Junk Drawer Overhaul: Beth's Pretty Pantry

Say hey to Beth, blogger extrodinaire behind the Stories of A2Z. Even though the series is called junk drawer overhaul, I didn't make it that literal. So today step inside a full on pantry (I'm already green with envy about the storage space!) and how she keeps it in order.

There are few things that warm my heart more than an organized space, and I'm thrilled that Stefanie is allowing us to share our messy-turned-organized spaces with you! Feeling inspired to do my own version of a pantry makeover, I set out to tackle my mess of a pantry. Unfortunately I was so eager to dive in and tackle the wretched mess that I forgot to take a before pic for all of you, but it looked a lot like this....

Messy pantry pic courtesy of The Thrifty Couple

And here is the much better....

I have so many projects to tackle in this house, so I made some rules for myself before I started.

• I would not paint the pantry. (It was already painted red when we moved in, but honestly I HATE the red and might have to go back in there and paint it later.)


• I would not buy a bunch of expensive containers/baskets for the pantry. (I only bought the vintage milk crates. 3 for $15.


• I would work with what I had.


• Everything had to still be in the pantry. (No moving things to another cupboard because it's ugly. This was the hardest rule to keep!)

These rules served me well and the project was completed in a day.

I used scrapbook paper, ribbon, and my label gun to make all the tags. Labeling everything ensures that you and your family will keep the space organized.

The vintage milk crates were found on Craigslist for $5 each and I love them! They look cool and hold a ton of stuff.

It was pure luck that the yellow matched my little scrapbook paper tag theme!

I used baskets I already had and just better organized the goods. Also, find ways to get rid of packaging to consolidate items. We always eat granola bars and protein bars. Getting rid of the boxes and keeping the bars in baskets makes them easier to access and cuter to boot.

The floor used to be covered in stuff and you couldn't even walk into the pantry. Now, you can actually see the floor! Bliss! The white bin on the floor is a recycling container from Ikea. I use it to store dried dog food in. It works perfectly.

Here is the side with all the canned goods. The large wood basket on the upper shelf stores paper plates and extra rolls of paper towel, the blue star tin next to it stores vacuum cleaner bags, and the galvanized bucket stores extra light bulbs. These are all random items that look ugly sitting on a shelf but need homes. Using containers I already owned and just repurposing them with labels gave my randomness a home!

I found this chalkboard decal for $2.99 at the Christmas Tree Shop. It adds something to the wall and also helps keep track of items needed from the grocery.

I love it! Thanks Stefanie for letting me share my junky-pantry-mess turned lovely-and-organized-space!

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To see lots more of Beth's home and ingeniuity, visit The Stories of A to Z.