Do you store your food so you can easily find what you need? Can you make a grocery list with just a glance at your shelves?? If not, I can help! I have so many clever ways to help you organize your pantry!
Don’t have a pantry?
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No worries, you can modify my tips if you store food on the shelves in your cabinets.
We’ll start with an easy strategy to organize whatever space you have.
Then, I’ll show you clever and inexpensive ways you can organize and label the items in your pantry or cabinets.
Last, but not least, I’ll show you how I organized my pantry!
So what are you waiting for?
Let’s start organizing!
Use the 6/P Strategy to Organize Your Pantry
The 6/P strategy makes organizing any space very simple.
Just follow the following six steps that start with the letter P and you’ll be organized in no time!
Prepare
Bring a trash bag, a cardboard box, and a laundry hamper into your pantry. Clear everything off of your kitchen table.
Purge
Remove everything from the pantry and sort all items into one of the following categories:
- Trash-place all expired or unwanted food in the trash
- Donate-place any non-perishable food you want to donate into the cardboard box
- Relocate-put any items that don’t belong in the pantry into the laundry hamper
- Replace-place any items that need to stay in the pantry on the dining table and group like items together:
canned goods, baking supplies, bottled beverages, breakfast items, pasta and sauces, snack foods, bread, potatoes, onions, you get the idea! It’s important to always leave room for backstock.
Polish
The pantry is empty, so let’s get it clean by starting at the top and working your way to the bottom!!
Personalize
Everyone’s pantry will be different based on the number of people in your family and your food preferences. Ask yourself the following questions to help you determine the best way to personalize your pantry:
- How does the space need to function for my personal needs? Will I only store food or do I need to store appliances here?
- What are the necessary items I need to put back into the space? How many categories of food do I have?
- What items do I need to make or purchase to contain the items in my categories? Suggestions: boxes, bins, plastic containers, food storage containers.
PLACE
Now it’s time to place items back in the pantry in an organized manner.
- Discard the trash bag you filled up!
- If you have food to donate, don’t wait around, take it to the nearest food pantry!
- If you have items that belong in another room, deliver them now.
- Replace the items on your dining table in the pantry in an organized manner. Be sure to label any bins, boxes, or containers you use so everyone knows what belongs inside!!
Put Back
You just put a great deal of effort into organizing your pantry and if you want it to stay that way, you must train yourself and all of your family, to put items back where they belong.
Use the printables as a checklist to help you brainstorm how to personalize your space! They’re free, just sign up for our email here and we’ll give you access to our complete printable library!
Clever ways to organize your pantry items
Containers are a necessity in a pantry! But what if you don’t have the budget to buy them?
No problem, you can make them!
Make your containers
Faux wood crates
Grab a box and some wrapping paper that looks like wood and ta-da you have a faux crate!
Wrap boxes to match your color scheme
Make your pantry look pretty and cohesive by wrapping up boxes! Now it looks so much better!
MAKE YOUR LABELS
Did you know there is such a thing as chalkboard scrapbook paper?
Well, guess what, there is!
Now you can easily make your chalkboard labels!
I used it to label the bin on the left!
If you can’t find specialty paper, use white cardstock and make labels in WORD (or use a black Sharpie) like the label on the right!
stop items from tipping on wire shelves
If you have wire shelves as I do, then you know some items constantly tip over.
To solve that problem, I like to use plastic tubs to store items that tip, or can fall through the wires!
use command hooks
If you have wall space in your pantry, put it to good use with command hooks!
My dustpan, broom, and step stool were always in the way until I hung them on command hooks.
how I organized my pantry
I hope you liked my budget-friendly tips! Now you can see how I put those clever ideas to use as I organize my pantry!
disposable tableware
I store napkins, paper plates, plastic cups, and cutlery on the top shelf.
The bins used to be an olive drab color, but I spray-painted them black to match the other bins in the pantry!
BULKY CHIP BAGS
I use two large black fabric cube bins to store large bags of chips.
The labels look like they say “I” chips and “O” chips, but those are symbols meaning closed and open.
The closed bags are stored in the left bin, and open bags are in the right bin!
FOOD STORAGE CONTAINERS
I have been collecting OXO food storage containers for several years. I love the different shapes and sizes! You can configure them in so many different ways!
beverages
Bottled beverages are stored on the bottom shelf.
Small food packages
Long and skinny bins work perfectly for small packaged items like oatmeal, grits, granola bars, and popcorn!
canned goods
Canned goods and unopened cereal boxes are stored on the top two shelves.
I put them in groups like vegetables, soups, and fruits.
contain similar items
My faux crates work great to hold similar items that are different shapes.
For instance, the baking box holds a pie crust and boxes of brownie and cookie mixes.
The Tex Mex box holds different types of tortilla shells.
Crackers and nut butter are stored together, and different types of pasta/pizza sauce are grouped in the box on the right.
vegetables
Be sure to store veggies like potatoes and onions in a well-ventilated storage container.
The plastic bins I’m using came from Target.
They store rice, noodles, bread, and backstock items!
Did you notice that one of the tags is empty???
Believe it or not, I have one empty bin!!
Woo Hoo!!
Well, there you have it, my organized pantry! I can easily find any item I need, and making out a grocery list is a breeze!
This organized space saves me time and money!
Did you think my ideas to organize your pantry were clever??
Let me know in the comments below!
Until next time, please follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram!
Blessings, Donna and Rich
More kitchen Organization Inspiration
- Easy Ideas to Organize a Refrigerator and Freezer
- Helpful Kitchen Cabinet Organization Solutions
- Simple Ways to Organize Kitchen Drawers
- How to Organize Your Kitchen Using Zones
- Organize Your Kitchen Pantry
Get the look
Click on the blue links below the picture to get more info on each item!
Chalkboard tags // White Chalk Markers // OXO baking essentials container set
Chalkboard labels // Black 6-pack storage baskets // OXO 5-pack container set
OXO Cereal containers // Skinny plastic baskets // Spice rack
Folding Step Stool // Fabric storage cubes // Black cardstock
Wood look wallpaper // Chalkboard clips // Command hooks // Label maker
**Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. We appreciate your support. (disclosure policy)
Love these pantry organization tips so much, Donna! They’re fabulous and so helpful too. We’ve used so many of these tips and tricks to keep our pantry organized throughout the year. It’s honestly one of the most organized spaces in our home and every time I open the door it makes me feel so good. I’m hoping I can get our refrigerator just as organized. It was going so well until the pandemic hit and we started making 3 meals a day at home! As always loving and pinning all your fabulous ideas, CoCo
Thank you so much for your kind words! I’m glad you’re enjoying the blog, that means so much to me! I really appreciate your support! Hugs, Donna
It looks wonderful-my only thought is to watch the dates on canned goods and use the oldest first. Growing up on a farm and now living in an area with no close grocery store I always have a good supply of canned goods on hand..
You are right, that is very important. I use the first in, first out approach but did not write about it! Thank you for such a great tip and have a happy day! Blessings, Donna
Please show us a very small NOT walk in pantry. One where the pantry is smaller than a small closet, and you still have the same foods that need to be stored.
I had a small pantry at our home in Kentucky, here is a link to that post. Hope it helps! How to Organize the Pantry