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Pantry Organization

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Whether you’re dreaming of functional or magazine-worthy pantry organization, you’ll find tips, DIY ideas and my favorite products will help you create a pantry that works for your busy life.

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organized shelves in a pantry

Keeping your kitchen pantry cabinet organized makes your daily cooking and eating much easier. Your kitchen is the heart of your home and your pantry is the heart of your kitchen. With the pantry playing such a central role in your kitchen, pantry organization is critical to keeping your entire kitchen organized.

How Do I Organize My Pantry?

  1. Begin by decluttering your kitchen ruthlessly.
  2. Create use zones. Place items that are used together in the same location.
  3. Use categories to organize items within zones.
  4. Place items in strategically where they make the most sense.
  5. Decant into clear or open containers.
  6. Containerize.
  7. Use turntables.
  8. Label.
  9. Use kitchen items as organizing bins.
  10. Use repurposed items for free or low-cost organizing.
  11. Use the vertical space.
  12. Make it pretty.
  13. Schedule routine tidying, decluttering and organizing of your pantry.

Pantry Organization

Tips to Organize Your Pantry

You should consider all pantry ideas and organization tips. Evaluate them against your unique pantry space, needs and preferences. Then choose to implement the pantry organization systems that will work best for you and your lifestyle.

Create Zones in Your Pantry

  • Common pantry zones are:
    • Breakfast
    • Lunchbox
    • Snack
    • Canned Goods
    • Pasta & Rice
    • Jars
    • Drinks
    • Baking
  • Placing items together in zones makes it easy to find everything you need for a particular meal or kitchen task.

Create Categories within the Zones

  • Within each zone, put similar items together.
  • For example, put all dry cereal together and all syrups together within the breakfast zone.

Place Items Strategically within the Pantry

  • Place the items you use most often where they’re each to reach.
    • Place them between your shoulder and hip height.
    • Place them in the front of the cabinet or drawer.
  • Place heavy items down lower.
  • Place light-weight items on upper shelves.
  • Place drippy items on lower shelves.
  • Place seldom used items in the back or in hard-to-reach areas of the pantry.
Cans and bottles in kitchen pantry

Decant into Clear or Open Containers

  • Choose clear or open containers that maximize the use of the space.
  • Take items out of the boxes and opaque containers they come in and transfer to the clear or see-through containers.
  • This allows you to clearly see how many or how much of each item you have.
rice container and pasta container in pantry

Containerize

  • Even if you aren’t decanting, use bins and boxes to contain smaller and loose items.
  • This clearly defines where items belong when they are put away.
  • Containing loose items prevents them from simply becoming clutter or getting lost in your kitchen pantry.
  • For example, use a bin to hold smaller bottles and jars together.
pantry items organized in basket

Use Turntables

  • Turntables are also known as Lazy Susans.
  • They are great for corners of pantries and for high or low shelves.
  • They’re helpful if you have mobility challenges.
  • They help keep all items readily accessible since you an simply turn the turntable around to reach items in the back.
  • They come in a variety of sizes to fit any pantry, with dividers and also come in 2-tiered versions.
Stack of six pages of kitchen pantry labels

Download these pantry labels now!

Label

  • Label containers when it may not be clear what the contents are.
    • For example, different types of flour or dried legumes and grains.
  • Label shelves or containers to help family member know where items belong.
  • Make labels easily legible.
  • You can even use masking tape to make a functional pantry label.
  • Tape cooking directions to the side of the container.
Close up of granola label in kitchen pantry

Use the Vertical Space

Schedule Routine Decluttering and Organizing

  • Every evening, straighten the pantry and return items to the pantry.
  • Once a month or quarter, depending on your schedule and lifestyle, declutter and organize the pantry to stay on top of keeping everything neatly organized.

Check out more of the kitchen organizing ideas I’ve shared over the years.

My Favorite Pantry Organization Products

DIY Pantry Organizing for Free

Be sure to pin for later so you can always find these pantry organization ideas when you need them.

Find all my best Kitchen organizing ideas, printables and favorite products in the table below. You can scroll though the table and look for ideas or search for specific ideas with the magnifying glass in the upper right-hand corner (on desktop). Click on the topic and then click through the specific article.

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