An Organised Pantry

The deadline is here! It is time to reveal your PANTRIES!!!

This is the first of what I hope will be many, motivational and inspirational room challenges!

So why did the “One Space At A Time” project start with the pantry??

1. You can’t avoid this space.  You use it everyday! If you want to eat you need the pantry.

2. It will save you money. No more expired products, or things that you buy but never use.  You can see what you have, what you use and what you can stop purchasing!

3. It will save you time.  No hunting for the items that have disappeared into the danger zone or running out to the shops for missing ingredients.  You know what you have and where it is!

4. It will save your sanity.  Looking at a disorganised or chaotic space first thing in the morning and several times a day is a real mod killer.  It makes you FEEL disorganised and chaotic.  I am being serious in saying that opening up to our organised pantry in the morning makes everything seem ok!!!

So here is my pantry after it’s previous overhaul…..

Not too bad but there were a few “Pantry Problems”

After a clean out and a cull it was time to ORGANISE!

By having so many containers stacked on top of each other and sideways I couldn’t easily see what was in each one or grab one in a hurry with out taking out two other containers. I had seen some clever foldable shelves at our local cheap shop and started measuring how many I could fit in our pantry.  They would give me a shelf to put a container on and an area under each shelf to store a second container or basket.  So my plan began…..

Can you see my little shelves?  And yes my plan did involve Tupperware! 

HERE SHE IS!

I now have distinct “zones” in my pantry and the new shelves make access to all items quick and easy. 

Top Shelf – Medication, Tea Bags (that’s medicinal right?) and Serviettes.  I solved our Tea Bag Terror by simplifying our containers down to two stacklable tea bag storers from Aldi.  Each one has divided sections inside meaning I now store our whole tea beg selection in just two containers!  Medication is on the top shelf so it is away from little hands.

Zone 1: Staples – I used Tupperware Square 2′s to store our pasta and rice staples. I love using clear contianers so I can see what our quantities are like.  I loved that I was able to use every inch of space including squeezing some jars in the gaps between the containers! By using my new shelves I can easily grab at a handled container without having to move anything! 

Zone 2: Meal Prep – This sits underneath the shelves in the clear handled containers.  gravy, stocks, side dishes, spices all live here ready to be used quickly and easily.

Zone 3 – Cooking - These two containers are from Howards Storage World.  They are brilliant as our oils and tins no longer mark the shelf!   The Tinned Food container has little wheels underneath it so it can be pulled out of the shelf easily.

This little container is ready to grab and ensures that any leftover salt and pepper doesn’t go all of the shelf and stays in the container!

Zone 4: Baking – This area was a disaster zone of mixed sized containers, unlabelled and impossible to get at! I have now used a combination of Tupperware Square 2′s and Oval 2′s and some vinyl labels for my baking staples. I have used my favourite handled containers for colourings, decorations, candles and essences.

Zone 5: Snacks – We have moved our “snack” basket along the shelf and now have room for all the biscuits next to it.  No we don’t snack on Breadcrumbs! But this was the best fitting spot for them!

I used vinyl labels (ordered from etsy) for as many containers as I could and the others I made from scrapbooking paper, laminated them and attached some ribbon.  No one has an excuse for not being able to put things back in their place!

Zone 6: The Archives – This is where we store all of our “extra stock” rice, biscuits, cereals, poppers, juice, longlife milk.  I try to buy products on special in bulk so this is where they live until they are used! 

So that’s my pantry but….

THIS IS A PANTRY PARTY!  

Inspire and motivate others with your clever pantry ideas!    

Link up below because we all know that Sharing is Caring!

Related posts:

1. The Pantry is Organized!
2. Pantry Organization! ~ Getting Started
3. An Organised Wardrobe…Part One
4. An Organised Wardrobe
5. Guest Post ~ Getting Organised…. Tips for Mum’s.