The Ultimate Pantry Organization Project

Have you ever opened your pantry and felt overwhelmed by the clutter? After the holiday rush, ours was a disaster! Between baking marathons, holiday feasts, and extra guests, our pantry had become an unorganized mess. Determined to start the year fresh, we embarked on the ultimate pantry organization project—one that would make it easier to find and store items, prioritize healthy eating, and create a system that the whole family could maintain.

This pantry organization project was designed with four key goals in mind:

1. Better Organization – Making it easier to find and store pantry items.
2. Maximizing Space – Determining what was taking up the most room and solving the clutter issue.
3. Easy Maintenance – Creating a system that everyone in the household can follow.
4. Prioritizing Healthy Eating – Ensuring healthy choices were front and center.

The Step-by-Step Process

Want to refresh your pantry like we did? Follow these steps to transform your space into a functional, beautiful, and easy-to-maintain storage area. Plus, check out our downloadable Pantry Organization Checklist for a step-by-step guide to help you tackle your own pantry refresh!

Step 1: Assess Your Needs

• Who uses the pantry? (Children, adults, guests?)
• What are your storage priorities? (Healthy eating, bulk storage, entertaining, overflow storage?)
• Will the space be used for more than storage? (Food prep, small appliance use, staging?)

Step 2: Empty the Pantry Completely

• Take everything out—yes, everything!
• Place items on a large surface so you can see what you have.

Step 3: Deep Clean the Space

• Vacuum and wash the floors.
• Wipe down all shelves and repaint if needed.
• Assess lighting—adjust or add lighting if necessary.
• Consider electrical needs if using the space for appliances (butler pantry setup, coffee station, etc.).

Step 4: Sort Everything Into Categories

• Entertaining
• Storage
• Staples
• Snacks
• Baking
• Bulk foods
• Perishables
• Overflow
• Small appliances
• Serving bowls/platters

Step 5: Purge & Prioritize

• Wash all containers before refilling.
• Check expiration dates and discard anything outdated.
• Cull items you no longer need or use.
• Prioritize the contents of each category—what do you actually use?

Step 6: Create a Smart Storage System

• Position frequently used items at eye level for easy access.
• Place less frequently used items on higher shelves.
• Store heavy items on lower shelves to prevent accidents.
• Determine if you have too much in a specific category and adjust.

Step 7: Repurpose Additional Storage Space

• Move large or seldom-used items to a better storage location (e.g., meat slicer, induction plate, drink dispensers, cake stands, etc.).

Step 8: Use Cohesive Storage Bins & Labels

Invest in heavy duty shelving, matching bins and containers for a streamlined look:

• Sterilite Large & Deep Bins
• Sorbus Large Clear bins
• Oversized Storage Containers

Label each container to make it easy to find what you need. We used a Brother P Touch Label Maker and purchased Extra Brother P-Touch M Tape Cartridges.

Use clear containers for bulk items like flour, sugar, and pasta.

• Anchor Hoking 1 Gallon Jar with Lid
• Anchor Hoking 2 Gallon Jar with Lid
• Anchor Hoking 1/2 Gallon Jar with Lid
• Anchor Hoking 3 Quart Jar with Lid
• Bulk Food Storage – Airtight Storage Set – Small, Medium, Large and Tall Set (24 pieces)

Final Thoughts

A well-organized pantry isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about efficiency, ease of use, and making healthy choices more accessible. With a thoughtful approach to storage and organization, maintaining an orderly pantry becomes second nature. We have made it easy with our ultimate pantry organization guide.

Ready to tackle your own pantry project? Grab our Pantry Organization Checklist to guide you through each step. We’d love to hear your best pantry organization tips in the comments below. Happy organizing!