Repurpose everyday items to organize your pantry, supply closets

Your pantry and supply closets can be a beautiful marriage of form and function when you enlist a few smart, sustainable and attractive upgrades. Learn how Martha Stewart Living home editor Lorna Aragon repurposes everyday items to organize two of your home's hardest-working spots.

STREAMLINE YOUR PANTRY

These tactics will transform chaos into easy-to-access calm.

1. Stock like a grocer: Toss all expired goods, then arrange like with like, and multiples (such as canned beans) one in front of the other, so you can take inventory at a glance.

2. Decant staples: "This cuts down on visual clutter," says Lorna, and also helps you see when supplies are running low. To avoid "How long do I boil this for?" moments, she snips cooking instructions off packaging and tapes them to the bottoms of the new containers.

3. Upcycle glass empties: For eco-friendly decanting, reuse marinara jars to hold grains, pasta and other dry goods. For a really cohesive look (extra-credit alert!), Lorna lays the lids on newspaper and spray-paints the outsides with two coats of Rustoleum white paint, letting them dry in between.

4. Opt for open containers: Store granola bars and mini chip bags in extra salad bowls or baskets for drive-by snacking. Even more satisfying? A standard loaf pan is the perfect width for oatmeal or popcorn packets.

Having a place for everything doesn't just mean tools are a snap to grab and put back; they're also nice to look at, which makes chores less of a, well, chore.

1. Leverage your ladder: Here's one that's strong enough to support anyone, but made with aircraft-grade aluminum that keeps it lightweight and sleek enough to hang on hooks. "With so many options, it's nice to find one in your style and color," Lorna says.

2. Think crate thoughts: Keep everything from paper towels to recycling in simple wooden boxes, which come in various sizes. Lorna painted this large one white and screwed casters on the bottom to add wheels: "I like things in my utility area to be movable, so it's easier to clean the space."

3. Work the wall: Lift brooms, mops and cords off the floor and onto a peg rail (again, great for keeping floors neat underneath). "I use them everywhere," says Lorna.