Emerging from the bat cave
I’ve announced the winners at the bottom of this post. Thank you to everyone who left me a comment!
I’m emerging from the “Bat Cave” once again, able to catch my breath and get back to blog posting. For the last three weeks, I’ve been in “design mode”. My friends know not to text me, call me or drop by during this design process because I’m not good company. If you haven’t read about my pattern design process you can read about it here. Nothing changes about this process except the deadlines and what I snack on. I have a “pre-market” fabric line this time so my deadline was today (January 30th). You’ll be seeing the results of my labor sometime in March or April.
Pantry Organization
I loved all your comments, emails and suggestions in my last post. I’m finally ready to start my pantry organization and I’ve ordered some containers from Amazon. I ordered one of each item below so I can see how I like them. What you think of these?
These are all arriving today and I’m anxious to get started! If you’re thinking about organizing your pantry, I found some wonderful blog posts here, but I still have a few questions for any of you who have tackled a pantry…when you clean your pantry do you take everything out first? Start one shelf at a time? Work on one section at a time? And how do you store your pet food (I buy large bags from Chewy)? Do you keep your general first aid things (like bandaids, cold medications, etc. in your pantry?
Guess what? If you leave me some suggestions, you’ll be automatically entered in my first giveaway of the year! I’ll tell you about it at the end of this post.
Anne Cleeves, Shetland Books
I just finished reading Anne Cleeves last book in the Shetland series and I’m onto the Vera Stanhope series. Thank you to all who told me about the TV series already being available! I just have a few questions for you: How are you watching these? Did you go through Amazon Prime and sign up for Britbox? Did you pay for a Britbox subscription and is it worth the monthly price? I plan on watching these on Sunday while my hubby is tuned into the Super Bowl so please let me know. Any information you leave for me will automatically enter you in my giveaway!
Bunny Hill Giveaway
I’ve rounded up some Country Christmas fabrics for a giveaway and here’s what you could win! Are you ready? A Country Christmas Fat Quarter Bundle, or Fat Eighth Bundle. A Country Christmas Jelly Roll (I have two of these) or a layer cake! Or, a Country Christmas Honey Bun (I have two of these)!
This is a pretty sneaky giveaway because I hope to get some free advice! I’ll pick some winners in just a few days and announce them right here on this post. If you can’t think of any “pantry organizing” ideas you can always tell me what you have planned for Super Bowl Sunday! I live in the San Francisco area so I am surrounded by 49er fans!
Back soon,
Anne
Winners!
- The winner of the fat quarter bundle is Karen Seitz who wrote:I hope you make great progress on your projects! I keep my dog’s dry food in a plastic trash can with lid that I got a million years ago at Crate and Barrel. This one from Ikea looks similar and is steel: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/knodd-bin-with-lid-white-60045656/ The container is on the floor of a closet that acts as extended pantry and small tool storage. The closet is conveniently located right next to Phoebe’s bowls. :-)
- The winner of my first fat eighth bundle is Karen who wrote:Anne- you may want to consider a subscription to ACORN instead of adding BritBox to your Amazon Prime. Duplicates almost all the BB offerings plus quite a few others including scads of BBC mysteries ( including Vera) but costs quite a bit less for an annual subscription vs the monthly BB charge. Just another possibility.
- Winner of my second fat eighth bundle is Sharon Treece who wrote:Anne here is a great way to keep the small items close and not lost in all the big stuff.
- Winner of 1st Jelly Roll is Gayle who wrote: Sorry I can’t help with organizing your pantry or where to watch the movies😢. But to avoid the football on Sunday, I will be starting the “ABC’S of life for grandbaby #6. Yes I have made this 6 times. Good luck with your organizing 👏👏
- Winner of the second Jelly Roll is Barbara who wrote:When I clean the pantry, I first make a picture of the current arrangement & then I take everything off the shelves & do not let anyone in the kitchen ’till I complete the cleaning & rearranging of the shelves. We’ve a large kitchen with an aircraft carrier sized island providing plenty of stackable space; the first items to be restocked are the home canned vegetables, they are always on the top shelf out of the light. Next, are the few Kroger canned goods, along with lots of ingredients for our love of the Mexican, Italian, Irish, & Middle Eastern dishes. On the floor of the pantry, I’ve baskets filled with different Rices, Beans & the King Arthur Flours with the White Lilly Flour (for Biscuits), & home ground Corn Meal for my Great Grandmothers Corn Bread recipe. I’ve also my brothers home raised Honeys & a Vermont friend who keeps us well supplied with Maple Syrup from their trees. I do not keep any emergency medical supplies in the pantry, instead we always have a shelf in a Linen Closet in a plastic rectangular box to keep them together.
We keep our Pet Food (6 Fishes) in a sealed container from Simple Human, it always stays fresh & they love it. I must apologize for writing an epistle. Good luck & buy an Amazon Fire Stick to watch anything on television!
- Winner of the layer cake is Donna Williams who wrote:I did just clean the pantry yesterday. Everything came out, checked for expiration dates (I had too many of those, will pay closer attention so I don’t have any or at least a few), shelves wiped down. I put all my baking stuff together,much easier to find, and my nuts and beans on another. As far as Britbox, I do that through Amazon and I also have Acorn. Hooked on British tv, and I’m never without something to watch. Shetland is awesome, Vera is my fave. AND season 10 just started so very excited for that. Best of luck and enjoy Vera.
- Winner of a honey bun is Sandy Kendrick who wrote:
I love my carousel spice rack. Couldn’t imagine not having one. There are so many great spices I use all the time. This makes it so easy to find what I’m looking for. Good luck!
- Winner of a honey bun is Terri Wetzel who wrote:Because extra boxes of foil, plastic wrap, and zip lock boxes don’t stay stacked. I store them on end in plastic magazine storage files, purchased from a office supply store. Clean pantry one shelf at a time.
Maybe sewing or embroidery on Sunday am. Going to friends for potluck for Super Bowl.Go 49ers!
There were so many great comments, I can’t thank you enough! I’ve gotten so much information from you. I hope all of you enjoyed reading all the suggestions. I took a before photo of my pantry and as soon as I’m done organizing I’ll show it to you along with the “after” photo. The before photo is a bit embarrassing I might add.
150 Comments
Judy Stolz
I just used boxes and containers I had on hand, those clear ones look so nice…….and yes I took everything out first so I could really wash down to shelves before starting putting things back in, and I organized so that like were with like – baking supplies, puddings, vegetables, fruits, etc…..but I don’t have a very large pantry so any big bags or jars just don’t fit into it at all.
Donna H
I have no suggestions, I think I will order some of those containers! Thanks for the advice!
Barb
I love storage containers. I transfer my cereal, rice, flour, etc into clear containers with lids that are sealed tight. I also put my expiration date and label what is in each. When I clean I take one shelf at a time, wipe it down, and make sure everything that I put back is still within the expiration date. I try to keep all like items together, baking items together, veggies, etc. I love the clear containers to organize small items so they aren’t getting lost. Can’t wait to see it.
Dolores
No pantry and I plan to embroidery on my Sundresses on Super Bowl Sunday.
JanetF
Great question! I will be reading these answers with great interest, since we just got a new pantry. One thing I did buy were stacking shelves (I have always used these all over the house) – you can put them end to end, too, for more coverage (https://tinyurl.com/sufvlc5). We keep first aid supplies in the hall bath in one of those plastic shoebox containers. I buy big bags from Chewy as well. I have a 1 gallon container where I keep food and the rest of the large bag gets put into 1 gallon ziplocks that I use to refill the container (those go in a cupboard in the garage) – the ziplocks can be re-filled again and again and this way nothing’s too cumbersome. And during Superbowl? Probably cooking, doing handwork, and basking in the glow of the new herb garden I’ll be planting that morning!
Thanks for the opportunity, Anne! I’d love to win some of your Country Christmas fabrics … they’ll be perfect for the Country Christmas pattern I bought a few weeks ago!
Sandra
I love your design, I like the transparency of the organizers. At least you can see what you are “hiding” – I think you understand what I am trying to convey. My favourite organizer, is the canned rack. My cans are on top of one another, very messy & shoved in the dark corners of the cupboards. I can’t stand it! With the rack you can easily see all the labels. No more shuffling cans in the cupboard. Tres chic, with the new organization!
Joan
I put my cheese sticks in a big mug in the fridge, so it is easy for the grandkids to find them.
Linda Valentino
I don’t have a pantry 😔. But super Sunday is for shopping 🛍 then sewing🧵!
Debbie Highcock
Anne,
There is nothing more satisfying than an organized pantry! It’s like a good day in your sewing studio. I have a shelf dedicated to all my baking ingredients! So when it’s time to bake a pie, cake or cookies, everything is “grab and go!” I love putting my ingredients in the OXO storage containers! I hope this helps you with your pantry project!
Hum! A warm cookie sounds nice too!
Love and stitches.
Debbie Highcock
carolyn
I’m anxious to hear what suggestions you get because I just moved into a house with an original pantry cabinet built in 1927 and desperately need some ideas to organize it! I keep flours and sugar in snap tite containers which I ordered from Amazon and corral all of our granola bars in baskets. Beyond that I need lots of help!
Diane Cannon
I use alot of the heavy zip lock bags for holding things–like brown sugar, conf sugar, oatmeal ect–as they are lighter weight than glass jars for me to handle–and they seal really tight so things stay fresh alot longer ( I just put the original bag right into the zip bag–so I also always know what it is and it has the expiration date on it–so easy) I will be watching an old western and working with needle and thread –no football here–now NASCAR–that is different!!!! Have fun with the projects-
luv, di
Marguerite Guinn
The best pantry organizing tip I have is to use clear bins (similar to the ones you ordered) to keep small (and big) things organized. When I sold my house almost 7 years ago, I bought a house with NO pantry space. It has been a challenge to keep things organized in the space I have. My previous house had a lovely pantry with tons of storage. I will be moving soon and the new house has a really nice pantry. I am very excited about it! I saw a pantry online today that had really sweet wallpaper on the walls behind the shelves. I may just try that in the new space!
Sharon
This is about the Ann Cleeves Books and watching them you can google her and will tell you what site to view them on. They also have the Vera Stanhope series you can find on ahylu. Just found Shetland novels titled Shetland on Netflix, PBS and Amazon video. Yu can follow Ann Cleeves on Twitter but I don’t tweet.
Rena Guth
well, everything you showed looked great. I took it a step further and got a large bin for all the loose stuff that ends up falling behind things in the pantry, open bags of spices, noodles etc.
Wendy
I like the can storage rack and the jar. What will you be putting in it?{jar}I usually do a shelf at a time, wash down and rearrange. Items I use most go on shelf at eye level. Least used go on upper shelves. I do put bandaids and medicines in bathroom cabinet. Have fun!
Barb K
I have a couple small round turntables that I organize my spices on in my cupboard–spins around so you can see all the containers!
Martina
I like your new containers. Especially the first one looks so handy. I normally work shelf by shelf and sort food by expiring date. I have a bigger place for food, two smaller ones for cleaning stuff and emergency.
Look forward ti hesr how you are doing with the sorting out.
And can‘t wait to see your new fabric line 😊🙋🏻♀️
Susan Spiers
I live in a really small place, without much pantry space. I bought a shelving unit in order to catch the pantry overflow & keep my countertops clear! Option: may or may not cover shelving with a curtain/cover!
Marylou Wahl
Oops I hit send before I should! I wish I had a pantry to organize kitchen cabinets are not enough! As for Super Bowl Sunday I will be wielding a needle!
Marylou Wahl
Ma
Debbi
I always take everything out since I try to keep like things together and there are always a few items that have wandered. I put my dog food and cat food in giant Tupperware type containers that are designed for this purpose and have wheels on the back. I live in the buggy Southern US and critters will chew through the paper bags that the food comes in. You may not have this problem. If your shelves have room, I have a friend with chalkboard labels on her pantry shelves so she can note what is in various places. This helps with her husband and children returning things to the proper area. Have fun with your pantry – I love organizing!
Pat Hannan
Organization ideas, add hooks inside your pantry for reusable bags. I use plastic shoeboxes to organize many of my things.
Diane H
Those are fabulous items you have ordered to help organize your pantry. I clean my pantry shelves one at a time by first removing all the containers and packages. I like to keep all my bulk items in similar containers so my pantry looks neat. We watched Shetland and Vera on PBS. My Superbowl plan will be to work on a quilt.
Maurine Johnson
I do one shelf at a time as well. I love your containers! I can’t wait to see how you like them.
Lisa Lyons
I have the fridge organizers and love them! Also bought the 18 egg container for my fridge, and love it as well. Mason jars seem to be my “go to” for organizing. I honestly love all of your fabric!
Ann Keener
Place frequently used items at eye level, heavier items on bottom shelves, and items used only occassionally on higher shelves. Spices on turntables.
Debra Walsh
I always clean one cabinet at a time. Removing everything, wiping down, polishing the wood doors etc. I also added a few items this year. I have large commercial metal shelves for appliances, on the edge of the shelves I hung S hooks and hang pots and plastics. On the counter I have large glass jars containing laundry and dishwasher tabs. I don’t have any small children so no worries there. I also have paper towel holders for trash bags. Hope these ideas will help.
Chris J.
Love your pantry ideas. I had my husband build drawers in mine to hold my spices. I just roll it out and see what I have. I marked all the lids on the sides as well as the top. I clean it out every few months so that I don’t have duplicates. I buy the tall spice bottles at my local grocery store.
Also, I have both Britbox andAcorn. Some like Vera and others don’t have the complete series on each site. That’s why I have both. Enjoy.
Sharon Ernst
LOVE your organizing choices! Those acrylic bins will be wonderful! I still keep my band-aids and medicines in the bathroom. But I bought clear acrylic trays in the dish dept. at Target to keep everything neat and orderly. Enjoy your day! It’s going to feel good to have that all neat and tidy! ♥️♥️
Gale
Sorry I can’t help with organizing your pantry or where to watch the movies😢. But to avoid the football on Sunday, I will be starting the “ABC’S of life for grand baby #6. Yes I have made this 6 times. Good luck with your organizing 👏👏
Michele T
My husband added shelves in my pantry and bathroom cabinet to better use the space and it works beautifully.
Cara S
Since my pantry shelves are rather deep; I’ve found the clear plastic organizer’s for soda can storage work very well for things like soups, beans, tomatoes and other vegetables. The larger version of clear tray organizer work for all those cooking essentials like oil and vinegars.
Pat Hergert
Vera is available now on PBS in the Seattle area. I am completely hooked and look forward to reading the books. I am enjoying the Faith Fairchild series by Katherine Page Hall if you are looking for a new light mystery series. I’m on book 17 and the author has done a great job of growing Faith and her family while keeping the stories interesting. So often a long series gets repetitive but these have not. Happy designing – looking forward to seeing the results!
Amanda Best
I like the clear rectangular bins for holding, bagged things like pasta, etc. To keep them tidy and from falling over, spilling, etc…
Carmen Montmarquet
I keep a couple of clear bins in the fridge for yogurt and sodas. I clean my pantry one shelf at a time. Love watching Vera and Shetland. We have Netflix and Amazon Prime and have Brit box and Acorn thru that! Love the British shows!!
Bev Hovis
I clean one shelf at a time starting at the top! I’m liking my new try at organizing using a plastic box the length of my shelf, to hold cans. Just pull it out and you can see.
Gammy T
When I clean out my pantry-just did this in December-I take everything out and check for expiration dates if necessary while I’m removing items. I set everything on the counter or table, organizing a bit as I go since things seem to migrate to the wrong places! After it’s all removed, I do a thorough cleaning of shelves and walls (they can collect dust) before replacing the items. Last month my granddaughter helped me and it went really quickly, and felt so good when it was put back together-ready for the frenzy of holiday baking :)
Sharon Treece
Anne her is a great way to keep the small items close and not lost in all the big stuff.
https://www.wayfair.com/storage-organization/pdp/rebrilliant-culebra-6-basket-overdoor-organizer-w001312855.html
elin c pittman
I love the canned food organizer! I can never see the cans in the back of my deep dark pantry. Husband can’t see it unless it is front and center. Do you think it would work for shorter glass bottles like salsa?
Carole
I’ve been using the clear boxes in my fridge to keep things lined up…they work pretty well….Just bought some larger jars and they are pretty but ….I’m on the fence to see if they will work for me! As for SuperBowl…big big party here…50-60 peeps…we are in Santa Rosa so many 49’s fans will be here….Mexican is our theme.
Jane
Watching the game
mimisdarlins
These are great organizing aids! I especially like the can shelves… I always stack my cans but this might be even better. I empty my pantry one shelf at a time for cleaning, and I keep my first aid supplies in a linen closet. My tip: I always put new cans on the bottom of the stack so when I grab one off the top, I’m using the oldest date first.
Thanks for the great giveaway! I love that fabric line :)
Melissa Gerber
Pantry tip: if you transfer something to a container make sure that you note on the container the item you are putting in (“Raisin Bran”) and the date. That way you will know if it is still good or not. I have a subscription to Britbox and I love it. However, I would not subscribe to a streaming service for just one show. I love British television, so it was an easy decision for me. As for the Super Bowl, I watch it for the ads. My husband is a big 49ers fan, so we will be watching.
Wenda
No tips for pantry. Super bowl Sunday will be spent cheering and munching!
Katherine
Anne- you may want to consider a subscription to ACORN instead of adding BritBox to your Amazon Prime. Duplicates almost all the BB offerings plus quite a few others including scads of BBC mysteries ( including Vera) but costs quite a bit less for an annual subscription vs the monthly BB charge. Just another possibility.
Shirley Burt
I do one shelf at a time. For all those packet type items, I use a container with lid. Then I use large index cards and write what is in it and slide it inside where I can easily read the contents. I can stack two or three on top of each other and try to keep the heaviest one on the bottom of the stack. It is so much easier to control and use the items before they expire this way. Good luck.
Jan A.
I like your choice of new storage items, particularly that jar! When I reorganize my kitchen cupboards (no pantry here), I take everything out of just one cupboard at a time, but all the shelves in that cupboard. Can’t wait to see the product of your latest design efforts!
Sharon Decker
You’ve given me an idea. I think I will reorganize my pantry on Sunday and sew some.
Holly Hendershott
When I cleaned out my pantry I did it shelf by shelf. Taking everything out of the whole pantry seemed overwhelming to me. I have two pantries, one for food, soda, etc. and the other for cleaning supplies, dog and cat food and everything I need to take care of my plants. I don’t like to keep anything but food in the one. I am afraid anything else like first aid stuff will get lost within the food. I like the organizing things you bought especially the round carousel
SUE PLASTER
no tips for pantry organizing. Super bowl Sunday sew!