5 Ways to Organize a Small Pantry

This post may include affiliate links. If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

This post is all about 5 ways to organize a small pantry.

Are you tired of your messy pantry? This post is for you! Maximize space and freshen up your small pantry with these great organization tips!

The Pantry Makeover

My small pantry has been an absolute mess since I moved into this house back in November. The walls in the pantry were completely scratched and dirty. The shelves were faded and some hadn’t even been painted. There were also crumbs and dirt in every crevice of the pantry. Yuck! I knew this pantry needed a full makeover but wanted to stick to a few key things since keeping it affordable was a must. I decided to repaint the entire pantry and invest in some organizational items. It has made the biggest difference and I’m so excited with how it turned out!

Clean Out & Organize Food

The first thing I did was remove everything from the pantry and throw out all expired items and anything that was no longer needed. This took me some time but I got rid of so many things that were taking up space for no reason. I then broke items down into most and least used.

Painting

Next, I painted the pantry a nice, basic white. The color I used was Behr- Cottage White. It was so satisfying to see all the scratches and marks disappear. If you are looking to save money but still want to make a change to your pantry, I would definitely suggest repainting. This white color made my pantry look super clean and crisp.

Setting Up Pantry Organization

I then placed my organizers inside the pantry and started to fill them with all my cans and dry goods. I made sure to keep the most used items at the front of the pantry and used the back of the pantry for items that I used here and there. I’ve realized that pantries don’t need to be picture perfect and aesthetic but need to be highly functional and well organized! I was honestly expecting my pantry to turn out a bit more aesthetic but I figured it was kind of impossible with all the different items I had. However, I still think it turned out pretty cute! If you want your pantry to look more aesthetic, I would suggest using wicker baskets since they would cover up a lot of the food items and make the pantry look more cohesive.

5 WAYS TO ORGANIZE A SMALL PANTRY

1. Use Shelf Inserts

Shelf inserts are perfect for organizing a small pantry because they help to maximize space. My pantry shelves were large enough to use these inserts and I was still able to use a bunch of space underneath and in the back as well. I used these inserts for dry goods but they would work great for potatoes or onions! These inserts came in a pack of four and were super affordable.

2. Use a Lazy Susan

This has been so helpful in organizing all my sauces, canned goods, etc. because I am now able to see everything that I have with a turn of the lazy susan. I opted for wood rather than plastic.

3. Use Small Shelves for Can Organization

I have a lot of cans in my pantry so I used these shelves to double the amount I could store. These come in a pack of two and I was able to fit the second one in the back of the pantry. These shelves can also be used in kitchen cabinets and would be great for organizing dishes or other kitchen items.

4. Use Baskets to Organize Smaller Pantry Items

I chose wire and wicker baskets to organize my smaller pantry items such as vitamins, baking goods, and just random things that I didn’t want floating around in the pantry. The wicker baskets are from Homegoods and the wire baskets came in a pack of four from Amazon.

5. Use an Over the Door Hook Hanger

I chose this over the door hook hanger rather than an over the door pantry organizer because I honestly didn’t need the extra space. If your pantry is super tiny or you need to store a large amount of food, I would choose an over the door pantry organizer. I will also be using these cute jute hanging baskets to store potatoes and onions.

SMALL PANTRY ORGANIZATION Q&A

How do I organize my small pantry?

The best way to organize your pantry is to break items up into categories and store items using baskets or shelves. Make sure to place your most used items in a place that is easily assessable in your pantry. The more organized your pantry is, the more food you will be able to store!

In what order should a pantry be organized?

The most basic way to break down pantry organization is to start by separating items from most used to least used. From there you can break down your items into categories such as snacks, baking items, pastas, dried goods, sauces, canned goods, desserts, etc. Place your least used items towards the back of the pantry and place your most used items at the front of the pantry so they are easily assessable.

How do you optimize a small pantry?

You can optimize a small pantry by using shelf inserts, baskets and over the door pantry organizers. If you just throw a bunch of food in your pantry with no system, you will end up using more space. By organizing each food item into a category and using an organizer to separate those items, you will be able to fit so much more in your pantry and will easily be able to see what you have and don’t have.

How do you organize a small awkward pantry?

If you are struggling with an awkward pantry, definitely look up some inspiration on Pinterest. Using small baskets and containers for specific items and making sure that everything has a space of its own will help to maximize space.

How do I make my pantry look neat?

You can make your pantry look neat by using organizers such as baskets, shelf inserts and glass containers for dry goods. If you want your pantry to look more cohesive, organize items in wicker baskets so labels aren’t showing. You can place cute labels on the baskets so you know what items are in each one.

What do you put on the floor of a pantry?

There are a few ways to organize the floor of you pantry. You can invest in some large baskets or bins and store miscellaneous items like appliances, extra food, drinks etc. I keep all my kitchen appliances on the floor of my pantry. This includes crockpots, air fryers, rice makers, food processors, blenders, etc.

This post was all about 5 Best Ways to Organize a Small Pantry and Maximize Space.