variety of Containers
I’m a huge fan of using baskets to keep things like canned goods, pastas and snack items organized. We’ve used water hyacinth baskets like these for years now and they’re holding up really well.
Baskets can get expensive sometimes so make sure to use coupons and seasonal sales to get more bang for your buck.
New year sales in January and back to school sales in July and August are great times to take advantage of baskets and other organizational items.
Labels & Organization
We used Pic Monkey and a roll of matte adhesive paper from Walmart to create custom labels for the glass jars in the pantry, laundry room and the spice drawer too.
Labels come in all shapes and sizes. So, if you don’t feel comfortable making your own, don’t sweat it.
Office supply stores sell lots of diy label options and most of the time all you need is your home computer and printer.
Use Vintage and Thrifted Baskets for Extra Storage
Depending on the size of your pantry and kitchen, consider using large vintage and thrifted baskets for extra storage.
Especially, if you buy in bulk.
Vintage baskets like split oak picnic baskets can be used to hold everything from extra paper towel rolls to extra toilet paper to kitchen trash bags.
Maximize Every Inch of Space Possible
Several years ago, my bestie S helped me build the pantry storage drawers and I use them all the time!
We put them on casters so they could be easily accessed and moved. The drawers hold all sorts of party and tablescape supplies.
If you don’t have the time or space to build your own pantry storage drawers, consider using dresser drawers or putting crates on casters to help maximize your space.
Create a Pet Feeding Station
Another one of our pantry organization tips made easy is to maximize space is by creating a pet feeding station. We made this one from a stock cabinet from Lowe’s which you can read about here.
We used to have to go out in the garage every morning to get dry dog food. Now we can make Filbie’s meals at the same time we’re making our own which makes things a million times easier!
I know some of you may have large or mischievous dogs where having a pet feeding station inside is not an option.
If this is the case, consider storing your dog’s food and treats in food safe containers that make mealtime as seamless as possible.
I know firsthand they can get really rowdy, really quickly especially when they’re hungry.
On a side note, if you have curious littles you’ll want to keep a safety lock on your pet feeding station.
Make Grocery Shopping or Weekly Menu Questions Easy
Another thing we created for the pantry was a chalkboard for the grocery list and weekly menus.
We used a Command Hook to hang the chalkboard on the inside the pantry door and it’s been a huge help.
Be Flexible
Now that we’re home more our pantry organization needs have changed and you might find yours have too.
The simple basket system we put in place all those years ago is still working well for us. But we’ve also had to include additional containers for things like cereal and snacks.
Once you have a system in place that works for you be flexible as your needs change. This will help keep your pantry tidy no matter what season of life you find yourself in.
Here are a few other pantry organization tips made easy to keep in mind:
- Declutter before you organize
- Toss pantry items that are expired
- Pair like items with like (i.e. keep all of the canned food, rice, pasta, condiments, etc. together)
- Choose a mix of different sized baskets to corral everything from canned goods to peanut butter. This is important because the pantry is not a “one size fits all” kind of space.
- Use clear containers for dry goods including sugar, flour, pasta and rice so you can keep the pantry fully stocked with staples.
- Don’t over buy – this is a big one – if you’re snack basket is already overflowing you need to eat your chips and cookies before buying more.
- Be fully committed to maintaining an organized pantry. We clean and tidy ours each week before heading out for groceries. It makes it so much easier to put things away!
We hope these pantry organization tips made easy have helped! I know it always feels good to have everything organized and tidy.
Especially, if you have a tiny pantry like we do!
Up next on the Lifestyle of Love Series Blog Hop, is Emily of Le Cultivateur. Her style is so beautiful she makes me want to move to the French countryside. Emily has such a knack for elevating the every day.
Once you’re finished there, be sure to stop by and see what the rest of these fabulous ladies are sharing!
Until next time, I’ll see you on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.
Many blessings,
CoCo
I appreciate it ladies, thanks so much! Hugs, CoCo
ha ha I figured if they wanted to find the snacks, they needed to help keep it clean and organized, right? It does take a little bit of work to maintain it but it’s definitely worth it. Hugs, CoCo
Your pantry is the perfect combination of beauty and function, CoCo! Lots of wonderful inspiration!
I appreciate that so much, Linda, thank you! I’m definitely a practical person and investing in baskets was a gamble but it has really paid off over the years. Sending you lots of love and hugs today, CoCo
I think you have the most attractive pantry that I’ve ever seen. I love how you’ve used baskets for your pantry items and especially love all of the beautiful tags and labels that you created. Your pet station is such a great idea keeping doggie essentials in one place and hidden. It’s always a pleasure to visit you!
I really appreciate it, Paula, thank you so much! It’s such a tiny space I figured we better make it as pretty as possible. Especially, since we use it all throughout the day. Sending you hugs and hoping you’re enjoying all the good things about summer, CoCo
I absolutely love the stenciled walls, CoCo! And love your idea of making it a beautiful space. I always strive for my organizational spaces to be as beautiful as they are functional also; it helps me want to put things back;) Great ideas; pinned!
Oh my word, Lora, I can totally relate! If our laundry room looked as good as the pantry does, we would not ever have to dance around laundry baskets 🙂 On a side note, if you have textured walls, stencils are a great way to bridge the gap between painted walls and wallpaper. Sending you hugs for a happy day, CoCo
You have the pantry of my dreams! Unfortunately, I organize my pantry, and the next day it looks like a bunch of wild monkeys have gone on a search for food! LOL, Someday…
You’re sweet, Laura, thank you! Our pantry was totally out of control until we found a system that works. It still has to be tidied and maintained like any other room but we’ve come a long way. Hang in there 🙂 Hugs, CoCo
Your pantry is amazing. I love how clean looking and organized it is with all your baskets. Love the wall and the dog feeding station. Wow. It’s perfect.
Thank so much, Katie! It definitely took some trial and error but it really is the most consistently tidied space in our home. I’m hoping the laundry room will look like that one day too 🙂 Hugs, CoCo
I sooooo love your pantry. Not only for the wonderful size, storage and plate collection but you eat Rotel and Salsa too! LOL! I thought only people from TX did that. Just kidding. I don’t live in a hole. Thanks so much for joining in. I always love reading your posts. Pinned
You’re so sweet Cindy, thank you! My Corona curves have really taken off thanks to the stay at home orders and I was SHOCKED when I found a list of 50 of the most unhealthy foods on it and potato chips, pretzels and tortilla chips were on the list. I mean, I figured potato chips and pretzels but not tortilla chips! Chips and salsa and queso are all family staples. Thankfully, I was promptly told to “stay off the internet” because the list was getting scary ha ha. Thanks so much for putting this group together. I love to see what you guys are creating! Big hugs, CoCo
Coco, I’m totally in awe of your gorgeous and organized pantry! You’re such a tease to show just a glimpse of that beautiful chandy. it’s a lovely little space and so functional. I’m hanging my head in shame! haha.
You are so funny, Debra, do not for a second hang your head in shame! You saw how bad it was before, right? It was like that for YEARS. Besides, you haven’t seen my laundry room 🙂 On a side note, I was over the moon when that chandy was hung. If it were up to me, I would hang them up all over the house. Sending you big hugs for a happy summer, CoCo
So many cool ideas here, CoCo…I love your makeover! I finally have a pantry at the bakehouse and it was fun to organize it. I need storage on the floor under the bottom shelf—baskets would be great.
Thanks for a great post!
Jane x
That is so exciting, Jane! Adding those bottom drawers to the pantry was a game-changer because we were able to utilize an otherwise awkward and empty space for party supplies, trays and things like that. Sending you hugs and hoping your summer has been a good one so far, CoCo
Coco, I love how you organized your pantry using baskets! My pantry looks like yours before, so your after has given me a ton of ideas! Pantry goals! 🙂
That means so much, Michelle, thank you! It took a bit for us to find out which containers worked best for the way we lived. Things are so much more manageable now so keep at it until you find a system you love. It changes everything! Hugs, CoCo
I’m green with envy,my friend! Oh how I would LOVE a pantry, and one as organized and lovely as yours would be a dream come true! The baskets and labels you chose are perfection and having a dog station is a genius idea!
I really appreciate it, Christine, thank you! I’ve never regretted investing in baskets or creating the dog feeding station because they’ve made our lives so much easier. It looks us a bit to get the right organization system down but our pantry is one of the tidiest spaces in the house. Hugs, CoCo
Prettiest. Pantry. Ever!!!
Okay now I really need to up my organization game…you have inspired me! Gorgeous post!
Now I really need a “pin all” button…
So fun hopping with you!
ha ha you are so sweet, Amber, thank you! I’m constantly trying to change things the minute I see they need changing because as you can see from the before pictures it got out of control pretty quick 🙂 Truthfully, investing in organization systems is something I’ve never regretted spending money on. Sending you hugs for a happy weekend and a productive week ahead, CoCo
Wow!!! Your pantry looks amazing!! I love a good organized space! Baskets for the win!! You did a great job!!!
-Emily
Thanks so much, Emily! I really appreciate it. Hope you’re having a great day. Hugs, CoCo