Pantry Organization | Creating your space

Sue wrote to me with a request for pantry organization solutions. Hers is under the stairs, so it is quite oddly shaped. While it seems she is all set with efficient pantry-depth shelving, she still has struggles. She sent some photos:

In studying the photos she sent in, I came up with five good tips that just might help her keep what she needs within easy reach.

Think of your pantry in terms of zones: Baking, Canned Goods, Boxed Foods, Tupperware, Glassware, Small Appliances, Party Supplies, etc. Put items from the most used zones in the front. This helps tremendously when it’s time to prep a meal and when groceries come home.
An over-the-door clear plastic shoe organizer can hold your seasoning packets, soup mixes, back stocks of spices, even canned items or animal treats.
Magazine holders are just the right size to hold aluminum foil, Saran wrap, and wax paper upright and make it easy to grab.
Use milk crates, or plain cardboard boxes to corral larger items like appliances or bulk bottled water on the floor of the pantry.
Small- and medium-sized, clear or perforated bins work perfectly for grouping like items. Use one for all of your pasta, one for your grains, one for bags of rice, one for beans. You can use them for canned goods too. Label them clearly. It’s much easier to pull out a whole bin, than to push items aside, to find something at the back.

Here are some suggestions to help with the process. All of the following products can be found at Target stores or at Target.com.