How Newspaper Can Lead To A More Organized Kitchen Pantry

Whether you're looking to store canned goods in the pantry or maximize the storage help of your deep shelves, the key to getting the most out of your space is proper planning. But Evelina Juzėnaitė, Principal Interior Designer at Planner 5D, takes pantry strategy to the next level with one cheap, disposable tool: newspaper.

"Using newspaper templates avoids purchasing containers or cans of the wrong size, saves time on measuring and returns, and also helps to visualize how many items can be stored on a shelf or in a drawer," Juzėnaitė said. From upgrading your current pantry to making the most of a new one, you'll need to know what type and dimensions of containers to buy and how to organize what you already have. This is especially true if you're a big believer in decanting pantry staples and require a larger number of store-bought containers. Rather than shuffling around heavy boxes of pasta, bags of flour, and other weighty items, newspaper templates save you a ton of time and effort while still letting you visualize the space.

Plus, this is a great opportunity to write down measurements and keep them in one place for whenever you may need replacements. Juzėnaitė's method is designed to save you time and effort, turning a behemoth of a household task into an easy afternoon of experimentation and optimization.

While adding an extra step for organizing your pantry may seem counterproductive, newspaper templates save you a lot of time, hassle, and guesswork in the future. Once you've cleaned and measured your pantry shelves, creating your own templates is a breeze that only requires a newspaper, a pencil, and a pair of scissors.

"Based on the measurements you have taken, cut out flat newspaper cutouts that mimic the shape of the containers you are considering (for example, a 15x25 [centimeter] rectangle for a container)," said Evelina Juzėnaitė. "Place the cut-out newspaper pieces on the shelves to see what fits, how many containers can be placed side by side, and where taller or shorter containers work best." The key to this step is accuracy, so trace the base of your containers on your newspaper to ensure the measurements are as close as possible. Juzėnaitė recommended rolling up newspaper to mimic the height of your containers as well, ensuring you place items on the right shelf if yours vary in height.

"Take these cut-out newspaper clippings with you to the store or use them to double-check dimensions online," Juzėnaitė explained. "This eliminates the need to guess and ensures that everything will fit perfectly after purchase." If you don't feel comfortable carrying an armload of templates to the store, feel free to just record and label your dimensions on a notepad. You need the templates for organization, but a well-labeled list works fine for purchases.