Taking on your pantry is no simple task. But by having a plan of attack, you'll be on your way to organized heaven in no time. Here are the steps to help you get your Instagram worthy pantry:
REMOVE - Take everything out of your pantry. This step will feel overwhelming once everything is out, and has taken over your kitchen counter, but it needs to "get worse" before it gets better.
PURGE! - Chances are that your pantry is FULL of expired or stale items. Get rid of them! Also get rid of anything no one in your household eats or uses.
GROUP - Group your items by type. All of your baking goods (flour, sugar, baking powder, etc) in one pile, all of your snacks in another pile, all of your canned goods in another pile, and so on.
MEASURE - Measure your shelves to determine how big your containers can/should be.
CONTAIN - Put whatever you can into containers. Putting your items into airtight containers will give a more cohesive look, and will keep your food fresher for longer. Whatever you can't take out of the bag or box, use bins or baskets to organize.
PLACE - Create a special place on your shelves for each of your items. Organize your shelves by item type, and use. Breakfast foods, and snacks are the most used items in my home, so I placed those items right in the middle of the pantry. That way, they are visible, and quickly accessible.
BACKFILL - If you fill your containers, and you still have food left in its original packaging, clip those bags with a chip clip, and store them in a large basket out of view.
MAINTAIN - Make time to go through and re-organize, and purge every few weeks, or as needed.
Here are the items I used for my pantry (click on the photo for the direct link):
