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Post by Kymberlee on Aug 9, 2015 11:18:29 GMT
Help! We are in the midst of a move, and I have a wonderful pantry in my new kitchen. I have thrown everything in there just to get it out of the way, but now i need to get it semi organized. I'm heading to ikea today to get some ideas, but I don't want to start buying stuff wily-nily that might or might not work. We are only going to be in this house for 2 years so I don't want to spend tons of money or make it into a huge project, but I have got to get some order to it or it will make me crazy.
I have aves looked at Pinterest for ideas, but I am just getting overwhelmed so I thought I would ask the peas if they have any tried and true organizing tips. I'm debating on whether or not to put all my flour, sugar, pasta, etc into different containers. Not sure if that would be worth it or not. Thoughts? Also, my Saran Wrap, zip locks, etc...are a disaster so ideas for that would be great. I know they sell organizers but not sure if they are going to work for me.
The pantry is just a basic pantry with four wire shelves. Nothing fancy, but I would love to utilize all the space.
On on another note...moving is so exhausting. I'm an army wife and you would think by now, I would embrace the suck. I love my new house, but I just want to be settled! Whine over, back to unpacking boxes.
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camcas
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Post by camcas on Aug 9, 2015 11:24:19 GMT
You could use baskets to corral like things together ...all baking good in one,cereal in one,tinned goods in another etc.
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Post by christine58 on Aug 9, 2015 11:27:13 GMT
I am doing the same this weeekend. I am adding a hanging closet maid basket to one that's already in there. Then I bought two sets of two closet maid holders for my spices. Go snoop around containerstore.com. I got some ideas there. I have my saran wrap etc in a drawer but my mom out a big organizer on the inside of the door to the basement for all those things you mentioned.
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Post by KelleeM on Aug 9, 2015 11:33:33 GMT
My husband is the king of organization. Combine a bit of OCD and growing up in a family owned grocery store (where he started working at a young age) and our closets and cabinets look amazing!!
I agree with baskets. You can buy inexpensive ones (plastic) in any of the big box stores. We have a metal one that is long and somewhat narrow that holds all of the packets of gravy mix, salad dressing mix, taco seasoning, etc. The packets stand on end and you just finger through them to find what you need (all separated by type, lol). We have a wire basket that's about 6 inches wide and 14 or so inches long that holds all of our bread, rolls, English muffins, etc on to of the fridge. Plastic shoe boxes hold tons of stuff in our linen closet...medicines, ointments, bandages, etc...each box is labeled at the end and it makes it so easy to find what you need. Don't limit your looking to just the kitchen/pantry areas of the stores...there are things in the bathroom area that may work well for your pantry as well.
Bottom line...group like things together and don't spend money on a storage solution that's not going to work long term, since you said you're only going to be there for two years.
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Post by mikklynn on Aug 9, 2015 11:52:31 GMT
I bought the OXO brand square containers for my flour, sugar, and brown sugar. I love them. I bought square glass jars at Target/Walmart for things like rice, beans, dried peas, etc. They are both clear for easy viewing of the contents. I use canning jars, too. They are cheap and great for nuts and dried fruit.
The most important thing is to keep like things together. All your soups are together. All your vegetables are together. All your baking items are together.
Good luck! And thank you for your service...the whole family serves!
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sweetpeasmom
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Post by sweetpeasmom on Aug 9, 2015 13:14:45 GMT
I'd love to see some pictures.
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lesley
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Post by lesley on Aug 9, 2015 13:19:31 GMT
Baskets are the way to go. Ikea sells a 'step' that you can put on shelves to raise what's at the back. They're inexpensive, and quite useful. Like most stuff at Ikea really!  |
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Post by Kymberlee on Aug 9, 2015 13:19:54 GMT
I'd love to see some pictures. I'm having a hard time attaching photos from my iPad. it is a pretty standard pantry with 5 wire shelves. |
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Post by guzismom on Aug 9, 2015 13:35:17 GMT
I bought the OXO brand square containers for my flour, sugar, and brown sugar. I love them. I bought square glass jars at Target/Walmart for things like rice, beans, dried peas, etc. They are both clear for easy viewing of the contents. I use canning jars, too. They are cheap and great for nuts and dried fruit. The most important thing is to keep like things together. All your soups are together. All your vegetables are together. All your baking items are together. Good luck! And thank you for your service...the whole family serves! Me too. |
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happymomma
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Post by happymomma on Aug 9, 2015 13:38:57 GMT
I agree with keeping like things grouped together. Will every bit of your food be in that pantry or do you have other cupboards to make use of as well? My 'pantry' is really an antique pie-safe-like cupboard. I also have another cupboard near my stove for spices, flour, teas, baking goods, etc.
In the pantry itself I group cans into catagories like fruit, veggies, meats (canned chix and tuna, etc.) 'junk' like ravioli. Then I also have a spot for boxed things. Pastas go together then 'junk' like boxed noodle mixes, stuffing, etc. then cereal, pancake mix, etc. Soups and broths in a different section. One of the lower shelves holds my extra unopened bottles of ketchup, mustard, salad dressings, bbq sauces, etc.
I use my mom's old meatloaf pan to organize the envelope stuff like taco seasonings, gravy, etc. It always makes me smile to see it and I didn't have to spend a dime on it. I try to repurpose containers of all kinds around the house.
I don't put my sugar and flour in canisters. I have a vintage sugar bowl I fill from the big bag for my coffee and for my flour I just tie it up in a Wal-Mart bag after it has been opened. I'm not sure if that works for you there with humidity, critters, etc. (PS one of my best friends works for FSU, so your blinkies made me smile.)
I keep all of my saran wraps, ziplocks, foil, etc. in a separate cupboard but they could easily go right in the pantry, grouped together. I also have a different cupboard above my microwave for chips, snacks, etc. it's not convenient to keep anything else there really and I rarely snack, so that works for me.
Have fun! I think my kitchen cupboards are my easiest to organize and maintain.
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eleezybeth
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Jun 28, 2014 20:42:01 GMT
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Post by eleezybeth on Aug 9, 2015 13:42:47 GMT
Where did you move? I recently left a lovely house with a huge pantry and in my head I'd chuckle if you moved there regardless of how silly that seems...  I'm all about organizing in groups. Canned food, sauces, cereal, etc. Wal*Mart / Ikea carries these little shelves that help you split the basic wire shelf in two. Those are my favorite for canned foods. You can double up the stacking without it all toppling down. I use the magazine boxes to stack my saran wrap/foil/ziplocks in. I've covered boxes with pretty wallpaper/paper to create organizers before when I didn't want to spend a lot of money. You know how Costco will cut the front/top out of a box and create a frame to organize things in?? Kind of like that. It creates a way for the cereal bar boxes from going awry. |
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Post by mikewozowski on Aug 9, 2015 14:17:42 GMT
you can use mason jars for a lot of things, and they are cheap.
i always want my flour/sugar etc in another container. always. i just got some rectangle ones from dollar general that work pretty well. $5 each. you can sometimes find something that will work well and the dollar store, though, especially if this is temporary.
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Julie W
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Post by Julie W on Aug 9, 2015 14:20:27 GMT
I agree with the OXO containers with the pop lid. Those are great - I use them for various sugars, flour. I also found it hard to keep my extracts and food colorings organized so I have an OXO with all of those little bottles in there. Keeps it easy to locate and keeps the pantry organized.
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Post by seikashaven on Aug 9, 2015 14:27:43 GMT
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sweetpeasmom
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Post by sweetpeasmom on Aug 9, 2015 14:30:44 GMT
I agree with seikashaven re: something on top of the shelves. I got some 12x12 peel and stick tiles from Home Depot (I just don't peel and stick them). They are very inexpensive and come in a variety of colors.
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Post by Patter on Aug 9, 2015 14:39:33 GMT
I just redid my pantry. I have it divided in sections--baking goods, breakfast, coffee, spices and rubs, sauces, etc. I also bought 3 Lazy Susan's that I keep in 3 of the corners. LOVE that. The 2nd photo only shows about half of that wall. My coffees, teas, breakfast stuff, dog stuff, etc., are down the rest of that wall. I was dreading this task but so glad I tackled it! There is also a shelf above and I use the floor too for some drawers that are a bit hard to see in the photos.   |
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basketdiva
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Post by basketdiva on Aug 9, 2015 14:52:13 GMT
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Post by scrapbookwriter on Aug 9, 2015 15:17:58 GMT
Wow, Patter! Your pantry looks beautiful! I wish you could come and organize my pantry for me  |
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Post by Basket1lady on Aug 9, 2015 15:18:48 GMT
I have pantry envy, Patter! I agree that it's helpful to have a flat surface over the wire shelves so things lay flat. We used plexiglass, but it was expensive. I sent DH to the store--I would have chosen something cheaper!
My pantry is just closet sized in this house (we're a military family as well). It's doesn't hold as much as previous houses, as the shelves aren't as deep as the closet and are spaced wide apart. I did find some wire baskets that hang off a shelf and that takes up some if the space between shelves.
I keep my flours and sugars in containers. I have for at least 20 years. I really like it and when you move, you can just move them in the containers. I've never had bugs and the sugars stay soft.
I have my bread in a Longaberger serving tray and snacks in a cake basket. I have a big plastic basket to keep bags of chips tidy and another smaller one for fruit cups and such.
I just have my plastic wraps and foils in a stack alongside a taller box. That keeps them neat and no need for a special organizer that you may not need in the next house.
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Nicole in TX
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Post by Nicole in TX on Aug 9, 2015 16:36:05 GMT
My husband is the king of organization. Combine a bit of OCD and growing up in a family owned grocery store (where he started working at a young age) and our closets and cabinets look amazing!! I agree with baskets. You can buy inexpensive ones (plastic) in any of the big box stores. We have a metal one that is long and somewhat narrow that holds all of the packets of gravy mix, salad dressing mix, taco seasoning, etc. The packets stand on end and you just finger through them to find what you need (all separated by type, lol). We have a wire basket that's about 6 inches wide and 14 or so inches long that holds all of our bread, rolls, English muffins, etc on to of the fridge. Plastic shoe boxes hold tons of stuff in our linen closet...medicines, ointments, bandages, etc...each box is labeled at the end and it makes it so easy to find what you need. Don't limit your looking to just the kitchen/pantry areas of the stores...there are things in the bathroom area that may work well for your pantry as well. Bottom line...group like things together and don't spend money on a storage solution that's not going to work long term, since you said you're only going to be there for two years. Kellee, between the dinner on the table when you come home from work and this organization thing, I think you married the ideal man!  |
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Post by cannmom on Aug 9, 2015 17:11:44 GMT
Nice pantry Patter. I'm going to reorganize mine next week after school starts back. I dread pulling everything out, but I know it will be better after. |
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Post by Really Red on Aug 9, 2015 17:41:12 GMT
Great pantry, Patter! You did an incredible job! |
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ddly
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Post by ddly on Aug 9, 2015 18:07:22 GMT
I used linoleum tiles on my shelves. Works great. I bought a box at Family Dollar for $10. I saw it on Pinterest.
Lisa D.
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Post by Dori~Mama~Bear on Aug 9, 2015 18:46:46 GMT
That is the one thing about this house I don't like is it doesn't have a pantry. But I would get the plastic drawers. I used these in the house we just moved out of. I had them in different sizes and There was enough room on top of them to put cans. It was really nice for having potatoes, onions, seasoning packets, mio (water flavoring), put any and all stuff that was small and didn't stack or sit well on the wire shelves. |
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Peamac
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Post by Peamac on Aug 9, 2015 19:24:19 GMT
For my pantry I needed bins thst were about 8" deep. I used to use shorter bins but the stuff would have to be stacked perfectly to keep from making a mess. I bought some at the dollar tree and have thibgs organized in them now. A huge help! And it looks neater since you can't see all the stacks of stuff anymore. I did label the bins, to be able to find things easier.
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Post by KelleeM on Aug 9, 2015 19:24:33 GMT
My husband is the king of organization. Combine a bit of OCD and growing up in a family owned grocery store (where he started working at a young age) and our closets and cabinets look amazing!! I agree with baskets. You can buy inexpensive ones (plastic) in any of the big box stores. We have a metal one that is long and somewhat narrow that holds all of the packets of gravy mix, salad dressing mix, taco seasoning, etc. The packets stand on end and you just finger through them to find what you need (all separated by type, lol). We have a wire basket that's about 6 inches wide and 14 or so inches long that holds all of our bread, rolls, English muffins, etc on to of the fridge. Plastic shoe boxes hold tons of stuff in our linen closet...medicines, ointments, bandages, etc...each box is labeled at the end and it makes it so easy to find what you need. Don't limit your looking to just the kitchen/pantry areas of the stores...there are things in the bathroom area that may work well for your pantry as well. Bottom line...group like things together and don't spend money on a storage solution that's not going to work long term, since you said you're only going to be there for two years. Kellee, between the dinner on the table when you come home from work and this organization thing, I think you married the ideal man! Oh Nicole in TX...we should be friends on Facebook and you could see (well, have seen as I kind of made him stop) the notes he was putting in my lunch every day. He's not perfect but he's pretty darn amazing! sorry about the little hijack! |
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Nicole in TX
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Posts: 2,951
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Post by Nicole in TX on Aug 9, 2015 22:38:08 GMT
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Post by Kymberlee on Aug 9, 2015 22:43:48 GMT
Thanks so much for all your suggestions. Patter, I appreciate you showing pictures of your pantry. Where did you get the plastic bins? I ended up getting some OXO stuff for perishables, but I could not find baskets anywhere! I looked at target, bb&b, and ikea. Nada! I'm going to go to the Dollar store tomorrow and 5 Below and see what I can find. |
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Post by bigbundt on Aug 9, 2015 23:05:58 GMT
Those plastic bins look like plastic shoe boxes, just without the tops. They are everywhere right now with people outfitting dorms. I think Wal-Mart had a pack of 5 for under $5. I am a big, big, BIG fan of taking things out of their containers. It does take some effort but you save so much room not trying to fit different sized boxes and bags in your pantry. I have quart, wide mouth canning jars for everything from pasta to beans to Teddy Grahams. I use smaller pint sized ones for homemade mixes, cornstarch, that sort of thing. Bought some tall, thin rectangular containers for cereals. I use some plastic drawers for things like micro popcorn, granola bars, cereal bars, snack packs, etc. I do have baskets for corralling things like chip bags. I actually have two baskets for these types of bags: an open basket and a new basket. I was so sick of finding three bags of the same thing opened because my DH would just grab the first one without looking to see if there was a bag already opened. I have smaller baskets for things like fruit cups and applesauce that I can pull down and into the kitchen when I am packing lunches. I have stacking wire baskets on a shelf for all the breads we have. This is an old picture and I have made some changes but here is my pantry:  |
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Post by PEArfect on Aug 9, 2015 23:27:07 GMT
I prefer glass containers and baskets. All of my glass containers are Anchor brand. You can find them at Target, Meijer, and Amazon. My baskets are a mix of metal, woven canvas, and Longaberger. When I started organizing my pantry I thought about what items I considered staple items. I wanted them to have specific containers or baskets. Here's what I have:
large rectangle woven basket: noodles (I put them in ziploc bags.)
spaghetti noodles: glass container
rolled oats: glass container rice: glass container quinoa: glass container pretzels: glass container
potato chips: large glass container
tortilla chips: large glass container
cereal: glass conatiners, we have 3 different containers, different shapes
extra baking goods: large rectangle woven basket (all in labeled ziploc bags)
oatmeal packets: metal basket
snack bars/protein bars: Longaberger basket
fruit snacks: Longaberger basket
condiments: large rectangle woven basket
juice boxes: stainless beverage bucket
onions, potatoes: wire baskets
applesauce: Longaberger basket
The cans and jars are on one shelf, the extra cereal is on another shelf. It makes it easy for my daughters to grab what they want for their lunches.
I have the baking goods that are 'in use' in containers in my kitchen cabinets. I separated my kitchen into work stations, sort of. Hard to explain I guess. I have two baking cabinets, and three containers on my counter near my KitchenAid mixer. The baking cabinet has different chocolate chips and M&M's in mason jars. Sprinkles, cupcake holders, tooth picks are all in glass containers. Baskets on the top shelf with extracts, baking milks, coconut, extra chips, ect. The drawers in the baking station have measuring cups, spoons, spatulas, ect. I have a drink station. That cabinet has my latte mugs, coffee mugs, coffee maker, one basket with different types of coffee, the other with tea and cocoa. I like that not everything is kept in the pantry, and that we can see everything that we have.
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