7 Affordable Ways To Upgrade Your Pantry

There’s something so pleasing about a well-designed and organized pantry — and fortunately, you don’t need to spend a lot of money to create an Instagram-worthy storage space.

GOBankingRates spoke to professional organizers and interior design experts to get their best tips for upgrading your pantry on a budget.

Here are some affordable ways to create the pantry of your dreams.

Pantry storage containers are pricey, but you can DIY your storage containers using things you already have at home.

“Cut down a carton or a shoebox to make a tray with sides to hold small items,” said Brenda Scott, a professional organizer with Tidy My Space. “You can cover it in pretty paper if you want to cover the carton.”

You can find other useful storage pieces around your home.

“Shop the rest of your home for storage options,” Scott said. “You might have a bin, crate, box or container that doesn’t work right for somewhere else, but would be perfect for your pantry.”

As an alternative to the DIY approach, Scott said you can find inexpensive containers at your local dollar store or thrift store.

“Look for clear or wire mesh,” she said.

Dollar Tree has an ample selection of food savers and storage containers, most of which retail at only $1.25.

Increase your storage space without needing to do any construction by utilizing over-the-door hanging shelves.

“Over-the-door hanging shelf systems make use of the often-forgotten door space,” Scott said. “These can be used for food items or other kitchen items, like food wrap, oven mitts, bread and rolls. Or make it a quick grab-and-go station with chips, granola bars, etc. This puts all snack items in one spot.”

If your pantry shelves look worse for wear, consider using shelf liner for a quick and cheap upgrade.

“These can be found for cheap at most grocery stores,” said Priscilla Moiseoff, lead stylist at Walker Edison Furniture. “This is an easy way to upgrade the look of a plain shelf.”You can also find shelf liners at Walmart for $5.97 and Amazon for $9.99.

“You only need a small amount of paint, making it affordable to upgrade your pantry simply by painting it bright white,” said Andra DelMonico, interior design expert at Trendey. “This will make your pantry look clean, fresh and bright.”

“If your pantry consists of a lot of cabinet doors, something that is very cost-effective that makes a splash is switching to new cabinet handles,” said Christina Giaquinto, a professional organizer with Modular Closets. “Your local craft store or home store will have lots of inexpensive but beautiful options.”According to Home Guide, it costs anywhere between $6 and $60 per handle, with cabinet hardware installers charging anywhere between $5 and $30 for labor per piece.

Every swoon-worthy pantry seems to have one thing in common — labels.

“This is so easy to do and it will transform your pantry into an organized masterpiece,” Giaquinto said. “If you can purchase a label machine this is ideal. They generally are only about $40, and you can use them for so many more projects. But if you can’t, simply grab a piece of tape and a sharpie, and you have yourself a label.”