2019-11-15

Hey there! I’ve got another kitchen pantry makeover post for you today. I’m very excited about it. I recently showed you how I organized my sister’s closet pantry and now I want to show you how I organized a walk-in pantry for a friend. It took me an hour and a half from start to finish using only baskets from the dollar store. And what a difference the bins make! Yes it visually looks better but even more importantly is how they establish much needed limits and boundaries. Plus I added some simple labels which helps the whole family get on board. I’ve you would like to add some labels to your pantry, I’m including the free printable for you below. Okay let’s go!



I’m so appreciative of friends that let me come in and organize one of their spaces. Her words before I got there were “my pantry is a disaster!”. All I saw though was fun cause I live for this stuff. I told her “get out of my way and let me at it!” Haha. What don’t they understand about the words “I’m an Organizing Junkie”? I really am. I looked at this pantry and it was very clear WHY it was a bit chaotic. It just needed some direction. That is all. Take a look at the before.


Kitchen Pantry Before:


See the problem? There is no like with like. We’ve got similar products on different shelves. Can you spot the multiple popcorn containers? The different oils scattered about? Baking supplies here, there and everywhere?



Bring on the bins!

But first you know what you have to do now right? Yep take it all out. Stop rolling your eyes at me and just do it okay. You’ll thank me later when you realize how much easier it makes your life 🙂

Now line a variety of baskets (or even boxes) up on the floor. And start tossing in like with like. Get it all together into categories. Think baking supplies, breakfast, cookies, snacks, drinks, etc. This is no time is get complicated, keep it simple. My free printable labels give you a ton of different categories for ideas. BUT you don’t need to have a bin for every single category. If you only ever have one box of cookies each week then you probably don’t need a designated cookie bin. Instead make cookies part of the snack bin.

Reminder: don’t forget to check your expiry dates!!!

There is no right or wrong here, it’s what works for YOU. And goodness don’t worry about everything matching. Please don’t get hung up on that because if you do you may continue to put it off. Perfection is not the name of the game here. This is a quick task that you can upgrade later once you see how the system works for you. So shop your house if you have to or empty some boxes to get the job done.

For this space I’m using dollar store bins along with some bins my friend already had.Totally cool! Here’s how it turned out after a quick hour and a half.
Kitchen Pantry After:


Sweet right? I barely touched the top shelf as it was working fine. I just took the food that was there down and added more small appliances to that space instead.

Let’s take a closer look at the now organized pantry.



Two baking supply bins





Don’t be afraid to add two labels to a bin.



I used a turntable (affiliate link) for the oils/vinegar in the shelf corner to make them easy to access. Next to that, is the system my friend already had in place for her different mixes. It’s perfect. Just cut the top/side off a food box and you’ve got an instant bin.



Also as you can see I don’t micro-organize inside the bins. You can if you want but I usually find that it never stays that way. I’m just happy if my family puts things away in the right bin.



These plastic weave bins can be a bit tricky to add labels to. Nothing really sticks to them well. I found these mini spring clips at the dollar store and they work perfectly to attach the labels to the handle.



You can also find them HERE on Amazon (affiliate link).



Use a heavier paper to print your labels on for durability.

Click here to download your FREE printable pantry labels

Here’s another look at the before and after side by side.



This kitchen pantry makeover was so fun to do. Organizing kitchens is my favorite. I definitely got my “fix” for the week. I hope you are feeling motivated to organize your own kitchen pantry this weekend. Let me know if you do!

Have a great weekend y’all.

If you’d like to check out some of my other favorite organizing products, please visit my Amazon shop HERE.
*You will find affiliate links included in this post. I do make a small commission (at no extra cost to you) should you purchase product using these links. As always, any and all opinions are genuinely my own – or the author, in the case of posts by my guest contributors. Thank you!*
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#Closets #Containerizing #Kitchen #Pantry #Printables