A disorganized pantry can cost both time and money. When it’s challenging to find your stored food, you may accidentally purchase items that aren’t needed or allow food to spoil or dry out.
A well-organized pantry also will enable you to maximize your space, so you can potentially save money by buying in bulk and storing the excess.
There is a considerable range of pantry organization DIY projects that will help you maximize space, save money, and keep your kitchen more efficient. Here are some great DIY pantry organizing projects.
- Pantry Organization DIY Projects
- DIY Pantry Organized Storage
- DIY Pantry Organizing Shelving
- DIY Pantry Organizing Drawers
- DIY Pantry Bulk Storage
- DIY Pantry Door Organizing Storage
- DIY Pantry Organization Decor
- DIY Pantry Organizing Cart
- Small Pantry Organization DIY
- DIY Pantry Under-Cabinet Storage
- DIY Pantry Organization with Magnets
- DIY Pantry Organizing Bins
- Conclusion
Pantry Organization DIY Projects
DIY Pantry Organized Storage
The most important rule of keeping a pantry organized is keeping everything visible. Arranging a pantry to quickly see, find, and use items helps you work more efficiently.
When possible, remove items from their store packaging and place them into clear, air-tight containers and label them accurately, including expiration date if necessary. If you have a small pantry, choose food containers that aren’t just clear but are also stackable and from a reliable brand.
When you build a DIY pantry, having food containers that are nestable, stackable, have interchangeable lids, and are all from the same manufacturer or system allows you to maximize space by creating shelves, drawers, or bins sized for those canisters or containers.
For example, if you are building custom shelves and all your canisters are the same height or depth, your shelves can be designed specifically for that system.
DIY Pantry Organizing Shelving
It is much easier to maximize your pantry shelving when your storage containers are of a similar size and shape. To DIY your own custom pantry shelves, you can build shelving by attaching 1×2 or 2×4 boards to the wall to support your own plywood shelves.
If you don’t have woodworking tools or equipment or need a light-weight solution, consider using a track shelf system for a lighter and more flexible solution. Wire shelves also create more visibility in a pantry, allowing you to find items more quickly.
A track system can also hang baskets, racks, and other custom storage solutions, not just shelving. For even smaller spaces, consider simply installing floating wire shelves where you need them.
DIY Pantry Organizing Drawers
Building custom drawers is a great pantry storage solution, but it can be difficult to build and fit custom drawers.
Consider adding bottom-mounted drawer slides for a faster and easier solution to crates, baskets, or bins to add pull-out convenience with less custom construction. For smaller containers, a center-mounted slide is an even easier solution.
DIY Pantry Bulk Storage
If you buy dry goods in bulk and need to store large quantities of items like rice, pet food, or potatoes, it can be hard to place heavy, bulky containers on a shelf. Building DIY tilt-out bins is a great way to add bulk storage, keep a pantry tidy and organized, and it’s also easy to convert an existing cabinet into a tilt-out compartment.
Begin by choosing a large, air-tight storage bin that is the right size for your cabinet. Measure carefully because the top of the bin will need to clear the cabinet’s edge when tilted forward. To build the tilt-out function, remove the hinges from your cabinet door.
Build a platform onto the lower back of the door that will support the bin, making sure it’s sturdy enough to manage the weight. Re-attach the cabinet door with the hinges at the bottom, move the cabinet knob to the top center, and add lid hinges to the cabinet door’s top inner edges to keep the door from falling open.
Place the bin inside the tilt-out cabinet and consider using a strap or adding a wooden frame to hold the bin’s top in place.
If you don’t have a cabinet door to convert or want to move your bulk dry storage items without lifting them, consider wheeled utility bins that can be carried anywhere.
DIY Pantry Door Organizing Storage
The back of a pantry door is often overlooked as a potential storage space, but it can be the perfect place to store smaller, frequently accessed items like spices, snacks, or cleaning supplies.
You can add a DIY organizer to the back of your pantry shelf with a convenient track and basket system designed explicitly for the pantry door. If you have less space, opt for hanging baskets that fit into unused door and wall space.
DIY Pantry Organization Decor
Once you have your pantry organized, it can be a challenge to keep it that way. Labeling shelves and compartments can help but may not be effective for the whole family. Instead, consider using your décor to make your pantry more beautiful while keeping it organized as well.
Adding colored wallpaper or wallpaper borders to your pantry walls can add a color-coding system that keeps you organized. Consider using coordinating shelf liners to protect your shelves while adding style and organization.
DIY Pantry Organizing Cart
A rolling cart can be a great way to keep your pantry organized while you cook. Consider setting up a rolling cart with your seldom-used countertop appliances or with all the supplies you need for baking, seasonal cooking, barbecues, and the like.
That way, you can simply roll the cart into position when you are engaged in those tasks and have everything you need at once.
To make a DIY pantry cart, you can build a sturdy frame out of 2x4s, add shallow trays for shelving, and add caster wheels to the bottom.
If you prefer to purchase and customize a baking cart, consider adding cleats to hold appliance cords, hooks to hold towels, utensils, or measuring cups, and shelf liner to keep everything stable and in place when you move the cart.
Small Pantry Organization DIY
If you have a small pantry or kitchen, maximizing space is always essential. Consider using a narrow slide-out storage tower to make use of small gaps. A ceiling pot rack with a storage shelf can store a wide range of oversized pots, pans, cutting boards, and utensils in unused overhead space.
Stackable shelf organizers can double your shelf space by creating an elevated surface for additional storage. A kidney-shaped lazy Susan can add extra storage and make it easy to access hard-to-reach corner cabinet spaces. And read on for some tips on organizing the underused space beneath your pantry’s upper cabinets.
DIY Pantry Under-Cabinet Storage
The fastest and easiest way to use space underneath your upper cabinets is to use hanging baskets designed for that purpose. For more versatility, consider adding a pair of U channels or long U brackets to create a space to slide cutting boards out of the way.
You could also add L brackets to the top edge of a basket or bin so that it can be hung from the U bracket beneath a shelf or upper cabinet.
DIY Pantry Organization with Magnets
Magnet boards are a great way to organize a pantry. Magnetic spice racks save shelf space by allowing you to hang magnetic spice containers from the wall, making them easy to see and use. You can also add magnetic hooks to a magnet board to hold utensils, measuring spoons, oven mitts, and the like.
Magnetic storage bins can store loose items, while magnetic clips can hold business cards, notes, coupons, receipts, reminders, and shopping lists.
DIY Pantry Organizing Bins
A great way to keep loose items organized in a pantry is with boxes, bins, or baskets. You can even make your own bins from cardboard or weave matching baskets. Cover boxes with paper or paint, and consider decorating with coordinating washi tape.
Color coding your bins helps to quickly identify the contents. To keep items accessible and organized, add a label to the front. Using a drawer pull with an integrated label creates a cohesive design, even when your bins are different sizes or colors.
Conclusion
Every family is different, so every pantry is different. Your DIY pantry organization project will depend on the kind of items you store in the pantry, the amount of space you have, how it’s configured, and what items you need to use or access most often.
When organizing a pantry for a family or shared living space, consider color-coding shelves, containers, and labels to help everyone quickly know where to find needed items and where to put them away again.
Because there are so many different storage solutions, it’s easy to mix-and-match and customize the pantry organizing system that works best for your space and lifestyle.