Today Im super excited to share my freshly updated pantry organization with you. I’ve been working on finding a system that really works for us, and I think I finally found it. Keep reading, to see what I’ve done… and make sure you scroll to the end for a delightful surprise.
I’m constantly working on organization systems within my home, especially if there are “problem areas” like my pantry. I know the system isn’t working if I organize a space and 2 days later, it’s a mess again. Sound familiar? That’s what happened with my pantry, so I changed it all around!
If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you may have seen what my pantry looked like before the overhaul. HERE is the “before” blog post. While it was definitely organized, it just didn’t work for me. All of the baskets took up too much room and it was difficult to find what I was looking for (in a pinch). This system may work great for some, but I found that there was another perfect solution for me.
Here is my new system… using OXO containers and a few baskets & bins. I really LOVE it! I broke the pantry organization down into “categories” for you to see how I put it together.
FOOD STORAGE
I use and love OXO POP containers for storing pasta, grains, and rice. Once I get home from grocery shopping, I empty all pasta boxes and place everything in these containers. They work perfectly for us. I found that cardboard food boxes cluttered up our space. Using OXO containers has helped us stay more organized & they are space efficient because you can stack them (they come in square & rectangular shapes).
Don’t know where to purchase OXO? You can find POP containers at any Container Store nationwide or at www.containerstore.com.
I even store our cereal in OXO containers. The kids love them!
ORGANIZING CANNED GOODS
Organizing our canned goods was quite difficult for me to figure out. We don’t use a lot of canned food but there are certain foods that I use on a regular basis… canned tomatoes & beans (all varieties). I didn’t want the cans to take up a lot of room in the pantry, so I found these fabulous bins from the Container Store. They are perfect for the job. The best part – they are inexpensive, ranging from $3.99-$6.99 each. The ‘medium’ size fits 16 and 28 oz cans. The small size fits small tomato paste cans.
ORGANIZING WITH BASKETS
Baskets work great in the pantry when you utilize them correctly, however I don’t recommend them for everything. They work great to store…
- Bags of food
- Snacks
- Prepackaged breakfast items
- Large quantities of the same item
- Extra food
- Extra canned goods
PANTRY INVENTORY SHEETS
When you organize your pantry, don’t forget to use a pantry inventory sheet. I keep my sheets on a clipboard, hanging on the wall. Don’t have one? Grab my “free” pantry inventory sheets HERE. Keep track of what you have & grocery shopping will be a breeze.
DOOR ORGANIZERS
Last but not least, you don’t want to forget to use the valuable space on the inside of your pantry doors. I prefer the Elfa door organizers from the Container Store. They work great for storing bottles of food & sauces, OXO containers, and broths. (They are 25% off right now!) There are many other places to purchase door organizers but make sure to review the ratings. You want to get quality organizers or they will end up falling apart. Of course, when shopping I always start at The Container Store, which has everything I need to organize my pantry & home.
Here are a few last shots of my pantry organization.
I love our new pantry. I hope I was able to give you some ideas to use, so you can get your pantry organized too!
PRODUCT SOURCES
From top to bottom, The Boulangerie Patisserie sign, number “3” jar & large round wire bins are from TJ Maxx, the POP OXO containers are from The Container Store. The apron, 2 wicker baskets & 3 small wire baskets on the left are from Target. The canned food bins are from The Container Store. Finally, the two large baskets on the floor & chalkboard labels are from Target. The hanging tag chalkboard tags were purchased at a local decor store a few years ago.
GIVEAWAY
Want a chance to win some of the fabulous POP OXO containers & Elfa gift card? If so, head on over to Facebook on October 13th and enter HERE. The giveaway includes:
- A prize pack worth $500, including your choice of OXO Storage & Organization tools (up to $250)
- A $250 elfa gift card
Follow me on Instagram, to see my daily homekeeping tips & updates. Just click HERE or search “A Bowl Full of Lemons” on Instagram.
Follow me on Pinterest HERE to see the organizing products I’ve been pinning & don’t forget to pin this post.
Happy Organizing!
Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post by OXO & The Container Store. All opinions are my own & I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe my readers will enjoy. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Please click here for full disclaimer.
Tags: container store, kitchen, organize, pantry organization
Blog, food storage, Free Printable, Kitchen, labeling, lunch station, Organize, pantry, September 2014, storage Posted in
45 comments
45 comments on “Pantry Organization”
I think it looks great, but I’d be interested to know how much it would cost if you actually had to buy all of those OXO containers yourself.
They can be expensive but if you purchase a little at a time from places like Marshall’s or TJMaxx, it’s easier on the wallet. This is what Toni did.
Looks great! One question I have is how do you keep track of when all those pastas and grains expire? Or is that not necessary to worry about so much with pastas? Also, those containers are beautiful and there are a lot of them. How much would this project cost to get it started? Thank you for the post!
I’m not sure if this is what she’s doing, but if you look on her “Spices” page, looks like she puts a smaller sticker somewhere unnoticed where she writes the exp. date.
What did you use to line your shelves with? I have similar wire shelving and everything slides or falls on it.
Elfa liner from the container store. 🙂
It looks amazing, Toni! Great job!!
Thanks Ginny 🙂
I need to get those bins for the cans. Thanks for sharing them. I love your whole pantry!
Thanks Leanne 🙂
Do the elfa shelves screw into the door anywhere, or just hang from the top?
They hang and tighten at the top and bottom. 🙂
Oh no! I used your before as inspiration (completely copied). Now I will need to re-do 😉
Don’t copy Toni, do what makes you happy and what works for your family and lifestyle.
Once you empty your pasta/rice, etc. into the containers, how to remember the cooking instructions?
(Not sure what Toni’s got for this, but) I watched a video from Alejandra Costello (I’m really sorry on the name!), she shared specifically finding & cutting them out and taping to an unnoticed side of your container. Hth. 🙂
How do you keep track of expiration dates? I recently did a similar makeover but when you empty pasta boxes you mix fresh and older batches. Unless the containers are completely empty, which rarely happens…
I would suggest two different stickers? Two different expiration dates. If you label one side of your container, it can be like rotating your pantry/cupboard foods, “fresh in, old out”, etc. 🙂 Once you’ve got enough rotated, take off the older sticker. You should be good? Hth! 🙂
You and your family put so much thought and effort into making your pantry work for you. The bins from the Container Store are working great for me in both the pantry and the freezer. They contain the awkward bags in the freezer well.
At the top right of your pantry, I noticed large shallow plastic bins. What do you store in there? Maybe you shared it and I missed it.
I can dream of a pantry like yours!! I am so envious. I did organize mine though it is much better thank you for the help!!
Wow Toni am gasping all over this post. Your pantry looks amazing! Thank you so much for the inspiration and suggestions. The sad part for me is that I don’t have a facebook to enter the giveaway.
Seeing this pantry is not only how I live it’s how I work! Contain it, organize it, label it and love it!
I wait to purchase Elfa products from The Container Store when they have their big sale which is usually 2x a year; Oxo can be bought at Target, TJMaxx, Amazon for good prices if you are careful. It can be done, just takes time and patience which I have little of! I have to say the quality and versatility of Elfa Is excellent!
They are having a 25% off sale now. 🙂
cant figure out what is wrong can see the post only the comments
Its your browser. It must be an old version. IF you update it (especially Internet explorer). IT will work. 🙂
We make our pizza dough weekly. Would live to know how you store yours in the bin and if you have found it anywhere in bulk?
Thanks!
Amazon has it in bulk. I only have it in bags right now. 🙂
Beautiful pantry! I was wondering, where do you keep your small appliances now?
I am definately bookmarking this!! I don’t have a pantry, but I have large cupboards that are a mess, do you have any ideas to organize cupboards? Also, what about spices? I have a lot that are all over the place.
Just went over to sign up for the giveaway but you had to enter by the 12th not the 13th. 🙁
Where did you get the mini chalkboard labels? And the baskets you used?
you can purchase chalkboards from Toni’s amazon store!
Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! Thanks for sharing. 🙂 Question: You said the medium bins hold between 16-28 oz. cans and the small bins hold tomato paste cans. The medium bins work great with the cans(I’ve got between 15 & 21 oz.), but my 28 oz. (or near there) don’t fit, and I ordered one small for my tomato paste. That doesn’t seem to fit either. How did you find these sizes out? Is it a specific brand you’ve tried or something? I’m a little bummed, I’ll admit, but I’ve got no problem re-purposing! Just wondering! And thank you SO much for all you’ve done and shared!!Much appreciated!! 🙂 🙂
My concern about the OXO containers is how do you wash the cover? I would imagine water gets into the area that pops up and it would be hard to dry. I think the conatiners will need to be washed from time to time.
Very nice job! I re-did my pantry when we remodeled he kitchen, using these containers. Where did you get the little name labels? Can they be peeled off?
I love this makeover! We are moving to a new house next week, and I would love to utilize the OXO container system. Any tips on knowing how many of which size to purchase? Thanks for the great ideas!
What material do you have on top of your wire shelves?
For your door organizers, do they rattle at all when you put things in them and/or open and close the doors?
What size OXO Pop Containers are you using to store all the pasta??
I too was wondering where you purchased the wire baskets with the liners? They are perfect for our Horse ranch/farm home.
Do the door organizers show when the doors are closed?
I used a container system before (not oxo) and found that I always had leftover food in the bag that wouldn’t fit in the container. Pretzels for example. What do you do with the extras in the bag that won’t fit in the container?
I just love your pantry! Looks wonderful! I did a similar pantry makeover and linked to you here: http://www.mommade.org/2015/01/pantry-organization-with-containers.html.
Have a great day!
Sarah