14 Instant Fixes for a Total Pantry Makeover

Labels aren't a must-have for your pantry, but they do help keep essentials organized and easy to find. Instead of rummaging through the shelves searching for that one ingredient, you'll be able to spot what you need right away—and spend more time enjoying dinner with your family. Check out these free printables from Lia Griffith and make your own labels today!

Related: 9 Simple DIY Ways to Reinvent Your Kitchen Cabinets

Clutter in the pantry makes meal planning a pain: With a mess of bags, boxes, and cans, it's sometimes hard to see what you have on hand. And while cans are easy enough to stack, what should you do with bags and boxes of dried fruit, spice packets, or chocolate chips? Baskets offer a simple and affordable solution, and if you adhere a label to the front of each one, you'll always know where you've stashed your snacks and supplies.

Related: 13 Unexpected Uses for Baskets

Spice jars come in all shapes and sizes, and they often get lost floating in a sea of miscellaneous pantry items. Keep those little bottles streamlined and readily available with a stackable spice rack. The sliding drawers are a home cook’s dream, because they make it easy to grab spices and store them quickly and neatly. Plus, the practical box shape means that it will stack conveniently with other pantry items. Available on Amazon; $40.

Canned food: What's not to love? It's easy to prepare, great as a side dish in a pinch, and stays fresh longer than most grocery store staples. But without proper storage, cans can clutter your pantry or countertop. Bring order to this chaos with a rack that holds 36 cans at a time and features a tiered design that makes it simple to see what you have and what you need to pick up at the store. Available on Amazon; $26.

Related: Spreading Out—14 Ways to Get More Counter Space

So, you squirrel away plastic grocery bags after shopping trips, do you? Well, why wouldn't you, when you always need a spare bag to tote items around? Don't let your pantry or cabinets get overrun by these plastic nuisances. Instead, simply stuff them into an emptied-out tissue box. The plastic seal in the box's top will make it easy to dispense one bag at a time, while the cardboard structure keeps the rest of the bunch compressed and contained until you need them.

Related: 3 Ways to Shrink Your Shopping Bag Mess

Good news—you can keep food storage supplies tidily at your fingertips with a simple, supremely clever wire rack. The tiered design saves precious shelf or drawer space and is big enough to store six rolls of plastic wrap, aluminum foil, sandwich bags, or parchment paper. Available at The Container Store; $4.99.

Okay, so maybe this isn't exactly a must-have for an organized pantry, but it certainly makes for a more attractive view. The next time you junk an empty cardboard salt container, salvage the metal spout to DIY a pour top for a mason jar. Use your new pour-spout jar to store a variety of dry ingredients. As a bonus, the container's clear glass means you'll know exactly when you're running low on staples. 

Canned foods have a tendency to get lost on the back shelf or roll into the dark recesses of a cabinet. One resourceful blogger discovered a better way to store these pantry necessities: Repurpose old soda boxes into inexpensive storage solutions. Not only are they the just-right size for housing your soups, tomato sauces, and more, but the boxes can be easily labeled, stacked, and organized. 

Related: 17 Creative Ways to Reuse Cardboard Boxes

Take your pantry organization to the next level by affixing labels to your bins and baskets. Being able to quickly identify the contents of each container will make everyday cooking and meal planning so much simpler. Try erasable chalkboard versions that will let you swiftly update the labels whenever you reorganize. Available on Etsy; $6.

Related: 10 DIY Labels for Better Home Organization

Discover and admire beautiful and innovative home architecture, from grand Victorians to quaint cabins and all the styles in between. Take a look at the latest images and inspiration!