Let’s talk about pantries! Your pantry is important–it is where your non-perishable food lives! The pantry can be one of the most satisfying home organizing projects to do. You use it everyday. If it is disorganized or feels cluttered–it can be very frustrating! 

That being said, because of how frequently you use your pantry, the more easily it gets disorganized. This is why the systems you put in place are so essential to this space. 

I decided to do a little apartment organizing project for my own pantry. My pantry is definitely a smaller scale project than most–considering it is just myself I have to worry about feeding! The basics are all still there. 

I started by pulling everything out of my pantry–the pull out method! 

Next, get everything categorized. For a pantry, I would recommend categorizing by meal, or even food type. For example, all the breakfast items are in one section, all the pasta and noodles are in another section, and so on. For my pantry, I chose to use clear bins. This varies from person to person, family to family on what your preferences are for bin type. I would highly recommend utilizing some sort of bin for your pantry organization. Whether that be acrylic, wicker, or wood. Bins help keep your categories you set at the beginning of this process functional over time. This is why I prefer clear bins, simply because you can see everything inside! Depending on your pantry size–make an executive decision on how many bins you need. Once you have your food categories in your bins, get them labeled if that’s your preference! 

Labeling helps you build a lifestyle routine over time by putting things back where they belong. Place each bin and food item in a functional way for how you and your family operate. For example, if you have kids–have a couple kid-friendly snack bins on the lowest shelf! If you’re a mom, have a secret “mom-only” snack bin on a higher shelf. 

Meat & Potatoes Organizing absolutely loves doing pantries. It’s fun to transform a once frustrating and dysfunctional space into a functional and aesthetically pleasing one. I hope this helps you on your home organization journey. Remember, Meat & Potatoes Organizing is here for any of your organizing needs!  

—Helen