DIY Sliding Pantry Food Organizer

I do love my kitchen but one of the things that it is missing is a pantry. And though I have tried using one cupboard as a pantry space, it never seemed to work for me. Even with step inserts, I could never find what I was looking for or remove the item without having to take tons of things out.

I did however, have a small space between my refrigerator and the wall that seemed like wasted space. I did try to find and buy a slide out pantry but they never fit. So I decided to design and make my own. I was a little apprehensive but I must say, with a little patience, and the help of my son, it turned out awesome!

If you do not have a pantry in your kitchen, this is a good option for you too. The key is measuring, measuring, measuring. Make it fit your space. And you will be amazed at how much more room for pantry items this skinny slide out gives you.

It took me about a day to complete. Take your time and do the steps one at a time. Don’t be intimidated. It really is very simple.

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If you aren’t the DIY type but love the concept, you can buy a ready made slide in pantry.

DIY SLIDING PANTRY ORGANIZER TUTORIAL

Supplies:

5 – 1″ X 5″ X 8′ pre-primed boards
2 – 1/8″ X 2′ X 4′ back board or bead board
4 – 2″ casters for 90lb weight load
7 – 7/16″ dowels
1 – drawer pull handle
paint, brushes and/or rollers
wood screws
finishing nails
wood glue
paintable caulk or wood filler

Optional:

1 – drawer roller
non-slip shelf liners
2 – 2 1/2″ X 8′ pre-primed baseboard moulding
handyman son

Tools Required:

drill
7/16″ drill bit
drill bit
level
square
hammer
table saw

Tips:

If you have a very tight space to work with, always push your organizer into the intended space between steps to make sure it fits.
Screws are better than nails when working with thin boards.
You should always pre-drill holes for the screws.

Instructions:

Cut two of the 1X5X8 boards for the side boards. Mine were 70 inches long.
Cut the remaining three 1X5X8 boards into 9 equal lengths. These will be the top, 6 shelves and 2 bottom pieces. Mine were 30 inches in length. Yours may be different depending on the depth of the space you wish to fill.
Glue and screw together 2 of the short boards. This will be the bottom piece.
Arrange on the floor, a top shelf, the two side boards and the bottom piece. The side boards should sit outside the top and bottom pieces. I let my side boards hang down a bit to hide the casters.
Glue and screw together the frame.
Stand it up and slide it into your space to check it fits.
Place your frame on the floor again and arrange the shelf boards within the frame.

Grab cans and products you will be storing on the organizer and place them in the spaces. Place heavier and/or larger items on the bottom shelf.
Once you have decided on the spacing for each shelf, with a pencil, mark the inside of the side boards above and below where each shelf will go.
Glue and screw the shelves to your frame.
Cut 7 dowels 1/2 inch longer than your shelf boards. Mine were 30 1/2″.
Using the drill bit, pre-drill the holes for the dowels into the inside of the side boards. My top 5 shelves, I drilled the holes 1 1/2 inches from the bottom of the shelf and 1/4″ from the front of the shelf but for the two bottom shelves, since they would hold taller products, I drilled the holes 2 inches from the bottom of the shelves.
Insert the dowels into the pre-drilled holes using wood glue.
Cut the back board to size of frame.
Attach back using finishing nails. Don’t forget to nail to the shelves too.
Attach the casters to the bottom of your frame, 6 inches from either end. Use two casters, for either end, set slightly apart, depending on the width you are working with.
Fill any holes or cracks with caulk.
Paint your organizer. Two coats is preferred.
Attach your handle.

Optional Steps:

Before you attach your handle, cut two baseboard mouldings the same length as side pieces. Glue and screw the baseboard pieces to the side of the frame that will face out. Fill and paint. Attach handle.
For extra security, you can attach a drawer roller either to the wall or upper shelf to keep your organizer from falling over or being pulled out too far.

I decided to paint the baseboard trim black so that it would blend in with the fridge. You can’t even tell it is there when it is closed.

I don’t know why I didn’t think of making this slide out pantry organizer before. It holds so much stuff. I absolutely love it and I hope it solves your pantry problems too.