Do you ever flinch as you open one of your kitchen cabinets because you expect something to come tumbling out at your face? That was me with the cabinet where we store our water bottles. Once upon a time, I had organized the cabinet using baskets. That worked well when my boys were using mostly sippy cups, but as we transitioned to water bottles that are bigger around that the sippy cups, they no longer fit in the baskets very well, and we ended up with a scary situation like this…
I knew I needed to find a better solution, and one that would maximize the available space in our cabinet. I started by removing everything from the cabinet so that I could decide what should really make its way back in, and what we should donate.
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The shelves were pretty dirty, so I quickly wiped out the dust and crumbs, and then used a magic eraser to remove the remaining scuffs and marks.
Once I’d sorted through our water bottle collection and decided what should stay and what should go, I took inventory to see how many bottles I needed to make room for.
One of the keys to keeping any space organized is to create a system that makes it easier to put things away in the right spot than to not. For our water bottles, this meant I needed a solution where each bottle had a designated spot so that we never had to rearrange things to make them fit, and where we’d never have to worry about bottles tipping over and falling out of the cabinet.
If you saw my Instagram Story last week, then you already know that the water bottle storage solution I came up with is to use some stacking wine racks! Since we have water bottles of different size and shapes, I picked these solid plastic iDesign wine holders. Most of the wood and metal options aren’t solid and would allow shorter water bottles to fall through, but these solid plastic are perfect and they come in white or clear.
I adjusted the shelves in the cabinet to allow me to stack the wine racks three high on the bottom and middle shelves.
I ended up using a total of 9 of the stacking wine racks {they’re cheaper when you buy them in sets of 2 or 4, so I have one extra that I’ll probably end up using in the fridge}.
I’m still using a basket on the second shelf up for some miscellaneous items that we don’t use often, but didn’t want to get rid of, like a few cups with lids and straws.
But all of the water bottles that we use on a regular basis, as well as a few insulated coffee cups, fit perfectly on the stacking wine racks. I love that I can see everything when I open the cabinet door, and it’s so easy to grab what I need and just as easy to put them away!
To get the rest of the cabinet organized, I’m using a small lazy susan for all of the boys plastic cups. I found that stacking them upside down makes them more stable, so they don’t tip over as I turn it around.
My boys can’t get enough of these super long bendy straws that can be twisted into spirals, or even tied in a knot. I grabbed an extra mason jar to keep the straws up right and in easy reach.
We’ve donated all of our other sippy cups, but I do like having a few toddler cups on hand for friends and cousins when they visit. Our favorites are the dentist-recommended, spoutless Miracle Cups. They don’t stack inside each other very well, but I had just enough room left on the shelf for four of them stacked two deep.
I always joke about how happy an organized space makes me, and that I’ll open the door just to admire it. Well, I think I’ve officially rubbed off on my husband, because Scott can’t stop opening the cabinet door and the silverware drawer {a story for another day} and smiling at the new organized situation.
I love quick and easy organizing projects! There’s so much satisfaction in finding a simple solution that solves a problem and makes life a little easier! This might just be my favorite five minute organizing project of all time!
Garrison Street Design Studio says
This is a genius idea! Water bottle storage is a real problem for us too, but this is so easy 🙂
Nana says
Simply brilliant! Going to pass this on to my kiddos…Thanks so much for sharing!!
Cat says
I only have two, not a lot of organisation needed! LOL
Tsveti says
Amazing organization, dear!
Ree says
I was almost at my wits end. THANK YOU SO MUCH!
Dawn Sharrocks says
Genius idea! I almost wish I had water bottles so I could use this idea. Will definitely pass it on.
Anonymous says
I think they will work for canned foods, I can put small labels on the front to tell me what they are. we only have 2 tins of each variety so a normal can holder is not suitable
de says
Those racks are $22.99 EACH! Ten times! I think i can recycle some boxes to do the same job.
Angela, Blue i Style says
No, they aren't. That's the price for a set of 2, and as I said in the post, I bought mine in discounted 4-packs (which made them just $10 each). Now, I understand that still may be more than you'd want to spend, but for me, I often find that an investment in something durable that will last forever ends up being better in the long run than a cheaper alternative with a shorter life span that will require me to do the work over and over again.
mary says
This is genius, we have a lot of water bottles and coffee cups too. My problem is I like to wash and air dry the mouthpiece/straw part, so the tops are always hanging out in the rack waiting to dry. This makes my heart sing to see how tidy this is.
Cheryl Burba says
That's $90 there in those racks. I agree, there are much less expensive options!
Angela, Blue i Style says
It’s all a matter of perspective. I prefer cheaper alternatives for some things, and for others I’m willing to spend more for something durable enough to last a really long time. I use these every single day and most alternatives would need to be replaced frequently, so for me, $90 to solve one of biggest daily headaches was a good long term investment.
Unknown says
This is great. I tried the shoes bag inside the pantry but it didn't work so great. We had to make sure the tall bottles were not in the way or the door wouldn't close.
ThatOrganicMom says
Just curious, why do you have so many water bottles? Is one per person not enough? Love the idea – and I also admire organization for a little dopamine rush! Thanks for sharing the tip!
blueistyle says
No, for our family one per person is not enough. The kids each take a water bottle to school each day for their classroom and another in the their lunch box (the classroom ones have to stay in the classroom). Sometimes they forget them at school and need a new one for the next day. Plus they also need water bottles for sports, etc. Plus they also use water bottles when playing in the basement so that they don’t spill (and we keep those water bottles in the basement bar fridge for a few days at a time between washing them). So we easily go through LOTS of water bottles with the kids alone. My husband is also a professional singer and actor – when he’s going to rehearsal or performing in a show, he takes multiple water bottles with him to keep on backstage on either side of the stage (he needs to be able to grab them quickly each time he goes offstage and doesn’t have time to refill mid-show).
Unknown says
Love this idea! I was struggling with organizing our water bottles, and keeping each one in view. Thank you for sharing this, really makes such a difference!