5 Tips to Organize a Small Pantry

Well hello there friends! Can you believe I’ve managed to get 2 posts up this week!? I’m on a roll I tell ya. But you guys, I have something soooo exciting to share with you all and I just couldn’t wait. For those of you who keep up with my Instagram stories, you may have seen that I just organized my youngest son’s closet. And to my surprise (and delight) it is still neatly organized. Well, now I’m ready to tackle my pantry. Having to organize a small pantry is not an easy task. Limited space presents lots of challenges. But I’m here to share some tips on how you can organize all the things in a tiny space.

Let’s be real. Marie Kondo has everybody wanting to organize all the things. Am I right?

Let’s start with a current look at my pantry. Y’all, I’m soooo embarrassed to show you this. It’s bad. Really bad! Just promise me that you won’t leave me after seeing this, m’kay.

Eeekkkk!!! I told y’all. I sure hope I don’t lose any of you by posting this, but I want to be real with you all about what my pantry looks like and why I desperately need to get this thing organized (and please don’t judge the food choices). 😉 My poor kids open it to find a snack and quickly yell, “mooommmmmm, I can’t find annnyyyyyything to eat.”

5 Tips to Organize a Small Pantry

So today, I’m going to share my plan for how I’m going to organize this space. Then, I’ll be back in a few weeks to show you all the reveal. I have collaborated with Joss & Main to share products that I would use for a pantry organization [linked at the bottom]. This post is not sponsored and these are not affiliate links. These are my personal ideas and product selections for organizing a small pantry.

1. Remove EVERYTHING from you pantry

Let’s start fresh by removing everything from your pantry. Now is a good time to donate those items that you aren’t going to eat to your local food bank. Check expiration dates and throw out anything outdated. Anytime I organize or decorate a space, I always like to start with a clean slate.

2. Make it pretty

Let’s face it. Your pantry is something you look at every single day of your life. Well, if you eat; and we do a lot of that around my house. So why not make it pretty to look at when you open that pantry door.

If your pantry needs some fresh paint, now is the time to do it. You can also make the space fun by putting up some peel and stick wall paper behind the shelves. You could go traditional and use a subway tile wall paper or do something really fun like a bold pattern.

3. Group like items

Now we are going to go through all those items that we took out of the pantry and group them together with other like items. For instance, put all of your baking items together, gather all of your snacks together, and so on with pasta, canned goods, cereals, condiments and anything else that you may store in your pantry.

If your pantry space is limited, now is also a good time to possibly find a new home for some items. If you have open shelves or space on your countertops, store items like flour, sugar, coffee, etc in glass canisters. You could also store your bread in a cute bread box to free up some space in your pantry. To give you an idea, I love the way Erica at Our Forever Farmhouse styled her canisters and bread box.

4. Use canisters, containers, bins and organizers

Next, let’s gather all the items we need to get all these goods organized. My recommendation is to use clear canisters, containers and bins. This allows you to see what you have at a quick glance. You can also see when you are running low on things without having to pull the bins out. Speaking of running low, a chalkboard is a great item to hang on the outside of your pantry door so that you can quickly jot down items that you need. Use pantry organizers to help maximize your space, such as a door organizer, can organizer, and shelf helpers.

5. Label all the things

Gosh, I love labels. Not only do they keep everything organized and easy to find, but they look so darn cute. Label ALL the things. Your canisters, containers, bins, and baskets will all pop off the shelf with a cute label attached. Gather & Flourish has free printable pantry labels. Or, if you are looking for custom labels, there are plenty that you can order on Etsy.

Now who’s ready to conquer organizing their pantry? I can’t wait to get mine done! I’d love to hear which of these tips you thought was the most helpful. I’d also love to hear any organization tips you may have.

Be blessed, friends!

My Pantry Organization Picks from Joss & Main:

This Food Storage Container// More Food Storage	This Container Set// More Food Storage Containers
This Storage Bin// More Baskets, Bins & Boxes	This Storage Bin// More Plastic Baskets, Bins & Boxes
This Storage Basket// More Wire Baskets, Bins & Boxes	This Kitchen Organizer// More Kitchen & Pantry Storage
This Metal Organizer// More Metal Cabinet Organization	This Door Organizer// More Cabinet Door Organizers
This Grocery Bag Dispenser// More Cabinet Organization	This Canister// More Canisters & Jars
This Canister// More Kitchen Canisters	This Chalkboard// More Memo Boards & Chalkboards
This Canister Set// More 3-Piece Canister & Jars	This Bag Clip Set// More Bag Clips
This Bread Box// More Bread Boxes	This Fridge Bin// More Fridge Bins
This Cabinet Shelf Helper// More Shelving Racks	This Wallpaper// More Wallpaper
This Wire Basket// More Modern & Contemporary Baskets, Bins & Boxes	Cereal Dispenser// More Cereal Dispensers

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