How to Organize Your Kitchen Pantry

As a mom of three teenagers, ages 12, 13 and 17, spends a lot of time packing lunches, prepping snacks and making dinner. But her kitchen just wasn't up to the job. The main problem: Nothing was organized. "I couldn't find anything," she says. "Canned food was shoved next to bags of flour and boxes of pasta. There was no rhyme or reason; everything was all mixed together." Tired of wasting time digging through her jumbled pantry, Susan decided to roll up her sleeves and create a more efficient space.

Plan your pantry

Think about how to use the space for your lifestyle and create zones. For Susan, that meant specific areas for baking, snacks and breakfast items.

A few hours now saves money later

The time it takes to re-do the pantry pays off at the grocery store. Seeing what you have at a glance means no more overbuying.

Figure out overflow

If your pantry is small, do what Susan did: Designate the space for certain items only. Store the rest in nearby kitchen cabinets within easy reach.

Fit more into less space

Storing items in containers lets you throw out bulky packaging and free up some room. Square ones are the most space-efficient.

Create a Kid Zone

In the Haskins house, the kids head straight to the kitchen after school. They used to ask Mom for a snack. Now they just grab cookies, granola bars, pretzels or Goldfish crackers from easy-to-reach jars. "I put all their snacks at midlevel for quick access," says Susan.

Spruce Up the Space

Susan's first step: She cleared out everything. Next, she cleaned and painted the shelves and pantry walls a vibrant color. "I wanted to make it look as attractive as possible, so I figured, why not start with a fresh coat of paint?" she says.

Use What You Have

Glass jars that had been stashed in the basement now hold dry ingredients like flour and sugar, as well as the kids' snacks. "The glass makes it easy to see when I'm running low." And baskets that were seldom used now hold packaged goods on lower shelves. "I just slide them out and get what I need."

Opt for Erasable Labels

Susan wanted labels, but she didn't go with the everyday kind. Instead, she bought inexpensive chalkboard wall decals at Target and punched out label shapes with her scrapbooking paper punch. "Now I can quickly erase and relabel the jars whenever I want to make a swap," she says.

Ease the Morning Rush

"Before school is the busiest time in our house," says Susan. "The kids need to be fed fast; lunches have to be made in a hurry." Having go-to breakfast items and lunchbox snacks (packaged oatmeal, breakfast bars, mini-bags of chips, pudding cups) in one place helps get everyone out the door on time. Even pet food gets its own spot, since Susan has to feed the family's two dogs each morning too.