Pantry Organization

My latest home organization project is finally completed and I am thrilled with the results. Not only does the pantry look so much better overall, it is functioning so much better on the organization front.

I have posted a video over at the Household Logistics Youtube Channel about this latest organization project, and here is the link for those that are interested in seeing it: Food Pantry Organization.

If you like the video, please give it a thumbs up. I am hoping to do more organization videos soon, sharing the other areas of the kitchen I will be going on to reorganizing, so do think about subscribing if you want to see those videos also.

Magazine holders have proven to be my go-to-item for corralling a range of items like recipe books, the kit for cheesemaking, etc on the top shelf of the reorganized pantry. I purchased these particular holders from KMart and I really love the way they have worked out for doing this particular component of the reorganization.

Here is a link to the actual products used, for those that are interested: KMart White Magazine Holder and KMart Grey Magazine Holder.

I then used my label maker to do the various labels on each magazine holder. I really love how it now looks visually uniform, and as I need to get down any particular item the whole magazine holder container is very easily removed to enable me to access the collection of contents now contained within it.

An expandable shelving system has helped no end to tidy up how we store canned items in the pantry. It has made everything so much easier to see and each items is that bit more accessible now also. It is so much easier to see what we have at any given time. This tiered shelving system was one I got from Storage Box. Here is the link to the product that was used: Madesmart Expandable 3 Tier Shelf.

A Lazy Susan Turntable has helped corral the various cooking oils and vinegars in the pantry, and I am delighted with how well it is working out having this now set up and in place. 

This particular unit was a two storeyed one, but I decided to dismantle it for now and just use the lower storey. Here is the link to this particular product: Madesmart 2 Tier Turntable. Here is the link to a one tier turntable also: Madesmart 1 Tier Turntable, which is just slightly smaller in diameter.

I made the decision to move from using plastic storage containers for dry good storage some time ago. Step by step, I have gradually replaced what I had, and I am really pleased with the result now achieved. 

As a single income family, it takes that bit longer to be able to purchase things like these containers, because I can only just get one or two containers each payday as money allows. Still, with the goal in place, and with a little patience and perseverance, it worked out that I could still achieve my goal of the pantry makeover over time. These particular glass containers (those shown in the above photograph) were purchased from The Warehouse. 

I really like the fact with glass products I can see quickly at a glance just how much of any particular dry good is onhand. It is visually appealing also to see all the various colours and shapes of the rice and pasta, etc, so overall this means of storing dry goods is proving to be one that I am pleased to have set now in place.

Here is a link to a similar product that is still currently available at The Warehouse: Glass Storage Jar. Please note that the link is to a jar that is slightly smaller than those used in my own pantry makeover.

In the above photograph you can see I have used a slightly different and larger glass jar to house larger quantities of such dry goods as flour, pasta, rolled oats, etc. Here is a link to a jar that is similiar to that I used to store these. These storage jars are still currently available from Briscoes. Here is the link: Fido Glass Storage Jars.

If you want to check out more about this makeover project, do click on the link provided above and go on over to see the video detailing what was done. We are all pleased with how the project has turned out, and it was well worthworth putting the time and effort required into achieving it this past year.

Until next time, Happy Home-making Everyone!

Project: Kitchen The Food Pantry Reveal # Part One

Over the last few months, around the usual activities and routines, I have been gradually overhauling the kitchen. This overhaul I have referred to via this blog as Project: Kitchen.

The previous post in this series, about overhauling our kitchen area, shared what had been done in the area under the kitchen sink.

The overhaul in this area has continued to work well for everyone.

The next major area in the kitchen I have worked on is the Food Pantry.

In our home, we are fortunate enough to have two pantry cupboards in the Kitchen Area. One of which is used for food storage, the other for storing crockery and glassware.

Working on re-organizing the Food Pantry has taken some considerable time. This is due to the fact that it has had to be done around the usual everyday routines and activities, and as time and energy has allowed me to work on it.

Not only has it involved checking, sorting and if necessary purging the pantry contents, it has involved determining whether the actual way particular items are stored within the pantry is working well, particularly in terms of accessibility.

Both my husband and I use the kitchen to cook and bake. He takes responsibility most evenings and weekends for putting dinner together, and I am truly blessed by having him do that.

We both will do bulk cooking as the need arises, plus take turns at doing actual baking, so the kitchen area and how it functions has to work well for both of us.

One of the first things I have overhauled in the Food Pantry was how I store and keep herbs and spices. In the above photograph you can see the glass containers I use for storing these particular food stuffs.

I recently overhauled the labels for these. I have labelled both the actual container and the lid with these laminated labels.

My friend Jen Morris supplied me with some label templates that she had put together for me (thanks again Jen!). I have modified and adjusted them, using the online photo editing tool pic monkey as I have needed to, for various labelling tasks.

The actual containers for herbs and spices I decided to store on the inside of one of the Food Pantry doors.

Over several weeks I purchased these wire storage racks, which you can see in the below photograph, from a local store which specialises in storage items.

The glass spice and herb containers will be stored in these, which will make them very accessible.

The wire racks are just the right dimensions for the glass spice containers to be housed in them, without too much overhang in to the actual space within the pantry.

It did require a bit of work to measure and determine the placement of each of the storage racks. It was important to ensure they would not collide with the actual shelving in the pantry, or the pantry contents, when the door is closed!

It definitely pays to take your time to double check things line up before drilling holes and mounting things like these racks permanently!

Here is a photograph showing an example of how the actual labelled containers look in the racks.

On the other pantry door I have hung another set of wire storage racks, which are much larger.

Like the wire storage rack I used in the Under the Kitchen Sink area, I have mounted these racks so they can be easily lifted and the surface behind them cleaned as and when required.

Here is one of the racks with pantry contents, to give you an idea of how they are intended to be used.

I have also been busy making labels for the Sistema containers that are housed on shelves within the pantry to store dry goods.

Here are some examples of both the large and small containers that have been already labelled with their new labels.

So that gives you an idea of what has been achieved to date with the Food Pantry overhaul and re-organization that I have been working on, as time and energy have allowed.

I will continue to post what else is being done, as it gets completed. Plus, I will post a final overall Food Pantry Reveal once it is all put together in it's completed form.

It does take a while to do these types of projects. Not only time and energy factor into the equation, but also being able to find the various storage components or in some cases having to create and make them yourself.

Still, in the end it is worth taking the time to do such an overhaul, as it has certainly has helped make things easier to locate, plus easier to access.