I save my mayonnaise jars, coffee cans (Folgers), and my catsup bottles for re-use again. I keep uncooked rice, dried beans, macaroni and graham crackers in the clear mayonnaise jars. I use the large coffee cans for dried beans, peas, and other items like spaghetti and noodles. The catsup bottles are used to put catsup back into.
Because I use about three different types of flours, (sr,ap and spelt) and three types of sugar (cane, beet, and splenda) I need a lot of jars. Last year I found 8 1/2 gal canning jars for a dollar each. I use those to put the different things in. Then I also use those large pickle jars, which I got from the high school concession stand I worked at. I will paint the tops of them this summer to match the cabinets which are country blue.
I have a big pantry, but obviously it's not big enough. It has open shelving and since I have major OCD it drives me insane! Does anyone have any tips to make it both more functional and more aesthetically pleasing?
My shelves are really deep, and so there is stuff just piled behind more stuff. It is not very functional.
By Jennie from Tempe, AZ
I purchased metal closet shelf dividers. Tomato items in a section, baking things, veggies, fruit, etc. I love it.
Purchase some plastic lazy susans at Wal-Mart or $ store. That should help.
Divide the shelves into sections. The hardware stores sell drawers that pullout for shelves. Or construct your own.
Since our kids are now on their own, we don't keep a large inventory of stored food goods in the pantry, but I do like to keep a few items stocked. I put a rubber band around the last item to remind me that I need to stock up on that particular food product.
I have a big pantry. That said, I also share it with clothes, crafts, and things to sell. So, when I can, I try and make things like food take up less room. I put little things inside bigger things and those inside other things, etc.
I was forever looking for my little packaged goods. Now they are all in one place. I sat the shadowbox on four cans. For stability, you can use full cans with rocks or sand in them.
"File" your food in your freezer. Organize frozen food boxes where the label shows and you can see what the item is. Put all meats "filed" together, all vegetable bags "filed" together, and all juices "filed" together.
First of all, I empty all cardboard containers into plastic containers. Then I label them: pastas, rice, chips, crackers, spices, sugar, flour, etc. I do not use a canister set.
I have these wonderful little jars from Oui' yogurt. I use the generic Splenda from the Dollar Tree. When I get a new box or two, I pre-fill all the jars I have so when I am done with one, I can just grab another.
Pantries can get really messy. With their deep shelves, foods can easily get pushed to the back, only to be found after they expire.
Use cute Dollar Tree organizers to organize your pantry!