an organized pantry - take 2

on the very long list of things i miss about our old home is the pantry that resided there....

if you were reading along when i re-organized that pantry (hard to believe that was one year ago this month!) you'll remember i added a pretty wall stencil and spent a lot of time looking into food storage systems. i was sooooo happy with the outcome (which can be seen here in case you're a new reader and missed that big project). what pleases me more than anything is that the system we had in our previous pantry works just as well in our new pantry. it's all due to the simple storage solutions we invested in.

they just plain work.

don't ask me how i managed that feat. most times things seem to backfire on me. :-)

today, i'm going to show you around inside our pantry and talk about the storage systems we have that may help if you've been thinking about tackling your own pantry.

the pantry in this rental home is a great size with a nice glass door...

here's a few images of the inside, than we'll talk details. apologies in advance as some of the images are blurry...it's an odd shaped pantry and my camera was having a tough time in here...

our pantry is organized in a way that makes the most sense to us. oooo-k...maybe me! since i'm the one doing 100% of the meal prep around here it's set up in a way that works for me. but there are systems in place that make the pantry work for everyone else in the house too. 

* starting on the top, this is where mommy gets to hide things where little hands can't reach. i'm so sinister, huh? not really, just a control freak. on the top shelf i keep paper towels, candy (in the 2 round blue bins), special treats for lunches (brown basket on the right), other treats for lunch or just items i don't want the kids to get into. 

* the 2nd shelf holds all of our lunch chips, cereals, and several clear food storage containers that contain flour, rice, sugars, crackers, and more. there is also one basket for corraling oatmeal packets...

* the third shelf holds boxed pastas and the shelf risers are amazing for organizing canned goods and other non-perishable bottles/containers.

* the fourth shelf has several baskets for containing like items. one basket holds baking supplies (candles, baking powder, toothpicks and the like), one basket holds larger boxed spices, and one basket holds nuts & dried fruits. the middle of the shelf has boxed baking supplies and crackers...

* on the fifth shelf i have 2 white wire baskets that hold bread products and onions & potatoes. there is a basket where opened bags of chips sit, a basket that contains all of the kids snacks (mom approved snacks that are ok for grabbing anytime they wish - an up close of this basket can be seen below), and tucked away in the back is our supply of unopened chips for daddy (he's a big chips & salsa guy)...

* finally, on the pantry floor sits our wine bottle containers, a stool, and 2 bins of paper products that stay clean with a lid. this rental house has a butler's bar/pantry that holds all of our wine (i'll be sharing that space soon) so the wine containers are currently holding our pellegrino inventory...

i mentioned the kid's snack basket...

when the kids were old enough to get their own snacks from the pantry, i created this basket just for them...

before this basket was implemented, the boys would make a big mess while poking around in the pantry and digging into boxes or containers. my big sister was the one who gave me the idea of putting a basket of snacks at their level. those smart big sisters! :-)

the kids still have to ask for a snack, but when mom or dad say yes, they know they can grab something from this basket or pick out a piece of fruit from a tray on the counter. this basket has come in handy when i've had my hands full doing something in the house or tending to little sister. the big boys are old enough to grab a snack, sit at the table and open it on their own. and we like giving them the freedom and independence to make their own choice, so this basket makes them feel like big kids.

back when i re-organized our previous pantry, i spent a lot of time looking at food storage systems. if you are thinking about cleaning up your pantry or food cabinets, here are the systems we have used heavily for over a year. i can report to you they work very well. trust me when i say they have been kid and adult tested and loved on quite a bit. :-)

inventory list, cost and where to find:

1. mainstays wire stacking shelves from walmart = $9.26 each
2. 3-tier expandable canned good shelves from target = $12.39 each
3. mainstays stacking baskets from walmart = $8.97 (for a pack of 2!)
4. natural open-topped baskets = various prices, just depends on where you buy
5. storvino wine container from various retailers = $19.99 (if purchased from the container store)
6. snapware fliptop = $17.98 (i purchased mine from bed, bath & beyond with a coupon)
7. snapware 10-piece set from target = $20.99

even more details than you want to know and how i use all of the above? read on...

snapware fliptop containers: these hold white flour, whole wheat flour and pancake mix...

snapware canisters: these hold whole wheat crackers, goldfish, white sugar, brown sugar, chocolate chips, and more...

stackable wire baskets: we use these for various items but they are currently holding our bread products and potatoes & onions...

lots of open topped baskets: i mentioned above what these contain, but the ideas are endless. i use them to contain all of the like items in the pantry. it gives everything a home and makes the pantry or cabinets look clean and tidy...

i found our baskets for very little money (using coupons) at hobby lobby and michael's.

shelf risers: i don't understand why the builders here didn't go ahead and put the shelving all the way to the top of the pantry. to me it seems like such a waste of space. what i did was invest in these wire shelf risers to give us an instant shelf. here they are holding cereal in the old pantry...

and again in our current pantry...

if you have vertical space to take advantage of, but don't have the time or money to add in permanent shelving, these are a great, low-cost option.

canned food risers: don't think i can say enough about these - love them! they allow you to see all of your canned goods without having to stack them or worry they will topple over when you grab something...

i purchased 2 sets at target.

wine storage containers: i love these containers for holding wine, especially if you don't have a bar space or if you have a lot of wine (like us) and enjoy drinking it (like us)...

these were the most costly investment when we re-organized our old pantry. they are from the container store and cost about $20 each.

i hope you enjoyed having a peek inside our pantry and that you found some great, low-cost organization options in the event you are going to tackle your own pantry project!

(i linked up with a bowl full of lemons, the 36th avenue, lizmarieblog, tatertots & jello, iheartorganizing)