Declutter Your Kitchen - Part 1
Declutter Your Kitchen - A 3-Part Series on Owning Your Culinary Oasis
9 easy ways to organize your pantry
In this three-part series, we are going to explore the art of decluttering your kitchen and keeping your cool this summer while your kiddos are home. The kitchen is the heart of the home and without organization to snacks, food and drinks your little ones are going to be coming to you every five minutes asking you to get them something. Empower your Rugrats to grab their own items by organizing and providing easy access to them. Follow along each week for new tips!
The kitchen pantry can be a beautiful storage space for all your food and cooking items, or it can be a hot mess with no organization whatsoever. Keeping an organized pantry is easier said than done because we all want a bigger pantry.
Every time I go to clean out and reorganize my pantry I get overwhelmed with the amount of product and lack of available space. By eliminating unnecessary products and implementing some creative organizational tools, you can have the neat and clean pantry you’ve always dreamed of having.
1 Bins with Labels | 2 Categorize Items | |
The first and arguably most important pantry organizing tip is labeling. Due to the wide range of products we store in our pantries it can be very confusing and time-consuming when you open the door to look for a specific item. Dividing products by category and placing them into bins or baskets will eliminate any stresses due to lost snacks. mDESIGN TIP: Put the bins of snacks you want your kids to grab toward the bottom and easy to reach! | Group items by breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, or baking. Keeping similar items grouped together allows you to find exactly what you need when you need it. Additionally, keeping them in bins and baskets will let you pull out a whole category so you’re not reaching for a specific item you may need. | |
3 Utilize Over the Door Storage | 4 Don’t Over-Buy | |
If you don’t have an extravagant walk-in pantry, buying extra shelves to hold those larger items can save a lot of space. An over the door storage bin is perfect for utilizing that empty space. You can use this for anything from plastic bags to tin foil, or even snack size chip bags that you can’t find a place for. | Get what you need. Create a grocery list of essentials and try not to splurge on random items that look good in the store. Keeping your food in clear plastic containers is a simple and easy way to not only save space but always know exactly how much food you have and when you may need to buy more. |
5 Organize Your Pantry Once a Month | 6 Keep Packets in One Spot | |
Weed out expired items. This will be much easier and quicker than that initial full pantry purge. Getting in the habit of cleaning out your pantry once a month will keep it nice and orderly and eliminate any items from building up. To add space, take your products out-of-the box and put them in baskets, bins and boxes. | Another idea for smaller pantries is self-adhesive storage bins. If you find yourself out of shelf space and still need to find places for some items, try sticking smaller bins to the walls. This can be a perfect option for those smaller loose products like drink mix and oatmeal packets. | |
7 Utilize a Spinning Turntable | 8 DIY Chip Rack | |
Perfect for the corner of your pantry where items can easily get lost, a rotating Lazy Susan will save you from digging to the back of your pantry for that can of chicken soup. Your kids are going to LOVE being able to spin and land on their perfect snack! | Don’t be afraid to make your own DIY storage tools. Try making your own chip rack for that empty space between the shelves and door. Simply glue curtain clips or clothespins to a trim board and you have your own vertical chip rack. Each kid can make their own and put it on snacks that they don’t want anybody else to touch. | |
9 Keep Lids Along the Pantry Door | W ant More? | |
Once you’ve organized your pots and pans you need a solution for all those lids that go with them. Try making your own shelves for the back of the pantry door. This will save you a lot of space especially since those lids usually aren’t the easiest to stack. | For more pantry and kitchen inspiration check out this blog from Kelly Ballard, a DIY designer who uses a variety of our products for her own kitchen organization. |
Mike Freiberg is a Digital Marketing Specialist at mDesign
and an avid skateboarder and has even been a stunt double in a feature film.
Images and video are courtesy of Kelly Ballard @citygirlmeetsfarmboy
How do you stay organized? We’d love to hear your story!
There are many ways that you can contribute and be part of our family.
Add your social media photos to our website and more! Visit mdesignhomedecor.com and learn how you can help spread the word. Get 10% off your first order when you subscribe to our email list. Plus, follow us on social media.
Posted: Jun 11, 2019
Related Blog Posts
Update your style with these fun rolling cart ideas. The possibilities are endless. While there are millions of things you...
Read MoreUpdate your style with these fun rolling cart ideas. The possibilities are endless. While there are millions of things you...
Read More