Our new house has a wonderfully large, walk-in pantry, something our house in Small Town did not have. That particular house did not even have a pantry so much as it had a few narrow shelves at the top of the basement steps. What that particular house did have, which this one does not, is a basement.
Organizing the pantry was not high on my list for the first 6 months or so after moving into our current home. Over time, though, I has gotten out of hand. The need for getting it under control is extremely obvious. It is supposed to be a walk-in pantry, but is more of a take-a-step-in-and reach pantry currently.
I have ideas for organizing it. I have great intentions for organizing it. What I do not have is a set in place plan and accountability for organizing it.
A few years back, when faced with a large, daunting project, I turned to the blog and set a challenge for myself, and others, to accomplish a given goal over a set time. The result amazed me. Learning from that experience, here I am again, laying out a goal for myself, challenging you to do the same.
Knowing there were so many options to tackle some of the challenges and needs of this space, I turned to the internet to see how others may have accomplished their organizing. It was great to actually see the results. While not everything is something I would be interested in, it gave me a lot of ideas and inspiration to get going. I was also reaffirmed in the fact that a large budget to accomplish this was not needed.
Sources for ideas and inspiration:
The Most Frugal Way To Organize A Pantry at Bless’re House – For less than $50 and some DIY skill repurposing cardboard boxes, Lauren created organization in her walk-in pantry. She also has a free printable to help keep you on track as to what you need to pick up next time you go grocery shopping.
Pantry Organization on a Budget: Dollar Store Organizing at Alejandra.tv – Alejandra organized her pantry using dollar store items, spending about $42 for all the containers and storage solutions.
5 Smart & Inexpensive Ways To Store More In Your Pantry at Kitchn.com – I loved these ideas. Very practical, making use of spaces we otherwise might overlook or not consider. Personally, I can see the idea of the magazine rack working well in my pantry.
Steps to Organize Pantry:
- Find inspiration (refer back to this step as needed)
- Consider how the space is used
- Come up with an on-paper layout/plan
- Obtain supplies
- Create storage solutions, if needed
- Clear off kitchen counters and completely empty out pantry
- Place things back, in proper places
- Make adjustments as needed
Now to take action and actually get the job done. Obviously I am failing at Step 1 – find inspiration. How do you get yourself motivated to do jobs you are not looking forward to beginning?