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How to Maximize Wire Shelving Pantry Space

Modified: Published: by Visit our "Disclosure Policy and Cookies" page in the menu for details. This post may contain affiliate links. 6 Comments

Feeling frustrated with your pantry (affiliate)'s wire shelving (affiliate) setup? No need to gut it right now. Instead, use these products to organize and increase storage.

Wire shelving (affiliate) is not only used in closets. You can also use it in pantries to store and organize food and supplies for later. It may be in your kitchen, in a hallway near your kitchen, or even in the basement.

In the 90s, to reduce costs, builders sometimes used wire shelving (affiliate) in new-construction homes, though homeowners would update later - but some never did.

To help maximize wire shelving (affiliate) pantry (affiliate) space, I am going to share my favorite finds that are affordable but adorable. You will be surprised by how many items you can store in this space, making it more customizable to your lifestyle and family. I divided this up into different areas, which is what I used with a client of mine.

Jump to:

Key Takeaways

  • Maximize wire-shelf pantry (affiliate) space with kitchen carts for easy access and organization.
  • Utilize clear bins or baskets to group like items together for better visibility on wire shelves (affiliate).
  • Fill gaps between shelves (affiliate) with additional shelving (affiliate) or bins to enhance storage.
  • Assign a section for cleaning supplies in the pantry (affiliate) for convenience and easy access.
  • Label (affiliate) pantry (affiliate) areas to help users find items quickly and maintain organization.

Kitchen Carts are useful on the floor of a pantry.

Some have wheels, and some do not, but all carts with drawers can store various items grouped in the drawers, making them easier to find. You can store several items in these drawer carts. Some examples include tablecloths, small snack packets, onions, potatoes, party supplies, and canned goods. Below are some drawer carts I found on Amazon (affiliate) (affiliate). Note: If you decide to click through and buy something from Amazon (affiliate), I will receive a referral fee at no cost to you.

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Clear Bins or Baskets For Wire Shelves

Open or lidded bins or baskets work on a variety of shelves (affiliate) to group items together. From acrylic bins (affiliate) to wicker ones, these items work well on a pantry (affiliate) shelf to bring 'like' items together. Some examples of groups you can create are pasta and rice (affiliate), drinks, canned food, beans (dried), soups, and pet food. Visit our post about 12 ESSENTIAL CONTAINER TYPES FOR YOUR NEXT ORGANIZING PROJECTS to get tips on different types of bins. Some of the items below from Amazon (affiliate) (affiliate) can hang directly from the wire shelves (affiliate).

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add bins that hook to wire shelves for extra packet storage

Add shelving or bins to fill up large gaps.

Some pantries have a lot of space between shelves (affiliate) and lack shelves (affiliate). For this, several wire shelving (affiliate) units attach to the existing shelving to raise items and fill gaps caused by poor shelf placement. Below are similar ones I found on Amazon (affiliate) (affiliate). Be sure to measure the shelf's depth and width to buy the right type.

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add liner to shelf then add extra wire shelf on top of shelf to fill in the gap between shelves.

Assign part of your pantry for cleaning supplies.

Some people store their cleaning supplies in their pantries. It could hold mops, bottles of cleaners, microfiber cloths, and paper towels. Since the pantry closet is usually centrally located, it's an ideal place for cleaning items. Check out our post for DIY inspiration on how to create a cleaning supplies area.

Utilize the Pantry Door for Storage!

And we can't forget to hang wire shelving behind the door for extra storage. Visit our post here: 6 CRAFTY OVER-THE-DOOR HANGING ORGANIZERS TO MAXIMIZE YOUR KITCHEN SPACE

Add behind the door organizers for extra pantry storage

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Cover the wire shelving with liners.

As we discussed in a prior post, shelf liners (affiliate) help stabilize this wire shelving and create a surface that works for any organizing product. Tiered shelving accessories for cans can sit on top of this shelf liner (affiliate) to organize items and make it easy to see everything in the back. Be sure to measure your shelf depth before choosing an item below. Some are 12 inches deep, and others can be deeper, like 16 inches. Below are some liners I found on Amazon (affiliate) (affiliate).

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Visit my pantry organizing posts to help you maximize your area.

And label the assigned areas in the pantry.

Labeling is essential when several people use the pantry area. Clear tags hanging from a shelf, as we did here, work for a while. It helps people remember where items are until it becomes a habit to put them there. But you don't need to use cardstock any longer, as I did in this photo. You can use plastic click-on sleeves; just label (affiliate) the area for like items and attach it to the top part of the wire shelf side. I shared the link below for the plastic label (affiliate) holder.

You can just write on the paper that comes with it. Or, you can use a label maker (affiliate) and type it up. If you are creative, you can even decorate the tags to make them festive and noticeable. Get the kids involved for a fun organizing project together.

Use labels for shelf area so people know where to put things. Heavy stuff should be placed on the bottom shelves.

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Placing items can be tricky and dangerous. To learn more about pantry item placement, check out this image and the accompanying What to Keep in Your Pantry post.

What to Keep in your pantry - large bins and heavy items on the bottom, eye level frequently used items in the middle occasionally used and light items on top shelf

Maximizing your wire-shelving pantry storage area will give you peace of mind every day you enter. I hope this post inspired you to organize your pantry wire shelving with accessories designed just for it.

Now it is your turn! What is your favorite pantry wire shelving accessory? Please leave a comment below.

Want more pantry organizing ideas? I found these articles online with wire shelving organization tips. Feel free to check them out.

40 Clever Pantry Organization Ideas to Make Your Kitchen Feel Twice as Big - Good Housekeeping

Visit our other pantry organization posts!

Maximize Wire Shelving Pantry with little money long image
How to Maximize Wire Shelving Pantry Space with little money square image
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More Pantry Organization Tips

About Sabrina Quairoli

I love sharing my passion for organizing life and home. I hope you get inspired when visiting my home organizing tips, quick weeknight recipes, party planning ideas, and DIY organizing projects. Visit the About Me page to read my story.

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  1. Ronni Eisenberg says

    I use wire shelving in my pantry and it works so well. The liners are a terrific idea as they’re easy to wipe clean and it prevents food and other items from falling through the cracks.
    I love anything on wheels. You can pull it out when you need it and then you roll it back in when finished. It’s easy to tuck away in a corner or under shelving. I also like using the space on the back of a door. It becomes so handy for storing a myriad of supplies.
    Thank you for sharing!

    Reply

  2. Pamela Wong says

    Many of us are in need of additional storage in our homes and you gave great ideas and examples on how to create storage. Thank you for the tips!

    Reply

  3. Julie Bestry says

    I grew up in a home without a pantry, per se, but with a person-high cabinet with a giant multi-tier, metal Lazy Susan. To this day, I'm amazed that more kitchens don't utilize this innovative option. You've shared excellent ideas for making the most of wire shelving, and I think my favorite is the over-the-door solution for packaged items. And you're so right -- heavy-duty shelf liners to ensure that nothing falls through (and that the baskets don't get wobbly) are essential.

    Reply

  4. Linda Samuels says

    I've noticed a lot of photos of beautifully organized pantries showing up on Instagram and Pinterest lately. There is something so satisfying about seeing cans and boxes lined up neatly with shelves or bins labeled. It makes things so much easier to find. I remember several years ago being asked to organize a huge pantry for a client in abstensia. That isn't normally how I work, so it was an interesting challenge. It was a lot of fun getting everything to fit and be organized in a logical way so that everyone in the family could easily assess and return items to their homes.

    In general, I'm not a huge fan of the white coated wire shelves. They're harder to clean and sometimes things fall through. Covering them with a liner, as you suggested, helps a lot. I loved all of the accessories you speced, like the bins and labels. Great!

    Reply

  5. Seana Turner says

    I love that you are giving tangible ideas for how to make the most of your pantry space. I ALSO love that the idea of a pantry seems to be coming back in home design - pantries are definitely one of the most important and productive spaces in a home. I feel like almost anyone can benefit from that over-the-door rack. If you don't have a pantry, you can put one on the back of the door to the basement and instantly gain a lot of storage, right?

    Reply