10 Tips for Small Pantry Organization

Having my home clean and organized makes me feel like I’m ready to take on the world. I’ve been working to declutter several areas of my home simultaneously… HIGHLY DO NOT RECOMMEND this. Baby steps – I tell myself this all of the time, yet here I am decluttering closets, a laundry room, and an office at the same time. I recently organized my pantry and thought I would share some of the do’s and don’ts I learned throughout the process. If you’re like me and making the best of small pantry organization, I think these tips will help you as well!

Designate an area for each different type of food. Group breakfast items (pastries, cereals, oatmeal, etc) together. This will make the morning so much smoother as you try to get everyone to their designated places in the mornings.

LABEL your shelves. This will be a reminder for everyone that there’s a place for everything and everything should be in its place. This alone is a game-changing strategy!

Baskets. Baskets. Baskets. If you like to keep some fresh ingredients for cooking (garlic, potatoes, onions…). Be sure to remove them from the plastic bags, the plastic will cause them to spoil sooner. Also, onions and potatoes should be in separate baskets – they do not store well together.

Clear plastic canisters. Once you’ve opened a box of cereal or pasta, place what’s left in a clear plastic container. It will keep them fresher longer and will help everyone to see that it’s already opened (hopefully keeping them from opening another package of the same).

Use every available space! Look up and down – that is all usable space. If you have a two-foot gap between your ceiling and your shelving, go up with another shelf and store some of the things you don’t use on a daily basis. Use a lazy Susan in the corner to keep everything accessible.

Arrange the boxes with the tallest in the back and the shortest in the front. This will enable you to see what you have in a snap. Take note of the expiration date as well, placing the ones going out of date first in the front.

Use the pantry door. If you have a solid door on your pantry, place shelves on the door to store spices, plastic lunch bags, foil, etc. So many times people forget this is usable space! You could even keep kids’ snacks that are a “free for all” in here. That will help save the school snacks for school!

Think outside of the pantry. If your pantry is in an end cabinet, place floor-to-ceiling shelves on the outside of the pantry. You could store the clear containers here with labels on them of the things your family eats most often.

Consider what you will be storing. If your family drinks a ton of 2-liter sodas every week, invest in some storage containers for them so they don’t fall over everywhere in the pantry. If you have a good amount of canned food, get some containers to keep them organized by food category.

Consider bringing in extra storage. I love the look and feel of a kitchen that looks like it has evolved over time. If you’ve done all of the above and are still struggling for space. It’s time to go antique shopping. Find a piece that compliments the overall theme of your kitchen and turn it into a stand-alone for pantry organization. This will add function and character to your kitchen!

Do you have any additional tips for pantry organization? I would love to hear them!