Keep Your Pantry Tidy With These Smart Organization Ideas
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."
Organizing a pantry is no easy task—even Ree Drummond knows that all too well! When she showed her pantry refresh on social media, she admitted she "immediately regretted" pulling everything out at first. But, once she was done organizing, it was pure #pantrygoals. It may have even left you feeling disappointed with your own, wishing you could swap kitchens. We know the feeling, but trust us, no swapping is necessary to beautify your pantry! We're sharing our best pantry organization ideas to prove that your own kitchen can become one of these utterly satisfying spaces, too—worthy of a Ree-inspired restock.
First, start with a clean room: Take inventory of your existing stock of pantry staples, including spices, sauces, cereal boxes, rice and grains, canned goods, and stored baking supplies—by sorting through what's good and what's expired. Next, corral all items by category—it's helpful to organize them in transparent, stackable food storage containers. (P.S. A label maker is handy for this step!) You can even get a nifty under-shelf drawer organizer to help you out.
Even if you don't have a dedicated pantry in your home, these tricks will still improve how you organize your spices, baking goods, appliances, and more. For example, you could try putting a spice drawer together or invest in a coffee and tea organizer. You could also hop on the open shelving kitchen trend and turn floating shelves into a DIY pantry that displays spice jars and glass canisters. They might even inspire some larger kitchen storage ideas (like organizing your kitchen cabinets) to make the entire room more styled and tidy.
Try Out Under-Self Drawer Organizers
This nifty accessory has gone viral on the internet—and for good reason! It attaches to the base of your pantry shelves, making the most of a space you wouldn't normally use. Talk about strategic storage strategy!
SHOP UNDER-SHELF DRAWER ORGANIZERS
Set Up Baker's Racks
If you've got a large pantry but are running out of shelf space, just set up some more! Industrial wire racks such as baker's racks will give you plenty of room. To soften the look and help with organization, you can add wicker baskets, too.
Divide Cabinets Vertically
Switch up your storage game by adding vertical dividers to your horizontal shelves. This one works especially well for deep pantry shelves. The tray dividers are an easy way to store items like plates, cutting boards, pizza pans, and baking sheets.
Create a Hidden Pantry
While reorganizing your pantry is great, giving yourself a second pantry is even better! You can do this by transforming a kitchen hutch or armoire into a space to store food containers, cans, and more. Paint it a pretty color to stand as a focal point in your kitchen!
Repurpose Mason Jars
If you love mason jars, you probably have a lot hanging around unused. Even if you don't, they are so easy and relatively cheap to buy in bulk. So rather than investing in expensive storage containers, go for this affordable option instead. They can hold anything from spices and snacks to cereal and candy!
Borrow Ideas from Other Closets
Bet you never thought of making your own over-the-door pantry organizer! If you have a pantry door free, why not buy a hanging plastic shoe rack to fill with smaller items like flavor packets or snacks? And why stop there? You can use pant hangers as chip clips, too!
See more at The Krazy Coupon Lady.
Divide and Conquer
Reorganizing is always daunting, but you can make it easier by organizing your pantry in sections—much like Ree did with her recent pantry refresh. It makes the task more manageable, and it helps you focus on what's best for each area. Ree divided her tasks into sweet and savory, but you can do what you feel is best for your needs.
Create a Grab-and-Go Snack Section
Busy families who rely on prepackaged snacks... this hack is for you! Make the bags easier to grab by creating a designated snack bin section. Buy clear acrylic bins and place them in an easily accessible drawer or shelf. It will make your grocery list easier, too, because you'll see when you're low in stock.
Roll With It
For those of you who lack space in the pantry, but have substantial space elsewhere, try a rolling cart. Bonus: You can wheel it out when you need it and tuck it away when you don't. It's also great to use in a pinch as a bar cart for any events you host!
Invest in a Coffee and Tea Organizer
If you're constantly rummaging through drawers looking for the right tea bag then you need a coffee and tea organizer like this adorable one from The Pioneer Woman. Not only is it super cute and floral, it makes managing your morning coffee craving a breeze.
SHOP COFFEE AND TEA ORGANIZERS
Use a Ladder
In Ree's pantry at The Lodge, she uses a library ladder to access tall shelves. This is a great way to ensure you store items on these hard-to-reach shelves rather than waste the space.
Organize Your Appliances
Ree also uses her pantry for keeping kitchen appliances tucked away on shelves and off the counter. She made sure the shelves were built tall enough to house her tallest appliance (in this case, her KitchenAid stand mixers).
Invest in Cabinets with Pull-Out Shelves
Sliding shelves keep all your canned and nonperishable goods neatly tucked away in a cabinet. It allows easy access without needing to devote an entire closet to your pantry.
See more at Randi Garrett Design.
Go Rustic Chic With a Pegboard
Give any kitchen or pantry wall an organizational makeover with a layer of pegboard. These easy-to-install sheets are speckled with holes so you can hang tons of spice trays, measuring spoons, or your favorite pieces of kitchen art!
See more at Inspired by Charm.
Convert a Nook
Turn a kitchen nook into a pantry by hanging shelves and making custom containers. These wire baskets have homemade leather straps, with DIY steps included so you can make your own.
Get the tutorial at The Merrythought.
Mix Up Your Containers
Use different jars, baskets, and containers to keep your pantry items clearly separate from each other.
See more at Design Improvised.
Add Storage Hooks
Adding hooks to your pantry storage optimizes the space. You can hang utensils, measuring cups, and more.
See more at Inspired by Charm.
Make a Chalkboard List
This pantry uses its space efficiently by placing a chalkboard on the inside of the door. You'll always know what you need to pick up at the store with this handy shopping list.
See more at Not Just a Housewife.
Lean Into the Theme
The supermarket sign above this shelved storage cart pantry is a sweet touch. Even a blank wall in your home can become a simple pantry with some cute décor and shelves.
See more at Big Family Little Farmhouse.
Optimize Cubby Space
A tiny kitchen oftentimes means a tiny pantry. Make the most of your small space by utilizing turntables and expandable, tiered shelves. Turntables are perfect for cabinets that are above eye level because they allow easy access to items you use frequently.
Get Creative with Space
If you're tight on space, use a small cabinet for storage. Keep the top for bigger kitchen items, such as cutting boards and pitchers.
See more at A Bowl Full of Lemons.
Maintain Unity
It's easy to create a tidy pantry when you use uniform labels and containers. Invest in a label maker or purchase a pack of preprinted ones designed especially for a pantry!
See more at Neat Method.
Make It a Multi-Purpose Room
If you've got a big enough space, use your pantry to store more than just food and appliances. Aprons, reusable water bottles, cookbooks, and anything else food-adjacent will be a perfect fit.
See more at Fresh Mommy Blog.
Use a Single Shelf
If your kitchen doesn't have space for a full pantry, you can turn one or two shelves into a makeshift version. Fill them with jars of sugar, coffee, pasta, and other items you use frequently.
See more at Room for Tuesday.
Make Produce Baskets
Keep potatoes and onions tucked away with their own baskets. It'll be a breeze to just grab what you need when you're cooking dinner.
See more at The Identité Collective.
Make DIY Crates
These cute stenciled crates can hold spices, packaged mixes, baking ingredients, and more for stylish storage.
Get the tutorial at Creative Green Living.
Organize Your Spices
Use a free drawer to keep your spices organized or invest in a spice organizer. Either way, keep all the labels face up for quick searching.
See more at Boxwood Avenue.
Stick to a Budget
This pantry makeover cost only $20, plus some leftover paint. The immaculate organization of this cabinet pantry proves you don't need a walk-in space to keep things neat.
See more at Holland Avenue Home.
Ditch Packaging
Get rid of cereal and oatmeal boxes as well as packaging that single-serving snacks come in to optimize your pantry space. Use airtight containers and bins to keep everything in one place.
See more at Love Grows Wild.
Dedicate Space to Produce
Use a tiered bar cart for storing produce like lemons, apples, and potatoes. Because it's small, it's fine to leave in your kitchen or conceal in your pantry.
See more at Homey Oh My.
Don't Overstuff It
There's no reason to jam everything you possibly can into your pantry. Save yourself some stress by making sure there's some space so everything can be easily located.
See more at Room for Tuesday.
Add Extra Lighting
This blogger added an LED light strip to solve the issue of their pantry being too dark.
See more at DIY in PDX.
Alternate Container Sizes
Buy a variety of container sizes and stack them so all the labels are visible at once. A tiered rack will help out with tiny spice jars.
See more at Just a Girl and Her Blog.
Build Your Own Shelves
If there's a closet you know would make the perfect pantry, follow these steps to build shelves. You can modify it to fit your space, leaving you with a fully customized pantry.
Get the tutorial at The Handmade Home.
Display Your Plants
If your pantry is in a particularly sunny spot, keep some plants in there to brighten the space up. Whether they're houseplants or indoor herbs, it'll keep the room feeling cheery.
See more at Joinery & Design Co.
You Might Also Like
