This Common Wardrobe Organizer Also Works Wonders In The Pantry

Whether you're rushing out the door and need a quick snack or gathering all of the ingredients for your favorite recipe, an organized kitchen pantry space is important. When everything has a place, you don't have to waste time searching — but everything needs to be stored properly, including surprising ingredients like flour. But kitchen organization gets tough when you need a little more storage than you really have; that's where a closet shoe organizer comes in handy.

Your pantry door is completely unused space, but it doesn't have to be. Shoe organizers hang right over the door and usually offer somewhere around two dozen pockets. While they're designed to hold shoes, they're actually perfect for holding anything from snacks to kitchen cleaners. And with clear pockets, you know exactly what's in each one, so you never have to spend hours looking for that one ingredient you swore you had. You can store anything you want in the shoe organizer, assuming it fits within the pockets, but it's perfect for grab-and-go individual snacks, such as mini pretzels or chip bags that might otherwise get lost on those pantry shelves.

There are endless options as far as the style you're looking for, but keep in mind that the organizer goes inside the pantry door, so neither you nor your guests will have to look at it all the time. For an easy, basic organizer, the Simple Houseware Shoe Organizer offers 24 individual clear pockets and costs less than $10. For something a little more elegant but still inexpensive, the Gorilla Grip Shoe Organizer offers an all-black option with mesh rather than clear plastic, giving it a slightly elevated look. And if you need more shelf space and aren't a fan of the individual pouches, the Whitmor Shoe Organizer essentially offers additional shelving.

Shoe organizers are perfect for all kinds of foods; you can even keep your favorite canned pantry staples in there. But they also help young kids gain some confidence and independence. Place the kids' snacks within easy reach toward the bottom of the organizer, and let them help pack their lunch by choosing one or two different snack pouches on their own.