Organize Pantry Snacks With An Item From The Dollar Tree Party Section

While having a pantry to house your food is a plus for any kitchen, the downside of such a space is that it can get pretty chaotic. It takes organizing and reorganizing to find out what items you have and those you need. One thing that tends to get lost in the shuffle is snacks. Grab-and-go goodies fall through shelf cracks, get buried behind the flour, or become disheveled when hungry kids reach in to tide themselves over until dinner. But, there's an easy way to combat any disorganization that might occur, and it not only keeps your snacks in place but accessible, too. Grab a few affordable Dollar Tree Rectangular Plastic Trays with 3 Compartments for $1.25 each from the store's party section. These shallow trays work perfectly for organizing your snacks.

If those aren't available, look for trays divided into two or four portions. Before you head out to the store, measure the shelves in your pantry or drawers, wherever you plan to organize. Write down the dimensions and take a tape measure with you to make sure it fits and you get as many as you need. There are many ways to repurpose Dollar Tree items to organize your home, and this is only one. Look around while you're picking up these trays to see what other products you can utilize to declutter and organize every drawer in your home.

Now that you have your trays, it's time to organize. Place the acrylic pieces on your pantry shelves or inside your snack drawer to section out the space and add your snacks. Displaying your snacks this way will serve multiple purposes. It will give your family easy access to their favorite foods and provide a visual reminder of when you're running low and need to stock up. Plus, having your snacks readily available and not getting lost behind or under other pantry or drawer items until after their expiration dates will surely save you money.

But what about the perishable snacks sitting in your refrigerator? If you and your family tend to forget about the fruits and vegetables in your fridge until it's too late, think about using these trays to organize your refrigerator shelves to reduce food waste. The USDA reports that up to 40% of food is wasted in the U.S. By rearranging your snacks and keeping track of what you have, you can help reduce the amount of food that goes to the landfill. Organize by using one tray for fruits, another for vegetables, a third for sodas or water, and a fourth for yogurt. Remove everything from your fridge and visualize how you want to organize your space. Then, add the trays in places that make sense for your family and fill them up. Replenish as needed. 

Beyond simple organization using these trays, you can go one step further by pulling out your label maker to mark exactly where your snacks will now live. Or, pick up these ONUPGO Chalkboard Labels to mark your trays. That way, when your snacks change, so can your labels! You don't have to stick with the plastic look, either. You can personalize your trays using pantry liners in different colors and patterns cut to fit the bottom, matching your decor. 

Another idea is to use spray paint to color the tray completely in any shade you like. Just be sure the paint you choose will stick to the surface of these trays. To complete this task, clean your tray, sand it lightly with a grade of 220 or higher, then add primer and one or two coats of paint. Let your trays dry completely before adding labels and filling them with snacks in your pantry or refrigerator.

For a more rustic look, attach thin wood strips to the bottom of your tray sections. You could use the same colored wood for a more uniform look or pieces with varying finishes to create a pattern. Glue the pieces down in your tray sections horizontally, vertically, or diagonally — whichever looks best to your eye. Fill and enjoy.