How to make your pantry pretty

Is your pantry a crazy unorganized mess? Moxie Girl Household Assistants tell us this is traditionally the most ignored part of the house, but it doesn't have to be.

Amanda Thomas from Moxie Girl has these great tips to get  your pantry looking like something from a home magazine in no time.

1. Contact Paper - The trends right now are to make the back and side walls of your pantry look cute with colors and designs. Instead of using paint and stencils, instead use self-adhesive contact paper. Measure the dimensions of each wall, one at a time. Write down the measurements, and then cut the contact paper to fit. To apply, peel about 4 inches of the backing from one edge, line up the paper, and slowly start working your way down the strip of contact paper. You can peel with one hand while smoothing the paper with the other. Once the whole strip is applied, take a small square of the paper backing and rub the contact paper to smooth any bubbles. You can also pop any small bubbles with a pin before smoothing too.

2. Clear containers - Using pretty jars is not only a super cute way to store staple and baking items, but it can also help you save money. By being able to easily see the levels  in each jar, you don't risk over-buying these staple items.

3. Snack bins - Boxes of granola bars, microwave popcorn, and bags of chips not only cause visual clutter in your pantry, but they also increase your chances of having food expire before you can eat it. Prevent stale snacks by keeping them in cute snack bins. CD baskets are great for storing granola bars and microwave popcorn packages. Medium-sized fabric bins can be used to store individually packaged chips and cookies. For all these, just remember to put newer items in the back, or at the bottom, so the older items get eaten first.

4. Labels - The key to keeping an organized pantry are the labels. Labels are what help everyone in your family know where they can find (and put back!) each item they need. Labels can be simple and small, like mailing labels or from a hand-held labeler purchased at an office supply store, or they can be cute and customized. You can make your own labels with small wooden tags, chalkboard paint, and ribbon from a craft store. Or, there are lots of inexpensive options that can be found on Etsy.com.


Using these tips, you can have your pantry organized in less than one day. You can check out Amanda's Pinterest page for more ideas at     www.pinterest.com/TheDomesticCEO . Also,Moxie Girl has a special offer just for Sonoran Living viewers. Mention Sonoran Living when you call them at 602.633.GIRL (4475) or visit them online at http://www.moxie-girl.com/.