Perfected Pantry

Pantries.  Pantries can be such difficult places to organize and keep organized. In order for a pantry to remain clutter free there has to be a system in place.  Now, the system doesn't have to be one that is super intricate or costs a lot of money, but there has to be a method to the madness. 


The first apartment we lived in had a very small pantry.  This resulted in storing small kitchen appliances in the guest bedroom closet. Not practical at all.  The town home has a walk-in pantry and it is OH SO NICE to have all of my kitchen belongings in the kitchen.  After being in the town home six months, I finally "perfected" my pantry.  My system may not be what works for you, but it has been totally reliable for me.  In fact, I haven't had to re-organize the pantry since putting this system to use.  To me, that equals beautiful.


Here are my top 5 elements in my pantry that I have found to be a must.  If you're in the market for organizing your pantry, I highly recommend these ideas:


1. A Shoe Organizer

That's not what you expected to be first on the list was it?  Seriously, I couldn't live without this in our pantry.  It's a perfect place to store all of those pre-packaged goodies (snacks, popcorn, cliff bars, rice, oatmeal, oats, bread crumbs, hot cocoa pouches, etc).  This literally allowed me to throw away more than a dozen boxes. Total space saver.  I got this clear pouched shoe organizer at Wal-Mart for $5.


2. Hooks

Take advantage of your wall space in the pantry. I love having a spot to hang my apron, extra Wal-Mart sacks, lunch boxes and my pup's travel bag.  I just used 3M hooks for the lunch box, and I found a precious spoon inspired three hook frame at Paul Michael's.  

3. Coordinating Baskets

I have loved having baskets in our pantry.  It has been so nice to have a spot to group together like items.  I have a basket for any kind of canned tomato product, green veggies, soups used when cooking, boxed meal starters, etc. This also makes creating a grocery list WAY easy.  I am not digging through mounds of cans or boxes to find out if I'm out of something.  Also, it keeps me from over buying because I can see everything I have easily.  I'm not a huge fan of buying things is mass quantities either, so I am less likely to do that since I have limited space in each basket.


4. Shelves

We added some extra shelving (the chrome) to our pantry, and it has provided us with so much extra storage.  It's a great place to stash small kitchen appliances, bake-ware, mixing bowls, roasting pan, etc.  Our kitchen doesn't have much cabinet space, so these have been really great for storing things that might usually end up in a cabinet.


5. Cookbook Haven

I love having a designated spot for all of my cookbooks.  I am never searching for a recipe for hours or wondering where I sat the cookbook I used last week.  They are always right in this spot.  It's totally in a convenient spot too, right? :)

So, that wraps up the list.  I'm sure there are tons of wonderful ideas out there that might surpass my top 5, but I have found these to be so so helpful.  An organized pantry just makes life easier, I think.  The #1 key to organizing a pantry is grouping similar items.  All five of my favorite features have that in common.  It's a great way to start when organizing anything.  

What are your top 5 elements of an organized pantry? Or, what are your hopes and dreams for your pantry?

love, the Blair Abode