10 Steps to an Organized Pantry + Baking Cart Hack

Have you been drooling over those perfectly organized pantries popping up all over social media? Me too. So instead of just eating candy with the door closed like I usually do, I actually organized my pantry and I’m loving the way it turned out {see the baking cart below!!}. Want a polished pantry too? Follow these 10 steps to an organized pantry and you’ll be leaving the door open on purpose.

Step 1: Buy a bunch of bins and hang out with them for AWHILE

If I’m going to be honest, I “organized” my pantry quite some time ago with a few bins I picked up at IKEA. Sometimes you have to spend a little bit of time with a space to figure out what is best….like 3 years or so. (If you are more of a go-getter, skip ahead to step 3)

Step 2: Organization Therapy

Wait for things in your life to get crazy and instead of entering into destructive coping behavior, do something productive, like organize your pantry again. This is how my December went.

Step 3: Purge

Get rid of anything that doesn’t belong – expired food, food you will never use, and random items that found their way into your pantry.

Step 4: Inventory EVERYTHING

Most organizers will tell you to pull everything out before putting it back in, but this only works if you plan to buy your supplies and put everything back that same day. Whether you’re ready to move at that speed or not, the point is to create groups of like items and figure out how best to store them and how much room that will take up (literally pull out a measuring tape). So do that. Be sure to account for overstock items. Instead of filling your usable shelves with a Costco-sized bag of rice, consider keeping a smaller, more manageable container in your main pantry space and the rest of the bag out of the way.

Step 5: Measure Twice, Buy Once

Measure your pantry – not only the length of the shelves, but the depth as well. Once you’ve measured everything, map out your space. I like to use graph paper to draw things to scale so that I can plan for storage that utilizes the most amount of space efficiently. (This should also keep you from running back to the store multiple times)

Step 6: Create a Shopping List

Once you have your measurements and inventory, research the best storage options for your space and make a shopping list. (See below for the products I used)

Step 7: Do the Dang Thing

Nuff said.

Step 8: Labels

Labels = Function + Beauty

Step 9: Just one more thing….

I was totally done, until I saw some shelf paper, and then I had to get that too. Why not make your pantry prettier for just a few extra dollars? It was super simple to install too. The paper is sticky but you can peel it up and re-stick if things start to get crooked.

Step 10: Get Creative

You don’t just have to shop in the kitchen section to find great storage solutions. Sometimes it pays to buy something that just speaks to you, like this IKEA Raskog cart. It has been floating around my house for awhile looking for its forever home. Low and behold that sucker fit perfectly in my pantry like it was meant for the space. Thus, the baking cart was born – it is my FAVORITE part of the whole project. I no longer have to lug the mixer out every time I need to use it {that baby is on wheels} and I can operate it right where it sits. The middle shelf holds all of the random flours and powders that accumulate when you frequently try new recipes. By transferring them to new bins, it creates less mess when measuring – unlike the plastic bags they came in – and they fit perfectly, utilizing the space to the fullest. In the bottom I added a bin containing all of my sprinkles and decorating supplies, rolling pin and silpat mat.

My Product List

Ikea:

• RASKOG Cart (Target also sells a similar item – Room Essential Storage Cart)
• PLUGGIS Recycling Bins

The Container Store:

• Narrow Stackable Canisters
• Tellfresh Store ‘n Pour Dry Food Dispensers
• InterDesign Linus Pantry Bins
• Madesmart Expandable Shelf Organizer
• Small White Handled Storage Baskets (fit perfectly under the cabinet shelf)
• Undershelf Basket (great for storing bread items)
• Large Cabinet Shelf

Amazon:

• Prepworks by Progressive ProKeeper Brown Sugar and Powdered Sugar Containers
• InterDesign Clear Linus Divided Lazy Susan
• Duck Brand Deco Adhesive Laminate Shelf Liner

The Finished Project

Want more kitchen tips? Check out this quick and easy cabinet organization project.