I’ll be quite transparent here–my pantry has needed an overhaul for a long time now. It was one of those “I’ll get around to it” projects for me for quite some time. We’ve lived in our home for over 12 years now and I’ve probably never totally taken everything out at once and given it an overhaul. Well, I got the incentive I needed when the CSI Project (thecsiproject.com) announced that this week’s challenge was to make over a pantry or closet of some kind. So, I rolled up my sleeves, put my grungy work clothes on, and took on the challenge.

Now, you can’t really appreciate the after until you’ve seen the before, right?

I also had piles of bags and boxes all over the floor in a big ole’ jumble. The only thing I really loved about my “before” is the cute grocery bag holder.

The first item of business was to take every blessed thing out of the pantry closet, including the shelves. I wiped each one down, wiped the walls down, and got to painting. I had some paint leftover whose color I loved, so that’s what I used on the walls (and ceiling!) of my pantry. Just as a fun aside, I also attended my kids’ Back to School Night last night, not realizing that I had blue-tipped hair. No one said a word until I got home and happened to glance in the mirror–oh well, it’s not the first time I’ve looked like a fool, and I’m sure it’s not the last either! I’ll walk you through the rest of my improvements, starting with the door:

All in all, I am SO pleased with my new pantry. As I wrap this up, I also have to mention that I probably spent, at most, $10 on this makeover. The most expensive item was the cool tin bread box, which I got for $6 at an antique shop. Pretty much everything else I already had or made from something I already had. Oh, how I love to make something brand new without buying or spending much! So, what do you think?