Labeling pantry items makes it easier for everyone to find what they need, put groceries away, and brings style and organization to a much used zone in the home. Read on for suggestions to use in your own kitchen.
Never underestimate the value behind labels in your kitchen.
We scroll enviously through images on social media of dreamy pantries with labels perfectly affixed to every jar and container, but they serve a utilitarian purpose as well. Labels are the key to adding both style and organization to a frequently used space in your home.
If you consider the number of pantry items to store and how many people are in and out of drawers and cupboards looking for things and putting them away, it is easy to see a benefit to embracing the guidance a pretty sticker can provide.
Read on to learn about the benefits labels add to your pantry, what exactly you should be labeling and ideas for organizing and labeling that will both make food easier to find and be visually appealing.
Why Add Labels in the Pantry
When finding the balance between a functional space and one that is aesthetically pleasing, how you store your food is likely the first place to start. Nothing elevates your pantry more than simply decanting dry goods into jars and tucking the not-so-pretty boxes and bags inside of coordinating baskets.
- Once the packaging is gone, you’ll need to be able to know what is inside the container and even how old it is.
- Dispensing ingredients into jars and canisters eliminates the visual clutter of packaging and lets you see quickly how much you have left.
- Space can be saved by organizing snacks and other packaged products inside of bins labeled with a category for each storing.
- Food lasts longer when stored in airtight containers.
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What Food Needs A Label
How much gets labeled in your pantry is a matter of preference. Find what works for your home.
If you are a label-lover and want a label on everything including the shelf where canned goods reside, go for it.
But if you prefer a minimal look, just add one to things that aren’t obvious. (For example, you might need one on baking supplies like flour and confectioner’s sugar.)
A good rule of thumb is to at least put a specific label on the staples that are used again and again in your kitchen. Use a more generic label (like crackers or snacks) for goods purchased rarely or in different varieties.
Tips for Labeling Your Pantry Items
Below are some ideas for adding labels to your kitchen pantry. Once again, use only the tips that work for your home situation. The goal with organizing and labeling this utilitarian zone is to make your food easier to find and put away while also being pleasing to the eye.
- Make a plan for where things will be placed in your cupboards and what you’ll need for decanting your food.
- Group dry and packaged goods by category. For example, canned vegetables on one shelf, pastas stored together in containers, snacks together in a basket.
- Keep items that you reach for most at eye level and easily accessible. Place bulk storage goods and lesser used products on top and bottom.
- Make sure jars are clean and dry before attaching labels so they adhere completely.
- Add expiration dates to things you don’t use a lot. It’s easy to forget how long things have been in the cupboards if they aren’t used quickly. I like to use a small hole punch on label paper to make stickers, but you could also use masking tape or scotch tape.
- Label shelves where categories like spaghetti sauce or canned goods should go if people often help you put groceries away.
- Attach labels to bins and baskets using basket label clips or laminate the tags and attach with a large binder clip. You could also tie on chalkboard labels if you change the contents often.
- Buying a bunch of new containers and bins for decanting and organizing your inventory can become expensive. Look around your home for storage solutions, use what you have, and add new products over time.
Free Printable Pantry Labels
I’ve designed two different styles of labels that you can download for free to use in your kitchen. The downloads include some of the most common pantry goods and spices, but if you need specific labels made or would like to use these labels to organize something other than kitchen items, custom sets can be ordered online.
ROUND FARMHOUSE LABELS
PANTRY LABELS - 2 inch
PANTRY LABELS - 3 inch
SPICE JAR LABELS - 1 1/2 inch
SQUARE CLEAN + SIMPLE LABELS
PANTRY LABELS - 2 inch
PANTRY LABELS - 3 inch
SPICE JAR LABELS - 1 1/2 inch
To use these labels
STEP 1: Download the style and sizes you want and print on full sheet label paper using your home printer. They can also be taken to somewhere like Staples to be printed.
STEP 2: Carefully peel the backing off of the label paper and then replace it. This step helps the paper backing to come off more easily when the labels are cut.
STEP 3: Use scissors or a hole punch in the appropriate shape and size to cut out the individual labels.
STEP 4: Peel the cut-outs from their paper backing and apply to your spice jars, canisters, label clips, shelves or wherever you need a label.
Supplies You May Need
- Full sheet label paper is available in white or clear. I suggest using white labels for see through and dark colored jars and containers, but either works well for labeling light colored canisters or shelves.
- If you plan on cleaning your containers often, you may want to consider waterproof vinyl label sheets.
- Regardless of what brand or type of label paper you buy, make sure that it is compatible with the type of printer you have (inkjet or laser).
- 1 1/2 inch square hole punch or 1 1/2 inch round hole punch for spice jar labels
- Scissors for 2” and 3” pantry labels
I hope this post has sparked some ideas about how labels can organize your own pantry while marrying style and function.
More Organizing Printables You Might Find Useful
Printable Calendar - Keep track of important dates with this simple black and white printable. Also great for meal planning, gardening, and fitness tracking!
Dates to Remember - Keep track of everyone's birthday, anniversary, and special holidays on this perpetual calendar page.
Kitchen Conversion Chart - A lifesaver when cutting a recipe in half, doubling it, or you just don't have the right measurement tool available.
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GET ORGANIZED WITH THESE HELPFUL PRINTABLES
Be sure to visit some of my friend's post linked below for even more help in staying organized this year!
Organizing & Storing Home Decor by Love Grows Wild | Whole House Cleaning Checklist by Nina Hendrick Design Co. | 5 Habits for an Organized Home by A Burst of Beautiful | Free Printable Pantry Labels by anderson + grant
Kitchen Cupboard Clean-Out Checklist by Boxwood Avenue | Decluttering Checklist by Julie Blanner | 5 Whole Food Pantry Labels for Food Storage by Zevy Joy | Organization Ideas by French Country Cottage
Hand Drawn Flower & Wreaths Journal Stickers by Craftberry Bush | Free Printable To-Do List by Summer Adams | Printable Glass Jar Labels by My Sweet Savannah