The Genius Way Martha Stewart Utilizes Glass Jars For A More Organized Kitchen

Few things can make a mess of your pantry faster than a leaky bag of flour or sugar. In addition to coating nearby containers, the spill can get into crevices, attracting ants and other pests. One of the best ways to prevent this problem is storing dry ingredients in glass jars with tightly sealed lids. Martha Stewart recommends this approach for other reasons, too. She loves how these jars keep their contents fresh and help her organize the pantry in an Instagram-worthy way. She's especially fond of jars that she can label, as this is a practical way to remember what's inside and an opportunity to incorporate creative flourishes.

Stewart looks for jars that are both useful and attractive when organizing her pantry. For instance, her studio pantry is filled with big, lidded jars made of clear glass. In addition to sporting a beautiful shine, they eliminate guessing about what's inside. "Pantry vessels like these are so useful for so many items and can be kept on the countertop for easy access," Stewart explains on The Martha Blog, adding that she likes to fill them with sugar, flour, and other grains. 

Though Stewart sometimes uses a label maker on her pantry containers, she loves the look of hand-lettered labels on glass storage jars. She doesn't just label each jar's contents, either. When organizing spices, Stewart writes the date on the bottom of each jar since it's easy to forget how long these ingredients have been in the pantry. If you make your own labels, also consider adding dates to jars of tea leaves and other items that might take a while to finish.

Martha Stewart doesn't restrict glass jars to her pantry. She uses them to display and store items throughout her kitchen, enhancing the room's charm and functionality. Each of these containers is chosen with attention to multiple details, including size, material, opening size, and washability. According to The Martha Blog, cooking tools are stored in antique crocks on countertops, where they're easy to grab at a moment's notice. Rice goes in wide-mouthed glass canisters that can also store scoops, saving valuable drawer space. Dog treats are kept in huge, lidded jars like those you might find at an old-fashioned candy shop, bringing a bit of whimsy to pet care. 

In addition to following Stewart's lead, consider repurposing jars with interesting designs or easy-to-seal metal lids. To upgrade your kitchen storage on a budget, you might thrift eye-catching apothecary jars or turn salsa jars into sleek pantry containers by painting dots, stars, or landscapes onto the lids. Many salsa jars hold about 16 ounces, so they're good for storing small quantities of baking supplies, as well as homemade hot cocoa mix and other blends of dry ingredients. They're also suitable for toothpicks, birthday candles, and other little objects you might keep in your kitchen. Gallon-sized pickle jars can hold larger quantities of dry goods, including cereal and pretzels, along with a measuring cup. A reused pasta sauce jar may be just right for tiny, colorful objects you'd like to display before eating — say, Skittles or heirloom popcorn kernels. Go with clear glass whenever possible since this gives you more visibility into the containers and more display possibilities.