Perhaps it’s the same scenario as the illusive left sock, but my pantry seems as if when I close the door and return moments later, it’s a complete disaster after I had just organized it. What's the deal? Are their little gnomes in there giggling and rearranging bean cans at night for kicks?
Staying on top of the pantry is a whole-ass job
Especially making sure that the items haven’t expired and ideally should be checked every time we go to the store to stock back up, ideally. I think we're all a little guilty of having that one rogue potato at the back of the shelf with several eye sprouts and shriveled half its size.
I finally realized that if I organize all of it to where I can visibly see everything whether it’s in a glass container, some sort of clear bin, or on a shelf on display, I’ll actually remember to use it. So I bring you "The Smart Pantry Organization" I've come to love.
Thrift stores are a great place to get old vintage containers whether it’s glass plates, tall jars, or unique bowls, and use them for various grab-n-go snacks, so convenient especially for guests. I have oatmeal packets stacked into one and I used a giant glass punch bowl to hold various toppings for salads and smoothies.
Cereal can be taken out of the original box and placed in click-top bins to help actually see how much is left. This saves the headache of empty-box-on-the-shelf syndrome (which seems to be an epidemic in our household).
The ones pictured I purchased here.
They come with the chalkboard labels then I got a pack of chalkboard pens so I can change the color.
Now the task is to get more bulk cereals so we can actually fill them to the top. I don't know what your household is like but we go through cereal really freaking fast here.
Spice racks are actually not as easy to find apparently. I went to three different retail locations before trying the local thrift store and that's where I found these narrow wire ones that I could hang up which was ideal for both the price and the function. All of my seasonings used to be in a cabinet and spilled everywhere, it was a mess of sesame seeds and pepper flakes.
I wanted it to look a little bit more rustic and farmhouse style, which is why I like that they are mismatched. I plan on thrifting for a couple more little shelves for various baking supplies and oils.
You can get empty seasoning jars and labels like I did here and hit up the bulk spices at the grocery store. My goal is to switch everything over to the refillable style containers. Not only do I like the look of no-brand labels, but I love cutting back on waste where I can.
Shelf stackers are great for doubling your space and stacking air-tight containers on top filled with nuts, grains, and pasta. I put supplements on a vintage serving glass plate which makes it almost work like a Lazy Susan where you can rotate it to get to whatever you need. Various plates and bowls are great for moving around so you can get to what you need without it spilling everywhere.
We always end up with a bazillion grocery bags and I've been hoarding them due to guilt of throwing them in the garbage after just one use. I did discover a few local stores offer a plastic bag recycling bin which I've noted moving forward. There's a website with a bag recycling locater so feel free to type in your zip and find yours here. Until then, I've decided to keep a handful at a time and found this weird looking silver wall shelf that looked like the perfect bag stuffer. It's from Ikea and I'm not sure what it's meant for...maybe wine? Maybe toilet paper storage? Either way, it was perfect for bags. I found this plastic bag dispenser online if you are looking for some similar storage ideas.
Fruit and veggie baskets are essential for an organized pantry. You certainly can't have your onions just rolling around all willy-nilly on the shelves. There needs to be order or one could get lost and live a slow rotting death like the potato. I got this wire basket while thrifting and it's perfect to slide around on the shelf to get to things behind it. I will say moving forward my goal is to have this entire area look like a rustic cabin house kitchen so it will be moving into the wood basket container style slowly as I shop around for them.
I hope this inspired you to clean out your pantry and have a little bit of fun with it. Get creative with various containers you already have lying around your house or go thrifting for some new ones that you can use to help keep your pantry organized. It really does prevent your dry goods from going bad as quickly and you’ll be proud of your pantry when your guests come visit, they’ll be second guessing if they stumbled into a Bed & Breakfast.