How we Turned a Coat Closet into a Functional, Organized Pantry

Our kitchen was lacking a pantry, so we often kept canned goods and backstock on a shelving unit at the foot of our stairs in the basement. But because half of our food and snacks were downstairs and half were upstairs it made for frequent mistakes when buying groceries… it was hard to visualize exactly what we had and where so we often ended up overbuying certain things and forgetting to buy others. Tired of wasting money, food, and time running up and down the stairs I decided to make over a coat closet into a functional pantry. | This post contains affiliate links |

Now while this coat closet (pictured below) was pretty jammed full, it was very underutilized. It’s where we kept our off-season coats, hats, and boots as well as some hiking gear and my daughters’ Art Cart - most things we did not need to use daily, or often at all. My solution to this was to relocate all these items to our basement - I hung a closet rod under the basement stairs and moved all our off-season clothing and gear to this new space where it was still easily accessible but out of the way.

| Adjustable Closet Rod I used for under the basement stairs |

Coat Closet - BEFORE

Relocated off-season gear to basement

The next step was to pull out the old wire shelf and closet rod system, patch the holes, and repaint the inside of the closet. Thankfully I already had spackle and some leftover white paint so I was able to get the closet to a clean slate easily and it didn’t cost a dime.

Now for the fun part! I got to decide how many shelves I wanted and the spacing, so I laid it out with painters tape to play with how I wanted it before I made a final decision. For our setup I decided on four shelves starting at about waist-height. I wanted to leave the bottom open to accommodate the dog food bin, the Art Cart, step stool, etc. Then I screwed in 1x3 inch “runners” that would support the shelves along the back wall. I used a stud finder to make sure I was screwing the runners into studs and a level to make sure everything was square.

Then I added runners to one side of the closet next, following the same routine - but with these pieces I had pre-drilled pocket holes with our Kreg Jig first so it would make for a clean and secure joint in the corners.

Before installing the runners on the opposite side of the closet, it’s wise to keep in mind how you will be able to maneuver the shelf boards in once all the runners are in place (it would be very difficult to get the top shelf in with all the runners installed, for example). So before installing the opposite side’s runners I slipped some of the trickier shelf boards into place first (I used 1x12”s cut to length for the shelves) before I finished screwing in all the side runners.

I secured the shelves into place with some finishing nails, then taped off the shelves and runners to get ready for paint. I used primer and then several coats of white semi-gloss paint since it’s a little easier to wipe down and keep clean.

I just love how farmhouse and “Shaker” the exposed rails on the sides look and I wanted to play it up. Once the paint was dry I added some functional hooks to hang aprons, lunchboxes, etc on the side rails.

| Skip Hop Fox Lunchbox | Similar Style White Metal Farmhouse Basket | OXO POP Containers |

And now the project is complete! I am so happy with how it turned out and it’s wonderful to have everything in one place. I can see this project saving us money on groceries in the long run now as everything will be in one place now and we’ll be less apt to waste food.

Eventually, I would love to replace the closet door with a fun screen door and get some more glass jars and baskets for a cleaner looking pantry - but all in good time.

| Similar Clear Plastic Storage Bins | Dog Food Container (on the floor, just out of the picture) |

| Similar White Metal Craft Cart | Small Wire Baskets | Similar Clear Plastic Storage Bins |

| Flour, etc. jars were made using Cracker Jars with custom vinyl labels I made on my Cricut | Vintage Pie Tins |

Over this past winter I added a few simple add-on organizers to our pantry to maximize the space and love how functional they are. Here they are below (and please excuse the glimpses of clutter in the pantry… as it now holds extra groceries and our family board games too - because, real life):

Additional Storage for the Walls

| Similar Wire Wall Basket | Mason Jars to store Trail Mix |

Under-Shelf Storage

| Wire Under-Shelf Basket - Perfect for Storing Potatoes! |

Decal for Pantry Door

It turns out our door is an odd size and in order to get a screen door for it we would have to custom order one (at a cost of about $300+! Yikes). So instead I decided to cut a custom vinyl label to stick to the door to make it more finished. I could have designed my own but I found a design I really liked on Etsy and bought the digital design file. After purchasing the design file, I used my Cricut and 651 Permanent Vinyl to make the label and then transferred it to the door. In hindsight I probably should have made it slightly smaller, but overall I love how it came out and how budget-friendly it was since I already owned a Cricut Machine and the vinyl.

| Pantry Digitial Design File | Cricut Machine | 651 Permanent Vinyl in Matte Black |

Back of Door Organizer

Finally, we decided to add a ClosetMaid Adjustable Organizer to the back of the pantry door to fully utilize the space. It was very simple to install and I am impressed with how sturdy it is once it's assembled and screwed in. We used the lower baskets for foil, parchement paper, ziplocks, silicone bowl covers, etc. The middle baskets we designated for frequently used canned goods, smoothie mix-ins, as well as salad fixings and rice cakes. Finally on the top two baskets we put convenience foods that we rarely use since I'm so short. Note: If you have a hollow-core door, you might want to use a specialty set of anchors/screws to attach it to the door for stability, rather than just screw into the door with regular screws.

| ClosetMaid Adjustable Organizer (18 inch) | True Nature Silicone Food Covers |

Stackable Canned Goods Organizer

Another later addition to our pantry organization are these amazing stackable can racks for organizing canned goods. Before I had quite a few canned goods just sitting on the floor of the pantry and in a separate kitchen cupboard, but I never could see everything at once and often cans in the back got forgotten -- Now everything is in one spot where I can see them and I can meal plan more efficiently.

| Stackable Can Rack Organizer (I have two racks stacked here) |

OXO POP Containers with Scoops for Snacks

Another thing that's been a huge game changer is moving dry snacks into OXO POP Food Storage Containers. We love these for our snack crackers and pretzels. They keep everything fresh and it's easy to see if you're starting to run low on these staples. To keep the kids from going too wild with serving sizes we added clear OXO 1/2 Cup Scoops in each container too - making it easy to grab a serving.
I used my Brother Label Maker to make labels for the containers. These can easily be peeled off and relabeled as needed.

| OXO POP Food Storage Containers | OXO 1/2 Cup Scoops | Brother Label Maker |

Disclaimer

This website shares personal opinions and experiences regarding a variety of topics. Please do your own research regarding all things and use information/opinions stated here at your own discretion and risk.

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Easy DIY Wooden Bed Risers

In our master bedroom our bed sits on a standard metal bed frame.  Not only were the legs still visible under the bedskirt, but the bed was about an inch too low to fit underbed storage containers!  Not being able to store much under the bed was a huge inconvenience and after tripping over these containers in our walk-in closet for far too long I decided to make my own bed risers and fix the issue once and for all. 
| This post contains affiliate links |

Now this isn't exactly a glamorous or high-end project, but I think you'll agree that the Before and Afters speak for themselves - it's a huge improvement over what was there and helps fit more under the bed for critical storage.  

The wrinkly, too-short bedskirt shows the ugly metal legs and the limited storage underneath.

Materials:  

• ruler
• chop saw or handsaw
• 2x4 lumber
• 1x5 lumber (or whatever size wood will cover the legs of your bed + the thickness of the 2x4)
• woodglue
• screws
• drill/screw gun
• sandpaper
• stain or paint

How-To:  

First measure the height of the legs of the bed (in our case the back side of the leg has a support bracket which is why you'll see the back side of our risers are slightly shorter) and add this height to 1.5 (the actual thickness of a 2x4).  This is the height your side boards will be for the bed riser.  For us it came to about 5 inches along the front three sides and 4 inches in the back.  

Next cut your 2x4 to size to fit comfortably under the legs of your bed.  Then cut all the side pieces to size, creating a box around the 2x4 base.  

Before assembling, it's a good idea to lay it out under one of the legs of the bed to make sure everything fits properly (as you can see from the "cut-away" example I have below).  Here you can see how the leg sits on the 2x4 base with all the side pieces around it.  

Once you have all your pieces cut to size, pre-drill, wood glue, and screw everything together.  We used black screws so they would blend in better with the dark stain we chose.  Make sure everything is attached sturdily then sand and stain/paint in the color of your choosing.  We went with a dark stain since the rest of our bedroom set is a darker wood.  

After everything was dry, I had my husband help me by picking up one corner of the bed at a time so I could place a riser under each leg.  I also purchased a longer bedskirt that better fit the new height of the bed.  These risers aren't the most beautiful DIY project but they're pretty un-noticeable with the longer bedskirt - and the best part?  Now I can finally fit the storage totes under our bed!  

Disclaimer:  Always make sure the risers you build are appropriate for your bed and your situation.  Make sure it's safe and sturdy! Use at your own risk.

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Sneak Peek: Kids Book Rails

Making over our daughter's room has been slow-going to say the least.   We had a busy, wonderful summer and now I'm already deep into Christmas ornament orders so finding time to work on the whole makeover has been tricky. 

View fullsize

In progress

Today I finally hung the book rails I made in this tiny nook and I think it will help make this space functional.  Now I need to make something to hold the large, heavy books on the floor - and finish the rest of the room - and then I will share the whole project!  ;)

Closet Turned into Mudroom for Cheap!

Okay, so I struggled for a bit whether to blog about this little DIY closet makeover.  I really loved the project and I think it came out great, but it was just SO impossible to photograph.  This closet is at the end of a narrow hallway with no natural light, and there's no way to photograph the whole thing in a single picture.  So please forgive me for the poor photos - they aren't to the standard I like to try to keep for the blog but the project and message were just too good not to share.  | This post contains affiliate links |

When we moved into our home we quickly realized we needed a "drop zone" by the back door.  It was really the only door we used and we needed a place to put all our stuff as we came and went.  Thankfully there was an under-utilized pantry here and while we can always use more storage, for us it was more important have a mudroom/drop zone.  After surfing Pinterest we decided to turn it into a mini mudroom complete with beadboard, a shelf, hooks, a built-in bench with metal baskets underneath for shoes, mail organizer - the works.  And so within weeks of moving in we took the door off the pantry and it became our temporary drop zone while we planned... and there it stayed for three years (yikes).  

Embarrassing, right?

You see, our dream mini mudroom would have cost big bucks and we kept sidelining it for other, more important things (furnace fixes, putting in a vegetable garden, repairing the driveway..).  And then we got a puppy.  And then we had a baby.  And then spending big bucks on a teeny mudroom was just absurd.  And the closet stayed the way it was, and just looked ugly and cluttered.  

Then we realized:  it's great to dream big for make-overs and remodels but what's more important is to assess what's realistic now.  Realistically we couldn't afford now what we wanted to do originally but we still needed a mudroom - so the design got cut to the very basics.  We needed a shelf, hooks, and mail/key organizer; the beadboard, bench, baskets, and accessories would have to wait.  

The first step was removing the Closet Maid shelving system. To do this, I used a flat head screwdriver and needle nose pliers to pull out the pins and drywall anchors that held the shelves and supports in place. We saved all the shelves and supports in case we want to add more shelving to another closet down the road. We were left with a ton of holes to fill, but some drywall patch and light sanding filled the holes in fine. 

Afterwards I repainted the walls of the closet with some white ceiling paint we had in the basement. My goal was to use as much materials as we had already and I didn't want to buy a new can of paint just to do this little area. The ceiling paint covered great and it only needed one coat. 

Then I marked the studs with painters tape and cut a 1x12 (given to us by my father-in-law who had scrap boards in his basement) down to the length of the back of the closet, attaching it into the studs with long screws.  

I cut the angled side supports down and cut another board to make the top shelf (all cuts were made with just a chopsaw).  Everything was glued, screwed, and nailed into place so it was nice and sturdy.  Then I patched all the screw holes and lightly sanded before painting the shelf with trim paint, which we already had on-hand.

Once the paint was dry, I added the hardware - the only items we actually had to buy for this project!  The four coat hooks were from Lowes and cost about $4 each, the two accessory hooks were also from Lowes and were less than $1.50 each, and the mail/key organizer was from Amazon and cost about $10.  All-in-all since we reused paint and wood we already had we spent around $30 for everything!  Someday I'd still like to add a bench, baskets, and cover the textured walls with beadboard but in the meantime we have a functional, simple, efficient mudroom which is what we really needed from the beginning.  I'm kicking myself for living with the messy old closet for so long when doing a simplified mudroom was so achievable this whole time! 

Ta-da!

The coatrack and mail/key organizer.

The small accessory hooks on the opposite wall for hats and leashes.

Totally unstyled, real-life photo right here. Definitely not magazine-worthy, but perfect and functional for our family.

Lesson learned:  sometimes settling for less is best. 

Product Links:  
|  Coat Hooks  |  Accessory Hooks  |  Mail + Key Organizer  |