Whether you have a large pantry or a small pantry, one thing is for sure: you probably need more space. Luckily, there’s space hiding in plain sight with these vertical pantry organizing hacks.

I’m talking about vertical space. All that dead air between shelves, on the ground, or even on your pantry door can be utilized with the right tools.

In this list, I’m covering twenty-one vertical pantry organizing hacks you must see before you kick into your next spring clean!

1. Hanging Snack Storage

Source: @kaydeeluxedecor

First thing’s first, we need to find a place for all your snacks. I believe no house is complete without plenty of snacks, so they need somewhere to go.

A hanging plastic pocket organizer is perfect for this! Something like this can easily fit on the back of any pantry door.

2. Lazy Susan Tower

Source: @shelfgenie

Lazy Susans are already an excellent storage solution, but why settle for one when you could have a whole tower of them? This vertical pantry storage solution is one of my favorites.

This is a great way to make sure you always have easy access to all of your essentials, since the tower rotates!

3. Pull-Out Dry Storage

Source: @floraliehome

In small kitchens where you only have a little bit of horizontal space, it’s better to embrace depth. By that, I mean lean into using a slide-out pantry.

This vertical storage solution allows you to use every inch of space without making anything tough to reach.

4. Small, Functional Shelf

Source: @themultitasking_mum

Small, functional shelving is the lifeblood of any small kitchen. This additional cabinet is a great place to store your dried goods, especially if you have them in uniform jars.

Consider investing in a set of labels like this one to make everything easy to find.

5. Vertical Spice Rack

Source: @arden_homes

I’m a huge fan of keeping your spices safely stored and labeled. It just makes cooking with them so much easier. That said, spice drawers can take up a lot of space.

That’s why this vertical spice rack is perfect! It doesn’t take up a lot of space, and you can easily slot it onto a free piece of wall or even a cabinet door.

6. DIY Vertical Pantry Wall

Source: @rescuemyspace

If you don’t have your own pantry at home, it’s easy enough to make one! All you need are some mounted metal shelves and storage boxes to instantly add a ton of storage.

This is the work of about a day to set up, and you’ll thank yourself for all this extra space to put your pantry essentials.

7. Hanging Lid Storage

Source: @unclutterco

It’s never been easier to hang lids! This super quick and easy hack uses plastic or fabric dividers to store those fussily-shaped pot and pan lids on the inside of your doors.

This is a great way to make use of vertical space to take care of something with an awkward shape.

8. Over-the-Door Wire Rack

Source: @unclutterco

One of my favorite solutions is to use an over-the-door wire rack to instantly add a ton more space to your pantry. This is a great spot to keep condiments and consumables you reach for all the time.

This kind of rack is perfect, and it doesn’t even need to be installed! It simply hangs over the door, no nails required.

9. Deep Pantry Storage

Source: @spacedorganization

Struggling with a deep pantry and don’t know how to reach everything easily? Invest in a set of uniform containers that you can stack for easy access.

While you’ll still need to move containers to get to the back of the pantry, this makes using all the vertical space possible.

10. Plastic Pantry Buckets

Source: @organization_rules

If you don’t want a full rack to sit on the inside of your door, consider using some plastic bins like these to customize your very own setup.

These are great for keeping cleaning products and other non-edible consumables in your pantry.

11. DIY Built-In Drawers

Source: @sortandsoul

That’s right, you can even DIY your own set of built-in drawers! Rather than allowing your pantry to live one with vertical dead space, fill it up with custom drawers that offer so much more storage.

These are easy to install and will instantly give you so much more space to use in your pantry.

12. Stacking Storage Bins

Source: @offthefloororganizing

One of my go-to strategies for using up vertical space is to invest in stackable storage bins. Some storage bins come without a lid, but they can only sit horizontally.

With a lid, you can stack these containers on top of one another to immediately free up valuable room on your shelves. Something stylish like this would even look great on open shelves.

13. Vertical Pantry Glow-Up

Source: @primspace

Give your pantry a glow-up by investing in some vertical space-saving solutions. All that wasted space on the floor? A set of standalone wire drawers is the perfect answer.

Make sure these drawers are deep enough to stretch all the way to the back of the pantry, so you’re using every inch of space.

14. Stackable Can Storage

Source: @theglobalorganizer

If you’re anything like me, then you love innovative organization solutions. This stackable can storage idea is one such solution! All you need are some old magazine holders.

These easily hold cans in vertical stacks, making it easy to access what you need without spreading cans out all over the pantry.

15. Expand Pantry Space

Source: @thetodonelist

One of the most important rules of thumb when organizing your pantry is to maximize your space. If you have free space on your door, then invest in something to go over it.

If you have free wall space, consider installing more shelving. It’s all about looking up and looking down to find those unused vertical space-saving spots.

16. Under-Shelf Drawers

Source: @everyday_order

This is one of my favorite hacks for creating more vertical space in a pantry, and I don’t see it happen enough! Using under-shelf drawers immediately utilizes the dead space under shelves.

Not only that, but models like this are so easy to install when compared to many other solutions.

17. Lower Pantry Essentials Storage

Source: @simplyspaces

Give the bottom of your pantry a storage makeover with some adjustable organizers. These are great for storing surplus supplies like saran wrap and aluminum foil.

Most importantly, they take up very little space on the bottom shelves, so you can use the rest of the space for things like cans.

18. Acrylic Dividers

Source: @reset_your_nest

I will never stop promoting acrylic dividers, because I think they’re just so good! Clear acrylic boxes like these make it so easy to see what you’ve hidden inside them.

This means you can always have eyes on what you’ve got in your pantry, so no more double buying!

19. Stacked Baskets in Pantry

Source: @theorderproject

Want to keep it simple? Then stacked baskets in the pantry are perfect for you. This pantry organizing hack is a simple, cost-effective way to introduce some organization to the lower levels of your pantry.

These can easily sit on the floor and house surplus snacks, cans, or even drinks if you need somewhere outside of the fridge to store them.

20. Rolling Cart

Source: @theshirleylife

If you live in a small space, a rolling cart like this is the perfect solution. Rolling carts bring the pantry to you, immediately offering a portable solution that won’t take up a ton of pantry space.

Best of all, you can find rolling carts in adorable designs, so they feel like a feature of your kitchen.

21. Marquee Shelf

Source: @beeorganizedsfbay

Finally, we have the marquee shelf! This is one of my favorite strategies for vertical pantry organization, because you’re basically creating a central shelf to structure your pantry around.

Try using Lazy Susans, storage baskets, or a central standing plastic shelf set to make the items you use most as accessible as possible.

Check out these Dollar Store pantry organizing ideas next.