{"id":99001,"date":"2019-10-12T16:48:35","date_gmt":"2019-10-12T20:48:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bhgre.com\/bhgrelife\/?p=99001"},"modified":"2019-09-30T15:26:52","modified_gmt":"2019-09-30T19:26:52","slug":"diy-pantry-ideas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bhgre.com\/bhgrelife\/diy-pantry-ideas\/","title":{"rendered":"Pantry Organization Hacks to Streamline Your Kitchen"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

While\nit\u2019s possible someone somewhere once said, \u201cMy kitchen\u2019s too big, too well\norganized, and has too much cupboard space,\u201d it\u2019s highly unlikely. Most of us\nstruggle to work with kitchens that are less than ideal. Having a pantry can\nhelp in a variety of ways. If you don\u2019t already have one or if yours needs a\nserious refresh, here are some pantry organization hacks to streamline your\nkitchen<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If\nyou already have a pantry<\/a> in or just off your kitchen, make\nsure you\u2019re making the best use of the space you\u2019ve got. Here are some\nsuggestions for a DIY pantry makeover:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use Shelves and Racks<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Make\nthe most of skinny shelves, tiered shelving, and under-shelf storage racks. A\nrow of skinny shelves on the back of the pantry door, or even a shoe holder\nwith clear plastic compartments, can hold all kinds of small items, whether\nit\u2019s spice, soup, or sauce packets or small condiment jars. The inside of a\ndoor is almost always wasted space, and it\u2019s perfect for smaller items that\nwill otherwise get lost among the cans and bottles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tiered\nshelving will let you double or triple the amount of storage you get from your\nexisting shelves, and there are even eco-friendly, expandable bamboo tiered\nshelves available now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under-shelf\nslide-on storage racks are available almost anywhere that sells housewares,\nincluding dollar stores, and installing a few will give you storage for\npotatoes, onions, and garlic under your existing shelves. Bonus: that will free\nup some space in your fridge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Installing\nsmall tension rods on existing shelves also means you\u2019ll be able to store\nbulky, awkward items you don\u2019t use often, like platters and cookie sheets that\ntake up a lot less space stored vertically rather than horizontally. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Create a Snack Station<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another\ngreat tip for streamlining your kitchen is to get rid of packaging and create a\nsnack station at child height. Even if you\u2019ve succeeded in training your family\nnot to leave empty cereal boxes in the cupboards, the amount of storage space a\nfamily-sized box of cereal consumes is huge and never decreases until the box\nis disposed of. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Set\nup a little clothesline or use a piece of dowling as a hanging rack in an area\nof your pantry. Alternatively, you could invest in some larger storage boxes\nthat will fit on your shelves and take dry goods out of their boxes. Make sure\nyou label the cereals or the clips you use to hang them up. This works best for\nitems that are bulky, crushable, and light, like potato chips, cereal, and\ncrackers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If\nyou set up a snack station at child height in your pantry, you may succeed in\nkeeping your kids out of the fridge and away from the stove while you\u2019re trying\nto do dinner prep. The snack station can be as big or as small as you like: you\ncan devote the entire bottom shelf to kid-friendly snacks like dried fruit,\nmini cookie packs, and granola bars. By creating a dedicated space in the\npantry for kids, you\u2019ll keep them from climbing the shelves to get at snacks\nand possibly prevent a fall, shelf collapse, or tumbling tins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make Use of Corners<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Installing\nLazy Susans in corners and investing in metal magazine racks for pantry storage\nis a great way to make use of corner space. No matter how small, chances are\ngood your pantry will have four accessible corners. Install Lazy Susans in each\none and you\u2019ll be amazed how much more accessible your canned and dry goods\nare. There are stackable Lazy Susans available now, and if you really like to\nstock up when things are on sale or if you make regular Costco runs, they\u2019ll\ncome in handy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Metal\nmesh magazine racks make great storage containers for canned goods. Their\nheight means you can stack the tins in at least a double row. Plus, if you\nworry a toddler might get in the pantry and upend them, you can turn them\naround, so the \u201cspine\u201d of the magazine rack faces out and individual tins are\nless likely to tumble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If\nyou\u2019re starting from scratch to create a DIY pantry, be creative. Pantries are\nbasically just shelving arrangements, so anything you\u2019ve got with shelves or\nracks can be transformed into a pantry. Old bookcases or nightstands can be\nstacked in a low-traffic kitchen area (preferably a corner). If you see an\narmoire bargain, especially a corner armoire, grab it. With a few extra shelves\nadded, you\u2019ve got the makings of a small but efficient pantry. Alternatively,\nyou can create a pantry under your stairwell and install a glass-fronted door.\n\nOther potential spots\nfor pantries include laundry and mud rooms and rarely used closets. If you buy\nin bulk, you can even create a pantry and cold storage room in your basement.\nWhile not as handy as having your pantry in or just off the kitchen, restocking\nyour kitchen shelves can become part of your laundry routine as you flip the clothes\nfrom the washer to the dryer.\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"