Small Pantry Organization Ideas

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Pantry organization is one of the things that takes a lot of time but is so satisfying when it’s done. If your family is in and out of the pantry frequently, and it is a small space, to begin with, it can quickly become a chaotic mess.

As a heavily accessed location, an organized pantry can save you time, money, and stress. How many times have you purchased something only to later find out you already had it in the back of the pantry? Spent way too much time looking for something you “know” is in there? Or my favorite been stressed out just by looking at the disaster that your pantry has become?

Been there! But there is a solution and it honestly doesn’t take very long with these Small Pantry Organization Ideas that can be applied to any size pantry.

Take Everything Out

Time to go all-in on this project Mama! Empty out the entire pantry, yes everything. You will be better able to see what you have and wipe down the shelves for a clean start.

Throw Away All Expired Food

I was shocked at how many expired items were hiding in the back of our pantry. Weeding all of that out makes a lot of room for the foods you do eat.

Group Common Things Together

Grouping things like kinds of pasta together is helpful. I also stock the sauce on the pasta shelf for ease when I’m cooking. Another example is a breakfast shelf with your cereals, waffle/pancake mixes, and breakfast bars all in one place.

Restock Thoughtfully

If you aren’t going to use something, for whatever reason (purchased for some crazy recipe you’ll never make, etc), don’t put it back. There is likely a way to donate the food item to a local food pantry or canned food drive. A donation is a better use for food than staying in your pantry until it expires.

Consider size and weight when restocking. Tiny or heavy items may be tricky to see and get down safely up on the top shelf, but larger, lighter items like bags of chips or paper towels would be great up there.

Label Everything

Transferring your rice, barley, and quinoa into an air-tight container will help it to last longer, but be sure to label the new container so you know what it is and when it expires. A cute label on the front of the jar helps to quickly identify the product while keeping your pantry neat and organized.

I love these labels for my mason jars and these for my spice jars. Less than $10 for over 300 labels works for me! Mine are going on 5 years without peeling, and I can still remove them without leaving a residue if I need to swap out an item.

It also helps to cut the cooking directions off of the original package and tape them to the top or back of the mason jar, along with the expiration date. This keeps the information hidden but accessible.

Use Accessories to Organize and Maximize Space

I have basic wooden shelves in my pantry and highly suggest accessories to increase both your storage space and organization.

• Wire baskets are perfect to hold kids’ snacks like fruit snacks, applesauce, small bags of chips, etc. Kids can grab their snacks for school by themselves in the morning, which is huge in our house! I took the fabric lining out of the basket so everyone can see what is inside.
• Large glass mason jars hold rice, quinoa, and barley in an airtight container while still allowing you to see what’s inside. I use 24-ounce jars with plastic lids. Don’t forget to cut the cooking instructions off of the bag or box of rice and tape them to the top of the jar lid. That way you know how to cook your food, but the ugly label isn’t visible.
• I love these bins for holding the kids’ pouches. In a previous life, they were used for breast milk storage in the freezer and have now been repurposed for the pantry. Keep them on the kids’ shelf for quick and easy access to fruits and veggies.
• Tiered shelves can multiply your pantry storage options. They allow you to stack products so they can all still be seen and eliminate wasted space especially if you have tall or deep shelves.

Make a Kids’ Shelf

A kids’ shelf allows them to see and choose products for snacks or lunches. It can be a great way to promote independence while also encouraging healthy choices, depending on what products you put on the shelf. This is a great location for the wire baskets of snacks and the bins for pouches.

I also love these under-shelf drawers for the kids. Each child has their own little drawer (labeled of course!) for special items like holiday candy that they don’t have to share.

Utilize Your Door

There are so many shelving options for inside your pantry door nowadays, it’s crazy! All of our spices are on the door using this spice rack and it saves a ton of space while allowing easy access. Be sure to measure the depth you have in between the edge of your pantry shelves and the door, and position door storage accordingly so your door storage can close without hitting your pantry shelves.

Maintenance

A little bit of maintenance goes a long way in pantry organization. If you notice something in the wrong place, take a second to put it back. If you don’t, over time one misplaced item becomes two, etc until your pantry is chaos again!

When putting away groceries, do a quick inventory and move things that are expiring soon to the front, or at least in front of the new item you purchased. If you noticed something has expired, throw it away! No need to hold onto it for your next big reorganization.

Now that kids are home for summer, an organized pantry may not last long, but it may just give you a minute of peace and quiet if everyone can find what they need! I hope these Small Pantry Organization Ideas helped to motivate you to tackle your pantry.