It’s Springtime and that often brings the urge to clean and get organized. Here’s How you can elevate your pantry and calm the clutter with these 6 simple steps!
1. Replace wire shelving with wood
Wire shelving can be difficult to store food on and clean when there’s a mishap. 3/4” birch plywood is a great alternative because not only is it functional but also aesthetically pleasing. Start by measuring your space to determine the size of shelves you require. Using a circular saw cut your shelves out of a sheet of plywood. Create a ledge for each shelf to rest around the perimeter of your pantry using 3/4” plywood cut into 2” strips. Attach the ledges into the wall studs with 3″ screws and apply wood glue to the top of the ledge. Rest your shelf on the glue and pin nail it to the ledge. Alternatively Home Hardware also has a variety of shelving brackets if you prefer that style over a ledge. Because plywood has an unfinished edge this pre-glued veneer edging works great to give a finished-looking result. Complete by painting the edging if you have painted your shelves. The paint used in this project is Beauti-Tone’s Powdered Donuts (WB024-0) in Designer Series Matte. Many people have asked about the fun pop of colour on the door and it is called Miniature Posy (A8-6-0118-0) in Beauti-Tone Designer Series Matte!
2. Storage baskets
Organizing the food in your pantry into categories can help create a cohesive space. Storage baskets are a great solution to help you visualize these categories. Start by grouping similar foods together. Some common categories might include baking, dinner, snacks, canned goods, drinks, cereals, overstock items, grains and produce. Once you have your categories created, you can then utilize storage baskets to keep them organized and easy to access. These clear KIS baskets come in two sizes and work great because they are clear and you can easily see your products.
Wood crates are another stylish storage solution. These low-profile crates from Home Hardware are super functional for those larger items or smaller bulk items like juice and pop while still providing easy access.
3. Rubbermaid containers
Some of your food categories may not be ideal in a storage bin and these Rubbermaid containers are the perfect alternative. These clear containers keep food fresh and provide excellent visibility to keep track of how much food you have left in them. Pastas, grains, cereals, and baking goods are some categories where Rubbermaid containers will work fantastically.
4. Recycling
The pantry can be a great place to hide your bottles and recycle! These Sterilite touch top bins are sleek, compact, and open up easily with the press of a button on the top. If you’re looking for a place to hide recycle bins the pantry might be the solution!
5. Labels
Need I say more?! Labels always give that extra wow factor in a pantry but also make things so much easier when you are trying to find something. Consider using dissolvable canning labels, chalkboard labels, or making your own.
6. Tiered Shelves for Cans
Canned goods can be tricky to keep organized if you have a large stockpile. One way to simplify this is by creating a step or tiered shelf so that you can easily see the cans in the back. For this simple project, 2×4’s were used to create the steps. Whether you are using a tiered shelf or not be sure to group the cans into smaller sections (for example soups, beans, etc.) before placing them in the pantry.
And there you have it! 6 ways to organize your pantry! If this inspired you to tackle your pantry or get started on a spring project of your own be sure to check out your local Home Hardware to find these products and others. They have the expertise and know-how to help you along the way.
Happy organizing!
