It takes a bit of time to thoroughly organize a pantry, big or small, but in the long run it’ll save you time. Plus, opening up the pantry doors to find a neat, organized space is always a good thing! Start a great organization system with these 5 steps.

5 Steps to Organize a Pantry

Start from scratch

The best way to start is to pull everything out. Once everything is out of the pantry you can throw out expired items and see everything you have. This also gives you a chance to wipe down all the shelves and remove anything that doesn’t belong there.

 

Sort by type

While everything is out of the pantry sort everything by type. Pastas, canned items, cereal, etc. Bunch them together in groups on your kitchen table or floor so you can have an idea of how much space is needed for each item and how you might want to store it.

 

Containers for storage

For things that don’t stack well like seasoning packets, bags of marshmallows, etc. add a few baskets or bins to the shelves in your pantry to keep them organized rather than just throwing them anywhere. These are great because they’re clear and you can see what’s inside! If you want to make your pantry a little more stylish try some metal baskets!

Also consider storing things in different containers than what they come in from the store. Things like flour, sugar, quinoa and more usually come in large bags that are odd to store. Get some large mason jars, cute glass jars like pictured above, or plastic containers (these ones looks amazing!) to repackage everything and make it more convenient. You can even spend a month or so collecting jars from old pasta sauces, etc and use those.

 

Organize

Since you already have everything sorted, you can slowly put everything back into the pantry in an organized manner. Remember to keep the lighter items near the top and the heavier items (like cans) near the bottom, especially if you’re in an area that has earthquakes.

 

Label

Not everyone wants or needs labels, but it can add a little touch especially if you buy or print up some pretty labels. You can label baskets, bins, shelves or even the containers themselves. The great thing about this is that while the primary food shopper or cook in the house might know where everything is, but if everything is labeled anyone can come in and find what they want quickly. Another plus to that is that no one has to shuffle things around messing up your newly organized pantry!

 

Aileen is a wife, entrepreneur and animal lover. She lives in a small California town, with her husband and a handful of pets, where she spends her days designing blogs and running her online boutique. You can find more at Life by Aileen where she talks about chasing dreams and her attempts at a simpler life.