Pantry Re-do (featuring Chalkboards!)

As part of Declutter and Reorganize 2012, I tackled my pantry last week. I got rid of a few things that were suspect (hello, basil-flavored oil from 2008!) but mostly just organized the shelves and made things easier to find and retrieve. I used some plastic bins that I had once used for craft storage but were currently unused, and even incorporated a few baskets. Here's the new and improved pantry:

I'm thrilled with the results, but my favorite thing is on the top shelf, in the middle. I cleaned out some old jars, ran them through the dishwasher, and then painted chalkboard paint on the front and lids. Then I took several of the bulk foods I had that were in plastic bags (and hard to organize), poured them into the jars, labeled them and - voila - organized and totally adorable storage!

I'm looking forward to adding a few more jars once I have some more empties.

I also turned an old wine bottle into a cool dish soap dispenser.  I put a wine pourer in the top (which works better than a shot pourer because the mouth is wider and the soap flows more quickly) and painted a chalkboard label on the front:

I love the idea of repurposing things that would otherwise end up in the recycling bin, and the addition of the chalkboard panels makes the jars not only cute but also really flexible since you can change the label at any time.