How to organize a small pantry on a budget.
I have become slightly (or maybe a lot) obsessed with all of the fun organizing shows on Netflix (hello Home Edit!). These shows have inspired me to tackle my entire home and get it more organized once and for all. I’ve been dreaming of all things baskets and containers (and rainbows…..hello again Home Edit). The only problem with this dream is that baskets and containers can get expensive fast. I knew there had to be a better way, so I went where all frugal people go….The Dollar Tree, of course! And, happily, I found just what I needed for my pantry makeover! Today, I am excited to show you my Dollar Tree pantry organization tips!
I love shopping at my local Dollar Tree because they have a great selection of budget friendly products, and no this post is not sponsored in any way shape or form, just sharing my truth!
This article contains affiliate links. I will be compensated for purchases made using links from this post.
The Before
Here is my pantry before the makeover happened. It’s basically just randomly mismatched items placed on shelves. There is really no rhyme or reason about it all.
My goal for my pantry makeover was to create a pantry that was functional, but also pretty! I had the thought that if the pantry is visually appealing we will have more motivation to keep it organized (fingers crossed).
My pantry is also very small, so I needed something to maximize the space, without it looking to cluttered.
The After
And here is my pantry after I organized it! It is nothing fancy, but it looks so much better, don’t you think?!?! And, I only spent $13 on the entire thing! I know, I was shocked too! My budget was set at $20, but I wasn’t complaining when I spent less!
The Containers
I knew I needed containers to give my pantry the makeover it deserved. After browsing a few aisles at the Dollar Tree I came to the food storage section and knew these would be perfect. They could easily be used as a clear basket instead of a food storage container! So, I grabbed 4 of them and left the lids behind.
Next, I wanted to look for something pretty and modern. And, I found exactly what I wanted in the next aisle. Dollar Tree had so many basket options to choose from, I was very impressed!
I ended up buying a few of these pretty purple and gold baskets. Don’t you love them???? Seriously, so pretty!! I couldn’t wait to get home and put them to use.
The Process
Organizing my pantry really didn’t take a lot of work, but it did take some time.
The first step was to take every single thing out of the pantry and place them on my countertop. My kids kept asking me why I was making a mess, but you’ve got to make a mess before you can clean up the mess! Right???? Right!
Once you have taken everything out of your pantry, you can start putting it back, but this time, in an organized fashion. It took me some trial and error to find the right places for everything, but I was able to make it work!
It Needs To Make Sense
When it comes to organizing your home, it is so important that it makes sense to you and your family. My pantry will be different than your pantry, because my families needs are different than yours.
“What makes sense for me?” is the question I kept asking myself as I organized my pantry.
I decided my baking items, such as flour, oil, sugar, etc. needed to be up high because I didn’t use them often. My heavy appliances were placed low, so that I didn’t have to lift them up and down when getting them out. And then everything else, the items we used regularly, were placed at arms height for easy to reach. And this all made sense for me and my Dollar Tree pantry organization.
Snacks
Most of the snacks I have for the kids are misshaped and random. I knew they needed to go into baskets, to help give them a more uniformed and clean look.
All of the packaging and boxes of each snack were thrown away and I was able to find a basket for each snack by category. One basket is for crackers, one for fruit cups, another is for granola bars, and lastly a basket for our pudding mixes.
I love how the baskets made these random items look.
Next up was organizing my clear containers. I used these for some of my basic cooking supplies.
The Home Edit always includes beautiful labels on each of their baskets. But, I decided to just use a dry erase marker! Not only was it free, but it also means I can erase the label and write a new one when needed. Yay!
And lastly, I organized my pasta sauces and noodles in these beautiful gold baskets. They are short enough to easily grab what I need, but oh so pretty!
And now my pantry MAKES SENSE!
In Conclusion
It IS possible to organize your pantry on a budget! I love how my new pantry turned out and I love that I didn’t have to spend a fortune to do it! Remember, to get creative and be willing to think outside of the box.
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