30 Genius Pantry Organization Ideas to Tame Your Clutter
From small setups to spacious walk-ins, these DIY hacks will transform your pantry.
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When properly organized, the pantry is a convenient place to store baking supplies, snacks for kids or packaged products, like chicken broth and pasta. You can also reserve an upper shelf for small appliances — think the blender or waffle maker that you only break out for special occasions. But the pantry, because it's out of sight, can often becomes a repository for clutter. Luckily, these DIY pantry organization ideas make it easy to maximize every inch of your space.
Simple hacks like using food storage containers, relying on wicker baskets and writing up labels make it easy to locate what you need, so time is not wasted rummaging through shelves cluttered with random spices and snacks. We also share tips for sorting, categorizing and storing various pantry items, such as hanging a spice rack on a pantry wall, designating shelves for canned beverages and using mesh drawers for fresh produce.
Whether you've got a small cabinet in your organized kitchen or a well-decorated walk-in pantry, you'll find a storage solution to level-up your space. Plus, we've shared a few of our favorite organizing products, so you can get to work right away!
Hide Pantry Items in Wicker Baskets
From baking supplies and fresh produce to extra paper towels, corral kitchen essentials in baskets to minimize clutter in your pantry. In case you forget what's what, be sure to label bins and jars, as Anastasia Casey of The Interior Collective does here.
Group Food by Type
Treat your pantry like a grocery store, putting similar items nearby. Designate areas for breakfast items, like cereal and oatmeal, plus canned goods, condiments and packages goods, such as pasta or rice. Here, Pearce Design Group puts canned beverages and non-food items down below.
Install a Sliding Door
Not only does a sliding door with glass panels exude charm, it provides easy access to your pantry without taking up additional space. Inside, designer Jess Weeth of Weeth Home installs a butcher-block counter for extra prep space and a brass rail for hanging pots and utensils.
Use a Mix of Storage
After blogger Elsie Larson painted her pantry a pretty pink, she layered in storage solutions, including woven baskets, metal bins, food storage containers and a canned goods organizer. Then, she tucks away a small stepping stool to make top shelves more accessible.
Decant Items Into Glass Jars
Stock up on large and small jars for your storage needs. You can even take the jars to a local grocery store that sells bulk staples, like grains and beans. These clear food containers really pop against bright blue shelves and botanical wallpaper, courtesy of South Home Design.
RELATED: The Best Food Storage Containers, Tested by Experts
Carve Out Space for Small Appliances
Clear clutter from countertops by storing small appliances — like the Crockpot, waffle maker and food processor — in the pantry. According to Laura Kinsella, founder of Urban OrgaNYze, reorganizing is also the perfect time to take stock of what you've got and get rid of any appliances you don't use.
Use Mesh Drawers for Food Storage
Here, Ellen Lopez of El Design Studio opts for open shelving on top and closed storage down below. Everyday ingredients and snacks are stored in glass jars and canisters, then mesh drawers are used for storing produce like onions and potatoes.
Maximize Vertical Space
Take shelving all the way to the ceiling, storing infrequently used appliances, tools and ingredients up top, just as designer Kate Marker does here. Just don't forget to keep a stepping stool handy.
Add a Rolling Ladder
Worried about reaching the top shelf? Install a rolling ladder that makes it easy to grab pots and pans or spices as you cook. We love that this pantry has a butcher block counter, so you can use it for prep, too.
RELATED: Open Kitchen Shelving Ideas to Revamp Your Cooking Space
Don't Forget to Label Everything
Detailed labels will save you from rummaging through every bin and basket when it's time to grab something you don't use often. Plus, it's important to label spices and baking supplies (you don't want to mix up sugar and salt).
Reimagine a Closet
For a compact closet layout, keep spices, cans and everyday snacks in acrylic organizers and storage bins. This maximizes space and makes packing school lunches a breeze. Meanwhile, cereal, pasta, rice and beans can be placed in clear containers to preserve their freshness. They're also aesthetically-pleasing and make it easy to see if you're running low and need to stock up.
SHOP STORAGE BINS
Dress the Door With Shelves
Don't let any space go to waste! Store condiments, spices and other small items in a rack on the back of the door. You'll be surprised at just how many items can fit.
Keep Baking Supplies Within Reach
Transfer common ingredients — flour, sugar, brown sugar, pasta and so on — into large glass jars with lids, and place them on the middle shelf for easy access. On the shelf above, arrange small glass jars full of more specialized ingredients, like spices, nuts and dried fruit.
Fill Drawers With Labeled Containers
If you're using a storage cabinet as a pantry, make sure to load the drawers with spare linens, utensils and containers full of baking supplies for easy reach. Label each container on the top, so you can quickly see what's inside without having to dig.
Hang a Spice Rack
When it comes to cooking, you can never have too many spices. It's easy to confuse your preferred spice with another, especially if they're the same color and jumbled together in the drawer or cabinet. To avoid this, take advantage of vertical space. Hanging a spice rack on your pantry door, or stick it on the wall inside. Everything will be upright, so it's easy to see your go-to spices all at once.
RELATED: Best Spice Rack Ideas to Save on Kitchen Counter Space
Arrange Baskets High and Low
No matter if your pantry is out in the open or closed off in a dedicated room, leverage vertical wall space by positioning baskets on high and low shelves. Place seasonal items in the baskets up high (Christmas cookie cutters, for example) and kid-friendly essentials down below.
Organize Drawers With Labeled Bins
It's no surprise that stocking up on food items can keep shopping trips to a minimum. The downside: Drawers might become crowded if you don't take extra time to organize. Try placing 16"-deep bins in your pantry's bottom drawer and label them. This will save time searching for desired spices, sauces and condiments.
RELATED: Best Kitchen Drawer Organizers, According to Organization Pros
Design a Hidden Pantry
Designer Kate Marker devised a secret pantry cabinet in this kitchen and chose a deep green shade to make it a focal point of the space. Replicate the nifty look to store coffee essentials. Here, a Native Trails Malibu sink and a compact counter workspace offer enough room to prep food. Mugs, jars, cutting boards and more are placed on the interior shelves, while the back of the doors offer extra storage.
Divide Cabinets Vertically
Divide and conquer! Tray dividers are simple yet effective ways to organize cutting boards, pizza pans and baking sheets. They'll work well in base cabinets, pantry cabinets or any deep upper cabinet spaces.
Opt for Pull-Out Drawers
Rather than leaving the space below shelves empty, fill it with pull-out wire shelves, perfect for storing your kid's favorite snacks and lunch supplies. They're a kid-appropriate height, too!
Alyssa Gautieri (she/her) is the associate lifestyle editor for Good Housekeeping, where she covers all things home and interior design. Prior to joining GH in 2022, she wrote for publications including ELLE Decor, Chairish, BobVila.com, Unique Homes Magazine and LODGING Magazine, in addition to crafting product copy for home brands like BrylaneHome and VIGO Industries.
Mariah Thomas (she/her) is an assistant editor for Good Housekeeping, where she covers home and lifestyle content. Mariah has more than four years of editorial experience, having written for TLC, Apartment Therapy, Women's Health and Avocado Magazine. She received her master's degree in journalism at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism and published her first book, Heart and Soul: Poems of Thoughts and Emotions, in 2019. She's also the founder of RTF Community, a platform for creatives of color to connect, learn and showcase their work.
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