We’re back to share how we fared when it came to our big cabinet clean-out which we announced late last week and tackled this weekend (hopefully along with a bunch of you guys at home). Remember our pathetic starting point? Of course you do. Those two chaotic double cabinets (where we store every single edible item in our kitchen, except for the stuff in the fridge) were pretty hard to forget:
But now we’ll reveal what they look like after a few hours of weekend weeding out and reworking:
First we followed the 100% empty rule and cleared out both cabinets and placed everything on the counter so we could evaluate what we had, pair like with like, toss anything that was past its prime, and see what we were dealing with.
Once we looked at it all en masse it was easy to see that we had just a few popular categories that kept popping up again and again. So if we could keep things grouped by these reoccurring descriptions we would always know where to put specific things (which practically makes our organization efforts automatic). For the first double cabinet, those categories were: cereal, pasta, sides, snacks, crackers, and cans & soups.
So we decided to hit up Michael’s for some cheap-o metal labels (found in the scrapbooking aisle by the way) that we could hang on each shelf to delineate each area. We especially love that unlike self adhering stickers (like those from a label maker), these metal frames look more polished, and they hold pieces of paper that can easily be switched out if we ever want to recategorize anything at a later date. And at a mere $2.19 for four labels, we came home with more than we needed for just six dollars and some change.
Oh and when it came to hanging them, first we measured to ensure they were all lined up, then we pre-drilled tiny little holes using the metal frame as a template for where the nails would go, and then we gently hammered those nails into the small pre-drilled holes we made. Worked like a charm. Note: for a less permanent hanging job, double stick tape or even velcro could have done the trick. We just knew we’d like having them around for the long haul.
In the photo above you can see that when it came to our “sides” category we had a bunch of slippery envelopes that we used to attempt to stack (yeah, not possible) but eventually we just ended up shoving them between two heavier objects to try to keep them somewhat together. Now thanks to a clear plastic caddy that I already had laying around, they’re much more controlled and easy to store.
And grouping our pasta with our sauce seems like a no brainer, but that idea never occurred to us before since we just mindlessly jammed everything into the cabinets and called it a day. Now we feel oh so elegant for having a little section for that stuff, and of course we love that we were able to swank things up even more with two lidded glass containers (just $5.29 a pop at Target) for our always-purchased-in-bulk snacks (almond biscotti and Wasa crackers). Hey, whatever floats your boat right? Plus they stay a lot fresher since they both come in not-very-easily-resealed packaging. Double bonus.
Oh and if you look on the bottom shelf you’ll see another added organizational item that we introduced: a little wire shelf (that we already had on hand). It really helps us gain more usable vertical space for smaller items that get all jumbled up and lost without some semblance of order. And I even had two green stationery boxes (leftover from a slew of Thank You notes that I sent off after my baby shower) which were perfectly sized for housing some random packets of oatmeal and a bunch of granola bars (sometimes finding a way to lose all that bulky packaging frees up way more space, plus it makes it even easier to grab something on the go).
We even paused to sort through our DIY in-cabinet cork boards full of recipes and nutritional articles to pare things down and eliminate the unnecessary visual clutter (see the original post about those cork boards and how we hung them here).
They cleaned up nice, right?
Now we’ll move over to the other cabinet, which used to house everything from spaghetti and sauce to baking goods, oils, and spices. We immediately realized that it made more sense to dedicate one cabinet to snacks, sides, pasta, crackers, soup, etc- while the other cabinet was devoted to spices, cooking oil, sauces, and baking ingredients. Again, this should have been more intuitive to us, but we’ve lived with our new kitchen for years without reaching this obvious realization. So we looked at all the items that would be going back into this cabinet and arrived at a few more overarching categories that we could use to create a spot for everything. We landed on: powdered mixes, baking ingredients, sauces, baking accessories, spices and cooking oils.
Again we loved how the labels instantly created a system to keep like items together (and that the categories could easily be changed if we wanted to move things around in the future).
But when it came to storing some greasier bottomed items (like cooking spray, canola oil, etc) we had another challenge inside this cabinet. Namely, gross rings left behind.
But it was nothing a few $1.99 placemats from Target couldn’t fix.
We were able to cut one in half and create two different 100% wipeable (and even dishwasher safe) protective mats for under the sticky sauces and the cooking oils that can now be stored without fear that they’ll nastify our shelves.
And you might be wondering what sort of “baking accessories” are stored in that box. Well, we already had it laying around, and it totally works for keeping all of our sprinkles, icing nozzles, cookie cutters and cupcake liners together. And it’s super convenient to just whip out the entire box when it comes time to bake something (instead of losing nozzles and cupcake liners in the back of the cabinets, it’s now much easier to see what we have and get to the business of decorating).
And not to be overachievers, but there was one more kitchen cabinet that was a bit, er, lackluster. We store many of our skillets and pans in the drawer under the stove, but we have a few pots and lids that spill over into the base cabinet on the right.
And it’s not that it looked cluttered or messy per se, it just didn’t feel organized. And if you looked closely you could see that the lids and the bases of the pots were leaving tiny marks on the shelves as they were slid in and out.
Luckily those marks were easily removed with a sponge, and then all we needed to do was pick up a lid rack ($9.39 at Target) and two more of those $1.99 placemats (which we taped together to create one large wipeable protective surface under the pots on the bottom shelf). No more scrape marks- and it looks a lot more organized too.
So that’s how it all went down this weekend when we finally decided to tackle our dreaded kitchen cabinets. And we’re pleased to report that the whole project ran us less than $30 for all of our storage-friendly additions (from those metal label holders and the placemats to the pot lid organizer and the glass jars for keeping snacks fresh).
But enough about us- how’d you guys do? Did any of you tackle your kitchen cabinets and live to tell the tale? Any tips or tricks you implemented to keep things under control? Did anyone attempt an organizational task outside of the kitchen (in the garden, the garage or the basement for example)? Do tell.
Psst- Wondering how we stash and store nearly everything else in our house? Click here for all the dirty deets.
I love the placemat idea! It seems like they would last much longer than paper.
I should really do this. My cabinets are ridiculous!
For me, I found that stacking the spices looked nice but when it came time to use them, it created a headache. As I would pull a spice from the top or middle row I would knock down at least one bottle from a lower shelf – more than likely it turned into a game of Spice Dominoes that I did NOT want to play as evidenced by my verbal assault on the spices. It was their fault, right?!
I switched them to a small lazy susan – oh, I LOVE it! All of the commonly used spices go around the outer edge of the circle, in alphabetical order of course. The rarely used and brand new bottles waiting for their predecessor to empty.
When I am cooking now, I can play “Give It A Spin” instead which does not involve falling bottles!!
Wow. This post has definately inspired me to clean out my own kitchen cabinets. We are renting right now, which sometimes makes it hard to take ownership of decorating/ reorganizing. What a ridiculous excuse! Thank you for the inspiration to begin making my house a home!
Why when I comment here do I do so in the wrong place, leave only partial thoughts and generally make myself look like an idiot?!
The rarely used and full bottles go in the middle of the lazy susan. Which by the way, she can hardly be called lazy!
I made sure to get one that fits in my cabinet so it’s all out of sight.
Your cabinets look great!
I love to cook and grocery shop and I have ten times the amount of pantry items to you have. I wish I could exercise some restraint, but I can’t fight the urge to purchase exotic spices, sauces, and pantry items. My other downfalls are glassware and random kitchen tools.
You’ve inspired me to go through my kitchen and make some Goodwill donations.
Thanks for the inspiration. I haven’t tackled my cabinets yet but seeing yours makes me want to whip mine back into shape pronto. Will there be a future post on organizing the refrigerator? I hope so!
I love your blog and think you two have creative ideas.
It seems you try to be healthy about what you eat. Have you considered tossing the microwave popcorn. It’s on the top 7 “worst foods” list – it’s HORRIBLE for you. Plus, you can do it so easily in a plain brown paper bag (which you can reuse) in the microwave. SO much more economical too!
Julie- Never knew that! Thanks for the tip!
Molly- We’ll definitely have to tackle the fridge one of these days! Stay tuned…
xo,
s
off topic here…but…i love all the photos you post of baby Clara! Not that John isn’t pretty to look at, but Sherry i don’t see you in any photos yet!! don’t like your pic taken? or are you just the one with the camera in her hands all the time!!?
Amelia- Yup, I’m that crazy mom with the camera glued to her hand taking photos of every single thing Clara does. I’ll definitely have to get in front of the lens from time to time though. Just to document that I actually exist!
Wintry Mix- We actually don’t buy things in bulk very much at all. We find that a lot of things that are on sale are discounted even if you don’t buy ten of them (for example, two for five dollars means we buy two of something, not ten). We just learned that storing all that extra stuff robs us of valuable space so it’s not “worth” it to have a house stuffed to the gills with stuff when we can just buy what we need for the time being and trust that things will be on sale again (they always seem to be when we go to the store!). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
The after definitely looks great, but I just have to ask: OMG where is all your food?? It’s just my husband and I living here and we seriously have about 4 times that amount of food in our shelves. That’s even with all of our spices stuck to the outside of our fridge in magnetic containers! I don’t get it. We do buy a lot of things when they’re on sale, so will often have a half dozen cans of the same thing, etc…but I figured you thrifty YHLers do the same thing, no? Do you keep extras someplace else in the house, like a basement shelf or pantry or something?
You guys are amazing! I love that you really do tackle EVERYTHING. I’m very much into organizing everything and while hubby rolls his eyes, he truly appreciates how easy it is to find everything.
I loved the little name plates you added, fun touch. I always love seeing that you are also so into Organic foods. I agree with Julie though, the chemicals in the bags of microwave popcorn are the worst. Whole Foods has already popped popcorn in bags with nothing added-no salt or oil at all. I like Julie’s method though too-I think I’ll try that. :)
Thanks for continuing to be such an inspiration. As I write this I’ve been bogged down with work projects but I think it’s a no-brainer to take 15 minutes, even if it means just organizing one cupboard. It seems I just did the cupboards but it’s time again. LOVED the placemat idea-I’m going to scout some out!
~Karla
Thanks for posting the results–you inspired me to clean out my pantry this weekend, too! It feels so great to have an organized food stash, and now my husband doesn’t have to wonder what snacks might be buried in the back!
Organized cupboards are such a pleasure. It looks like your placemat idea works great, too, but I wanted to share my solution. With our multiple moves and dealing with wiping out messes from previous owners, I’ve learned to invest in the cheapest sticky back vinyl floor tiles and line the kitchen and bathroom cabinets. Placement and cleanup is so easy, and brightens the interiors without paint.
Love your blog! Thanks for your awesome tips and decorating ideas.
I so need to do this. Thanks for inspiring, as usual!
I also love that you eat organic! So glad to see more people caring about what goes in our bodies and our earth!
http://www.kellyloves.wordpress.com
I love the look of those metal labels. But I was wondering, do they allow your cabinets to fully shut? I’m re-doing my kitchen in the near future, and love that idea, but I’m wondering about their functionality. Thanks!
Yes, definitely! There’s still about another centimeter of clearance since the closed cabinets rest on rubber “stoppers” so they don’t slam (as wood on wood would do without those stoppers). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Wonderful job guys! You’ve inspired me to do mine.. I think this calls for a trip to IKEA.
Wow, I shop for myself only and have more food than you guys do. Kudos for having the discipline not to over-buy and lose track of what you have! I’m the queen of accidentally buying a second jar of spaghetti sauce since I thought I was out…
Love the use of the placemats for this sticky/oily/messy bottles. I’m picking some up for our cabinets next time I’m out! Thanks for that tip.
I like your organizational tips–but I have to say, I am SO jealous of you having empty shelves! I can’t believe you have a huge cupboard with only 3 lids and two pots! My kitchen is very well organized, but I have to triple and quadruple stack things to fit all the dishes and food, which is always annoying when I’m trying to grab one thing in a hurry.
I am so inspired. I need to pick up some of those placemats.
Looks great! I have to do this every 6 mos. or so, because I only have one double cupboard for all our food (not including spices or baking), and it just gets a little jumbled every so often.
My question is this: where the heck are your fry pans? You have that big cupboard for two little sauce pans! I suppose they are probably in your broiler drawer. I don’t have a broiler drawer anymore due to a double oven, but even when I did, I didn’t like using it to store my pans because they’d get so scratched up. I’d put shelf liner in between, but they’d always find a way to get dinged.
Instead, I use a 2-tier plate organizer I got at Target or Walmart. Mine looks similar this but is bamboo: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Neu-Home-3-Tier-Corner-Shelf/10929078). Each tier holds a frying pan and its lid, and I left about 2″ from the side of the cabinet to store my small fry pan on its side between the wall and the rack.
For my food storage, I just stack all the bowls up on a shelf, and use this wire basket to store the lids right underneath: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/detail.gsp?image=http://i.walmartimages.com/i/p/00/01/49/82/18/0001498218840_500X500.jpg&product_id=8832623&iIndex=1&isVariant=false&corpCard=false&type=-9223372036854775808. It keeps them all contained nicely, and my mixing bowls still fit under that wire shelf on the bottom of the cabinet. It works well for glass or plastic, or both like me!
Anyway, I just thought I’d share my little pan organizer find with you in the event you are hate your oven pan storage like I did.
Becky G,
We store most of our pots and pans in the drawer under the stove. The cabinet that we showed is just for overflow. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Im a new follower to your blog and love checking it out every morning for new ideas and diy tips. We just bought our first house and trying to do it so frugally. Garage sales, thrift stores, craigslist, freecycle and Habitat for Humanity Restore–has help us make it all so realistic. I definitely love your idea for the placemats and lid holder–wow!! I have one kitchen storage question–how do you store your tupperware?? Those darn lids.. Love you guys and congrats on your new little one!!!
Hey Leticia,
Just read back through the comments for tons of ideas. We actually use glass storage containers instead of anything plastic, but tons of readers have thrown out excellent tupperware storage suggestions. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
For tupperware like plastic containers, I stack them into one another, and store the lids in order of size in cardboard magazine holders (from Ikea, 6 for about $5 I think). This way, if I am putting dinner away or packing a lunch, I just have to pull out the right magazine holder and voila, I have a lid in a snap!
You guys did a great job! I love that you got clear placemats to prevents spills, scratches, etc–those can definitely (eventually) destroy kitchen cabinets, so that was a really smart move on your part. Well done!
Wow! Thanks for your blog. Love it. You have such great ideas.
I must say, you two really need to have more food. It will be “worth it” to have some food stored in an emergency. You don’t need a lot. But, hands down, you definitely need more. Research it. It’s amazing the creative places and organized way in which you can store a few extras and not just food. Personal products, paper supplies (toilet paper), etc.
Hola – I wanted to revisit the popcorn comment from above. We recently got the same Greenware pots are you have and we use them to make popcorn. It’s so easy with the glass lid. Throw a tablespoon or 2 of oil on the botton of the pan, add a small handful of popcorn kernels and cover with the lid. Keep the lid sealed until you are all done to trap the steam. Cook over high heat and shake the covered pot occassionally. It’s fantastic and super easy!
Thanks so much for all the popcorn tips guys!
xo,
s
Not sure if anyone mentioned this, but I would highly recommend choosing a cute object to feature along with Clara in her weekly photos — something with which you can compare her size. With no baseline in the photo, it can be hard to tell that she’s growing since all you see is a cute baby in a onesie. Whereas if you put a stuffed animal (or something) next to her, all of a sudden you realize that she’s gone from smaller than the teddy bear, to larger than it. Pretty cool to see the progression!
Any suggestions on deep pantry’s? We have a floor to ceiling pantry with shelves about three feet deep. We try to keep things organized but always forget about items placed far in the back. We do also try to keep like items together, but things always get cluttered. Advice on how to handle this would be appreciated!
And, off subject, but I started reading your blog about a month ago and am so inspired! You guys have such great style.
Hey Julie,
Our cabinets are too narrow for most sized lazy susans, but deeper cabinets/pantries would definitely benefit from them. Then you can always reach things in the back with a quick spin of the wheel!
xo,
s
I love these cabinet tips — we we start or kithcen makeover I’ll be apply these tips – were also thinking abouht adding a laxy susan in one of our cabinets for spices etc
I love all of the changes that you guys made! What a simple way to clean up your most used cabinets! I need to get on mine now…
Those label tags are adorable. You guys were far more ambitious than I this weekend…all I managed to organize was our huge, outdated stash of sunscreen! But it did feel good to toss out all the practically empty bottles, the ones that were so old surely it was no good…and replace with a fresh supply. As much time as my kids are in the sun, good sunscreen is a must!
Looks great! I love the idea of using a plastic bin for odd shaped side dish envelopes and placemats under your jars and pans.
I cut shelf liner for all of our shelves when we moved in, which is easy to keep clean. I also have like items stored with like items, large containers for items we buy in bulk, and store foods we eat more often in the kitchen and the other food on a bookshelf in the coat closet.
Awesome post! Love it and love the ideas. I cannot believe how much you are able to accomplish while adjusting to a newborn. Truly inspiring.
My mom does the same thing that Marie’s mom does with the kitchen stuff…except she brings cleaning supplies! But I think I kicked the habit when I told her that we were going for only non-toxic options these days. She hasn’t brought us anything since, although I have a feeling she will just start bringing paper towels or something.
I didn’t see any of the posts about tackling the cabinets until today, but it definitely gives me motivation to work on my own kitchen. Thanks for all the great tips!
OMG!
You have just given me the idea for my cabinets.
Never, in a million years, would I have thought about using placemats.
Duh, Meg, Duh!
Thanks for the tip.
BTW, Congrats on your beautiful daughter!!!
Sherry & John,
We had NO intention of turning this weekend into an organizational extravagnaza1 ABSOLUTELY NONE…BUT Saturday started with me dropping my FAVORITE bottle of perfume and shattering it all over the bedroom. This got my husband to vacuuming, and then he was off to tend to the pool. That is when I noticed how GROSS our fridge was…so I took everything out, cleaned all the shelves and drawers and threw away all of the old/out of date items. Then it was on to the cabinets….I re-organized and I feel like I gained an ENTIRE cabinet! It’s amazing! We also downsized the trashcan and tucked it away, and I feel like we gained about ten square feet in our teeny tiny kitchen!
The weekend continued with me FINALLY finding the last set of bamboo shades from Wal-Mart (2 inches shorter than the window frame. but the curtain hides it) to complete our great room finally! We also got the office cleaned out and back to a functional space!
THANK YOU! I have to say it felt a MILLION times better getting this done knowing that you guys were right there with us. While you weren’t the driving force behind the cleaning spree (RIP precious perfume) you DEFINATELY were in the back of our little heads as we gained all of our space and organization!
Love to all three of you!
Johnna
PS – do you have any inexpensive glass storage container suggestions…I’ve been trying to lose the plastic also (not that my husband is thrilled by that) and the glass always seems so expensive!
Hey Johnna,
Crate & Barrel actually sells a nested glass storage container kit with something like 4 or 5 differently sized containers and lids for $19 – which really isn’t bad considering that you’ll have it forever and it won’t get those gross red sauce stains like tupperware. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Oh that looks so nice and organized. I wish mine looked like that. But I don’t really want to do it. Wanna come do it for me? You can do a post about it!
Seriously though … please tell me you have more pots and lids than what we’re seeing there!
OK, I went back and saw that you do have more pots and pans (thank goodness!)
Oh, and on the popcorn (weird direction this comment section has taken, huh?) check out Fireworks Popcorn (www.popcornlovers.com). They have the most awesome popcorn: all natural, no GMOs, etc. And they sell a very handy microwave popper to use with any popcorn … you can make it with or without oil (and you can pick what kind of oil).
It’s amazing how much better it tastes from the brands you buy in the store. It also happens to be located across the street from where I work (although they do most of their business online as well as through the companies who sell their products: Crate and Barrel, Williams-Sonoma, etc.) and I an assure you they are really nice people!
I love these labels! And if you can do it with a new baby, I suppose I have no excuse.
I recently posted on labeling kids’ spaces, and these labels would work there too. I’ll add a link to this post.
http://lettersoupblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/label-your-room.html
Thanks for the idea, and for the motivation to get my cupboards organized!
Gahhh…Cinnamon Life is like crack. Cabinets look great!
I must have missed the original post about this, but am totally inspired by the re-do! Our cabinets have gotten a LITTLE out of hand lately. What we really need is a good spice solution because we have a lot of spices taking up a lot of horizontal space and leaving lots of space above it! Maybe a little wire shelf like you have would help (as would cleaning out some of our older spices and possible duplicates!)
We use a vinyl placemat similar to those for under our kitty’s food dishes. They are a clean-up lifesaver!
But the real question is, what does the inside of your fridge/freezer look like? ;) Al la, “Cribs” style?
Haha, the funny thing is that you can actually get a glimpse of the inside of our fridge (Cribs-style) in this oooold video of yore: https://www.younghouselove.com/2008/03/this-young-house-the-sequel/
Here’s hoping we can tackle some fridge organization someday…
xo,
s
I see we like some of the same foods! Tip – if you have a Costco, you can get Organic creamy peanut butter and organic Texmati rice for super cheap there!
Where is the pot lid rack from?
Hey Julie,
Thanks for the tip! Oh and the pot lid rack is from Target.
xo,
s
I am a new reader, so of course I haven’t been able to read everything ya’ll are all about. With your little one here, I am soooo hoping you two are aware of the carcogenes (sp?!) released by many types of plastic when it is frozen or heated–particularly when put in the dishwasher. We recently saw a documentary from CBC called “The Disappearing Male” which really opened our eyes to the dangers of this substance we rely so heavily on in our daily lives! Absolutely love your blog—it has been so inspiring!
Hey Becky,
Thanks for the tip! We actually store all of our food in glass containers instead of tupperware (if you scroll back through the comments you can see where we mentioned that a few times). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Very nice. I like everything organization as well. If only my kids (5, 9 and 18) would catch the fever.
My major organization dilemma right now are my files (ie. to be paid and paid bills, the children’s school work, art supplies, manuals, etc.) My husband completed our basement and now the boxes of files just look so overwhelming. I keep going downstairs looking at them and coming right back up. Any tips, ideas, etc. I do have 2 filing cabinets and “kitchen” cabinets.
Hey Karen,
Just check out the link at the very bottom of this post for lots of storage ideas. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
My favorite YHL posts are organization related :) Went from blah to wow! I love the labels you added, makes everything look so important. Plus a great tip on the clear placemats- a much better solution than those rubbery cabinet liners that just seem to collect dust and grime!
We have a huge pantry that is a mess, but I have an excuse as we just moved in 2.5 weeks ago and most of our us is in the same state. When we moved I just shoved everything on the shelves- we have everything from dog bones, to toilet scrubber, to 4th of July sparklers to food (the weird things don’t share a shelf with food but the thought that all of this random stuff is hidden behind the same door irks me). Can’t wait to tackle a similiar project! Definitely want to incorporate some storage boxes like you have as well!
So inspired by your pantry clean out! Now that you have a little one, where do you store and dry all of the little baby things, like bottles (for feeding and your pump, if you have one), pacifiers, etc?
Also, where/how do you store flour and sugar?
What’s your healthy tuna on Wasa recipe? I love Tuna but I always “ruin” it with too much stuff.
Hi guys!
The cabinets looks great! I love the labels, but could’t find them at Michael’s (even with assistance from a staff member. Do you happen to know an item number or anything? I’d also love to know where you got the cork board.
My husband thinks I am a freak because of my love of labeling things. It’s so nice to see others share my passion;)
Blair- They were in the scrapbooking section near the ribbon and those corners you can add to photos (packaged in plastic bags with two small labels and two big ones together). Hope it helps!
Albie- We actually eat tuna right from the can on Wasa crackers (without any mayo) and sometimes even add salsa for sone kick without the extra fat. Hope it helps!
Elaine- We have a cabinet to the left of the sink where we keep bottles and other Clara items. And our sugar and flour is stored on the counter in pretty oversized glass containers. Hope it helps!
xo,
s