Small Pantry Organization Ideas

I FINALLY organized the small pantry in our kitchen! This project has been hanging over my head for quite some time, and I’m SO excited that it’s done and looks a million times better than before. Come see the transformation, plus get some pantry organization ideas so you can organize your own small pantry!

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This blog post is part of an organization themed blog hop I’m joining today. Make sure to visit all of the links at the bottom of this post for more organization ideas for your home!

Don’t barf, but here’s how the small pantry in our kitchen looked just last week:

It was a mish-mash of packages with not much rhyme or reason to where things went. I *kind of* had the baking ingredients at the bottom and the snacks at the top of the pantry, but it looked absolutely terrible and it was so hard to find and grab anything quickly.

Spaces behind closed doors seem to be the last places I clean and organize because it’s so much easier to hide them! With a fresh new year, I thought there was no time like the present to tackle this disorganized pantry and make it functional and pretty for our family. I wanted to figure out how to maximize all my shelf space and create easy access storage for all the canned goods and other things that live in this pantry.

Here’s how our small pantry looks now:

It’s so much better, right? I love that it’s functional and budget-friendly, but it still looks cute with all of the pretty baskets, canisters, glass jars and labels.

We originally built our pantry using the older IKEA kitchen cabinet line, and I still love the pull out shelves that we got with it. I moved one pull-out up, and then placed some baskets on the stationary support shelf beneath it to maximize this pantry space.

Watch my YouTube video on how I organized our small pantry from start to finish:

Links mentioned in video:

• How to make labels with a Cricut
• The font I used is called Bohemian and it’s in this font bundle: https://creativemarket.com/kaitlynn.albani/3921104-The-Designers-Font-BUNDLE?u=thediymommy
• The paper pantry labels (and some blank ones!) are FREE for you to download by clicking right here

Here are some tips on how to organize a small pantry like ours:

Take everything OUT.

That’s right – start your pantry organization by removing every single item, putting them in a big pile on your counter or floor, and giving your pantry a wipe-down. This is such an easy trick that makes the rest of the process much easier!  It’s easier to see all of your food items when they’re out of your cupboard, and then you can go through everything, toss what’s past its expiration date, and take an inventory of what you have. I love doing this and then making some grocery lists of the items I’m missing so I know that when I’m all finished, my pantry will be stocked and ready!

Measure your pantry & bring your measuring tape to your favourite container store.

I knew I needed more bins and baskets and food storage containers to organize this  space, so I measured the width and depth of our pull-out shelves and headed to a couple of my favourite container stores (IKEA and Dollar Tree) to source perfectly sized containers for everything. I ended up buying some IKEA 365+ plastic bins for our sugar, flour, and rice. Larger bins were purchased for the cereals, and it felt so good to get rid of the messy cereal boxes! I picked up some IKEA metal mesh baskets for other loose items, and some Dollar Tree baskets for snacks and baking essentials.

Don’t be afraid to reduce, reuse & recycle.

While purging the contents of our pantry, I was able to collapse many boxes and send them to recycling. Instead of buying new for every container I needed, I used clean pasta sauce and pickle jars to store foods like chocolate chips, flax seed, popcorn, pasta and bread crumbs. 

This really cut down on the clutter and made my storage space so much more efficient. My plan is to focus on reducing our single-use plastic even more this year, and this pantry definitely needed some attention in that regard! There’s a store here in Canada called Bulk Barn that allows you to bring your own containers for their bulk pantry items, so I’m heading there next time I need a refill on my dry goods!

Label, label, label. Did I say label?!

Nothing helps maintain organization (especially in a big family!) better than labeling everything. I made some paper labels for my baskets, and some labels with my Cricut for my jars and plastic bins.

Would you like to print off these turquoise paper pantry labels for yourself? These pantry labels (and some blank ones!) are FREE for you to download by clicking right here.

I’m so happy with how these small pantry organization ideas turned out! I no longer feel the need to slam the pantry doors shut when someone comes over to hide the mess and chaos. I hope you found some ideas that will work for you too.

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Now come see what organization projects my blogging friends are sharing today!

Click on each link to visit each post.

9 Tips For Kitchen Organization – Happy Happy Nester || Bathroom Organization Ideas – Lolly Jane // Textured Polka Dot Utensil Holder – Craftberry Bush // Turn a Closet into a Pantry – Tatertots & Jello

Organizing Your Party Planning – My 100 Year Old Home // Organizing Laundry Supplies – Zevy Joy // Spice Drawer Organization – Finding Lovely // How to Declutter and Decorate a Beautiful Home – So Much Better With Age

How To Organize Kitchen Drawers – Modern Glam // How I Keep My Home Organized – My Sweet Savannah // Whole Home Organization Ideas to Declutter Your Life – Grace In My Space // Medicine Cabinet Organization Ideas and Tips – Twelve On Main

10 Week Organizing Challenge – The Happy House // Fridge Organization and Storage – Inspiration for Moms // How to Organize Your Pantry – The Handmade Home // A Budget Friendly Linen Closet Makeover – The Tattered Pew 

Mudroom Lockers Organization – Two Twenty One // Small Pantry Organization Ideas – The DIY Mommy // How to Organize Kids’ Rooms – Cassie Bustamante // 5 Easy Steps To Create An Organized Junk Drawer – She Gave It A Go // Organizing Tips for Traveling with Kids – Pink Peppermint Designs