Mission: Pantry Organization

The Pantry.  A space that gets more visits than most rooms in our home.  How many times do your kids venture in and out, looking for something to eat?  More times than I can count (especially in the summer months).  Pantry organization seems to be an ongoing maintenance project, but if you get some basic organizational structures in place, it seems to make it a little easier.

Let’s start with a quick side by side, before and after shot:

Take Everything Out

First, I pulled all of my stuff out of the pantry (and was astounded at how much crap was in there!).  Then, I bucketed items into common groups and loaded up on bins, baskets and containers to put them in, so that they’re easy to find and most importantly, stay organized.

The baskets are perfect for holding microwave popcorn.  The XOX containers are perfect for snacks, crackers, nuts – you name it. 

Hide the Cookbooks with Style

I used magazine holders to store my cookbooks and cooking magazines, so that they are more visually appealing vs. willy nilly all over the place.

I moved the canned goods to the right, and it seems to make more sense and hopefully will keep can clutter to a minimum the next time I go to the grocery.

I found some cute containers with chalkboard labels already on them.  I’m planning on getting more labels for my bins and baskets, so that there is no question where things are and where they belong!

The real trick is going to be keeping my kids out of the snacks that are intended for lunches.  I’m already seeing the supply decline more quickly than it should.  But locking up snacks in my pretty pantry would just ruin the whole look!