When I first told my husband I wanted to give our pantry a makeover, he couldn’t quite understand my reasoning.  After all, the pantry is behind closed doors, so who cares what it looks like, right?  Wrong!  I care what it looks like!  It only took me a couple of days to give it a facelift and I can’t believe how much more I am enjoying it now.

 

You might remember this super scary BEFORE picture of my pantry.

TIDBITS-&-TWINE-The-Kitchen-Pantry-BEFORE

 

There were general areas for the various items, but in a hurry, I would just cram stuff wherever.  It’s also usually my kids who go in the pantry and with everything in boxes, I would sometimes go in and discovered several empty boxes without ever having realized that we had run out of an item!

 

And here’s a look at the AFTER.  I threw away just a few items that had expired, but believe it or not, I actually have a lot more food in the pantry now than I did before!

TIDBITS&TWINE Pantry Makeover After with Paint and Wallpaper

 

Now, I’ll be completely honest with you {but ssssshhhhh….don’t tell my hubby!}.  The entire idea of making over my pantry came about as a result of my stumbling upon the removable wallpaper that is now sold at Target.  I saw it, fell in love with the idea, and just *had* to find a place to try it out!  The rolls aren’t very big so I needed a somewhat small place to paper and I wasn’t sure how it was going to turn out, so I wanted a somewhat hidden place and ta-da!  The pantry makeover was born!

 

Supplies

TIDBITS&TWINE Pantry Makeover Supplies

  • Wallpaper
  • Wall Paint
  • Shelf Paint
  • Polycrylic
  • Trim
  • Yard Stick
  • Box Cutter
  • Drywall or Putty Knife

 

Step 1: Clear, Clean & Sand

I started by emptying the pantry completely and sanding down all of the shelves.  I also removed the center support {which was broken} so that I could replace it with more decorative trim.

TIDBITS&TWINE-Pantry-Makeover-Step-1

 

Step 2: Paint

I painted the shelves and trim with Swiss Coffee in semi-gloss.  For added protection against scrapes and marks, I painted two coats of Minwax Polycrilic on top of the white.  On the walls and ceiling, I color matched the darker gray stripe in the wallpaper and used an eggshell finish.  Since the pantry is a small area and the top shelf is already dark, I decided to paint the ceiling the same color as the side walls for consistency and so that only the shelves and trim would pop.

 

Step 3: Wallpaper

I can’t say enough about Target’s Devine Color wallpaper.  I have personally never wallpapered before and I am not a particularly precise or patient person when it comes to DIY projects and this wallpaper was easy-peasy for me to use!  It’s self-adhesive and repositionable, but unlike contact paper which is thin and easily sticks to itself, the wallpaper stuck only to the wall and not to me or itself.  I even applied it and peeled it over several times to get it aligned just right and never once had any issues with it creasing, tearing or sticking.

I chose Mirage Suit & Tie for the pantry, which is light and dark gray stripes {the picture online doesn’t quite look like the actual product}.  There are several other beautiful and dramatic wallpapers to choose from, but I decided to go with something a bit simpler and more subdued.

To apply the wallpaper, I simply measured the height of each shelf and added a couple of inches to the measurement.  I then applied it to the wall and used a putty knife and box cutter to trim a nice clean edge at the bottom.

TIDBITS&TWINE Pantry Wallpaper TIDBITS&TWINE Pantry Wallpaper 2

 

 

Step 4: Organize

TIDBITS&TWINE Pantry Makeover Reveal

 

I ended up using a lot of clear acrylic containers and bins not only so that I could corral items more easily, but also so that I could see what was in them and if I was running out of something.

TIDBITS&TWINE Pantry Makeover Storage Containers

 

Since the pantry is mostly used by my kids, I placed their snack items on lower shelves and also made some easily accessible bins for them.  Drinks are readily available in bins…

TIDBITS&TWINE Pantry Storage Trays

 

…and grab-and-go snacks are piled into a basket.  {There are Sweet treats, too, but they are up on the top shelf away from little hands!}

TIDBITS&TWINE Pantry Makeover Storage Baskets

 

Cereal is now in ready-to-pour containers so we no longer have stale Cheerios.  I love the convenience and the price of these IKEA containers but my one complaint is that they don’t quite hold a regular sized box of cereal.

TIDBITS&TWINE Pantry Makeover Cereal Containers

 

I also needed to make a lot of storage for bags.  Where I live, most towns nearby no longer provide bags at stores so you have to bring your own bags from home.  I’ve been stockpiling nice handled bags for many years so I made room for them on the hook on the back of the door.   I also added caster wheels and a handle to this cute storage crate that I picked up from a craft store and stuffed it full with my stash of reusable bags.

TIDBITS&TWINE Pantry Makeover Rolling Storage Crates

 

And there it is!  Finally done!  Now that everything is organized and I have a lot more storage, I’m finding that the kids tend to keep things neater and I’m better about putting things away properly.  Perhaps there is something to this organization thing after all!!  ;)

TIDBITS&TWINE Pantry Makeover Finished Project

 

And don’t forget to Pin It!

TIDBITS&TWINE Pantry Makeover Before and After

 

Tidbits&Twine - Signature

 



Join the Community

Let’s keep in touch! Get exclusive artwork plus the latest news delivered directly to your Inbox!

47 Comments

  1. Allison Owings says:

    I love the baskets you used! May I ask where you got them? Thanks!!

  2. Hi Kim ~ stumbled across your project from an email from Good Housekeeping…love the pantry ! It really looks great…one question – you indicated the cereal containers came from Ikea but I also noticed some other clear square containers…I believe in 1 of your first up close photos labeled cheddar, triscuits, etc…did they also come from there ?

    1. Tidbits&Twine says:

      Hi Angie – Thank you so much for stopping by! The square clear ones came from Target. They are definitely pricier but worth it because they keep the food fresh. Now that I’ve had the pantry done for a while, I can say with certainty that I wouldn’t recommend the Ikea cereal containers because they haven’t held up well and the opening isn’t quite large enough for the cereal to pour through without getting clogged.

      Good luck with your project! :) Kim

      1. Thank you so much Kim ! Your resply is greatly appreciated & perfect timing because I spent a good time of time today on Ikea’s website looking at the containers…thank you for saving me !!! As for the square ones do you know the brand ? I’ll jump over to Target’s website & see if can find them..I love the look of the them ! Feel as if am asking too many questions but also love the labels you have on them…did you make these or purchase them as well ?
        Thanks so much again ~ Angie

      2. Tidbits&Twine says:

        Hi Angie – Here’s a link to the containers at Target. They are sold separately or as sets and the brand is OXO. http://www.target.com/p/container-2-4qt-square-clear/-/A-15420440#prodSlot=medium_1_19

        As for the labels, I’m pretty sure I bought those at Target as well in the crafting section, but I know Hobby Lobby carries them, too. Actually, so does Amazon! http://www.amazon.com/Kicty%C2%AE-Unique-Chalkboard-Labels-Liquid/dp/B00YX9BTKE/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1450062679&sr=8-4&keywords=chalk+labels

        Let me know if you have any other questions!! :)

  3. Fabulous makeover! Where did you get the wire shelves that you used to double stack canned goods? And where did you get labels like you used?

    1. Tidbits&Twine says:

      Hi Neva – I got the shelves at Target in the kitchen section and the labels from either Target or Hobby Lobby….I can’t recall which one. :) Kim

    1. Tidbits&Twine says:

      Thank you, Yvonne!

  4. Your pantry looks wonderful. Everything is so easy to see and so organized. My hats off to you. Love the wall paper. Will have to check that out at Target.
    Mary

    1. Tidbits&Twine says:

      Hi Mary – Thank you so much! Easy to see was really my goal so that the kids knew where to put everything and I could see when we ran out of something. :) Definitely check out the wallpaper. The rolls aren’t large enough to cover a room, but they’re just right for furniture or small areas.

  5. It looks great! There’s a lot of hard work in the ‘after.’ Thanks for taking a full shot of open pantry… sometimes I only get peeks and bits of people’s projects… thanks for showing entire shot. Have a great day!

    1. Tidbits&Twine says:

      Hi Tamara – Thank you! Honestly, I debated about showing the whole pantry because it isn’t exactly entirely pretty with things stuffed in at the bottom, but it’s real-life and it shows how we really live! Lol! :)

    1. Tidbits&Twine says:

      Thank you, Lauren!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.