The Beginner’s Guide to: Pantry Organization

Hello darling friends! Much like everyone else, I’m still actively staying home and desperately wishing I could get out to the thrift store to finish up some apartment projects. The big one since March has been my bedroom storage closet and my pantry. This may not seem like a big deal but when you live alone and like things just so, well… let’s just get into The Beginner’s Guide: to Pantry Organization.

To start, let it be known that I am still determined to go as eco-friendly and sustainable as possible. With that said, when I started this project… it was purely based on ascetics. NOW, knowing what I know… well, I would have changed a few things.

Table of Contents

Pantry Organization: Jars.

Okayyyyy… truth? I would have chosen completely different jars if I had really thought this through. I would have definitely tried to go down a recycled jar path. Alas, instead, I found 5 of these silver jars at Home Goods (again, pre-pandemic) for a great price and just went with it.

Why glass jars? Good question.

They keep baked goods from going stale.
Dry goods and snacks away from insects and dust.
Super stackable and easy to see.
Glass doesn’t absorbs food smells.
They’re cleaner than plastic containers (and can be washed at high temps)
Glass is also 100% recyclable (per PGI)
They also look really good when they all match.

If you’re starting from scratch, here is the full 4 piece set that you can buy. Had I not been going a sustainable route, I probably would have gone this route. However, in a lot of ways , buying these jars is sustainable because I’m buying with the intent to fill the jars with bulk bins items from my local PCC. We just need the Covid to go away.

Pro Tip: Go with more of the small ones. Being one person you don’t stock up on a large mass of products.

Pantry Organization: Labels.

Depending on the type of person you are, there’s a lot of different ways to label your products.

Personalized labeling with chalk stickers and pen.
Glass writing pens.
Using pre-packaged labels and inserting them into jars.
Pre-written labels.
Cutting pre-packaged labels and taping them to your cabinet (like me).

Pantry Organization: Baskets.

These wicker baskets were from a previous closet organization project. They ended up being perfect and I was so happy I could actually repurpose something.

Wicker baskets are great for:

Holding pre-packaged items (cans, broths, nut butters, boxed goods).
They’re really easy to pull out of the cabinet.
Hide clutter and mismatching items.
Easy to customize depending on width & height. (Also to paint)

Pro Tip: These baskets can be heavy to bring down. They can second as weights for squats. 💪 😅

The wire basket was something I purchased when I first moved in. It’s a great fit and I love that its see-through because my miscellaneous snacks go in there. The perfect snack basket! (Secret? I have four boxes of girl scout cookies hiding in the back. Shhh.)

Pantry Organization: Wine.

I’m still looking for a chic alternative to this but I’m definitely on the hunt. Right now, all my wine hides the unattractive other things but it’s a great barrier until I can find another alternative. I’m looking for something but not specific. So, fingers crossed I can find something at the thrift store.

My personal suggestion though? Buy wine. 🍷

Why buy wine?? Fine.