Pantry Update

5 years ago I updated my food storage closet by purchasing a rotating can organizer. You can see the blog here from March 2010. The picture is so blurry, but it's all I have of how my food storage / pantry closet looked. 

This closet is located under my stairs and the door is in the dining area in my kitchen. 

It's been 3 years that I've been an empty nester and this system isn't working for me anymore because I don't need that much food for 1 person. It becomes outdated and I refuse to waste food or throw money away. The boxes were not a useful storage for me anymore. I have broken them down and plan to give them to other extended member of my family who have children at home. I won't throw them away - just recycle to someone who can use them. 

When I updated my pantry 5 years ago, I purchased a bunch of PETE jars to hold bulk dry goods. I stored them 3 jars deep as show in this photo on the top shelf. 

It worked for my small space. However, when I needed something in the back it took some work to get to what I needed. 

One of the blogs I follow "I'm an Organizing Junkie"  posted a Free Printables Round-Up. I loved all the free printables she shared. 

The one I couldn't pass up was Vintage Chalkboard Pantry Labels by Lia Griffith. I purchased some full sheet sticker pages and started printing these cute labels to transform my pantry. 

Jason and Sharon said, "Wow, you went printer happy". 

I love the look of having everything labeled. It took a while to cut each label out, but the end result is beautiful!! 

Behind the jars are #10 cans of additional food storage that are in the PETE jars. 

 This is the side shelf. 

 And the other side.

I love these large PETE jars for Flour, Sugar and Wheat. I still use half white flour and half wheat flour on everything. I don't like 100% wheat flour so I still use half and half. 

My recipe books a basket for chips. 

A couple for bowls for baking, red and sweet potatoes. 

This small cupboard is next to my stove with baking goods.  

 My spice rack above my stove. I went ahead and ordered the spice jars from World Market and the larger glass jars came from Hobby Lobby at 50% off. 

All and all I spent about $50 on my pantry make over. I already had all the PETE jars. The large glass jars - Oregano, Basil, Parsley - and Sea Salt, Corn Starch, Onion Flakes in the pictures above came from Hobby Lobby for $.99 cents each. 

I stored what I canned jars I have on hand in this cabinet next to my fridge. 

I had to manipulate the free labels to print off food items she didn't have. Above are the large labels - ready to add your own food item. 

I opened the label in the "Paint" program. Added white text with the font "Lucida Calligraphy" Bold, at 50 font for the large pantry and 36 for the small pantry - but I changed the size depending on how large the name of the food was. Just play around with it until you find the size/font you love. After I added the names, I printed the labels on a Avery Whole sheet sticker. Then I cut them out. 

You can click on either of these photos and save them to your computer if you want to make your own labels too. I loved her font better, but I didn't have whatever font she used. 

I also liked these smaller labels for my small spice jars with bigger print then the spice labels she had. As I get older, I like the bigger font - grin!. 

 Well, there you have my new improved pantry / food storage for 1 person. It's so organized and pretty. Such fun with free printable!!!