I like my pantry because it’s big enough and it’s convenient to the cooking area in my kitchen. But I’m not in love with the wire shelves. Things tip over on them. Things like small bottles and boxes of cereal. And things spill, like molasses dripping onto boxes and cans, creating sticky puddles in the floor.
Paying for solid shelving was out of the question. I found a cheaper solution with the shelf liners at Walmart.
It’s made by Contact brand. It’s non-adhesive and easy to work with. Just cut it with scissors to fit the shelf. Although it is flexible, it is also heavy duty and creates a much more solid surface than the wire.
Even though you can see the wire through the liner, you can’t really see down to a lower shelf or up through it to a higher shelf. I didn’t realize how much being able to see through the shelves helped me find things. However, it is so much nicer to have things stand up rather than tip over. The pantry stays neater.
Each roll cost about $5. I needed a whole roll for each shelf. I don’t think I could have gotten any kind of solid shelving for $20 total.
Over a year ago I wrote a post on organizing my spices. You might want to take a look at it, especially if your pantry has a door like a closet.
For the record, Contact brand has no idea who I am. I just happened to find their product and like it.
i wish i had a pantry… we just have a cabinet with 3 shelves they go really far into the cabinet. so i forget about stuff that gets pushed back there lol
Fabulous Idea and so clean looking!
Jana
AWESOME tip- thank you!!!!! I am going to do this for my pantry………
laundry room, linen closet, garage shelving, hall closet, etc- etc! Drives me nts when little things fall thru the shelves!
I also have the wire shelving and your idea really hit home. My pantry needs a makeover, too!!
great idea! I need to organize my pantry too.
Thanks for the great idea. I’ve got to do this to all my shelving too. I can’t stand the wire shelving we have, but now this will help!
I used this stuff on my wire pantry shelves a couple of years ago and love it. It is easy to clean up and keeps everything from tipping.
Thanks for the great idea! I have the wire shelves too and never liked them. This is a great cost effective solution : )
Will be buying shelf liners when I go for my next Walmart trip! Thanks for the great idea!
Excellent idea! This is exactly the kind of pantry I have and I can completely relate to the problem of things tipping over! If I decide to do a post on my cooking blog (www.inthekitchenwithholly.com) about redoing my pantry, I’ll link back to you. P.S. I’m you’re newest follower! 😀
what a great idea! I would of never thought of this – have to definitely remember for later – THANKS! =)
Smart thinking…sometimes you just have to put on the old thinking cap! New shelving would have been waaaay more expensive.
We did something similar on a few of our shelves-I used plastic place mats that we owned, but never used. Such a great idea!
Just found your site searching for a way to “fix” my wire shelves! I have the same problem with things tipping over. Would love to put clear acrylic on them but… ya… that money thing. 🙂 So far I have used inexpensive posterboard on some of the shelves, which works but it does get dirty and then need to be replaced. I think this contact paper may work better, and even though not “sheer” it still looks light enough to keep light in the pantry. (The contact paper makes the shelves below it dark!)
I’m going to look for this at Wal-Mart – thank you!
LouAnn, I’m glad you found my site. This fix for the wire shelves isn’t perfect, but I’ve been using it for several years now so it does work. Much better than no liner at all, that’s for sure!
Hi Tiffany,
In what aisle could I find this kind of roll?
Shirley, I’ve found it where they keep the contact paper. That seems to be in different places in different stores.
Nice.
Thanks for sharing, I went to Walmart and found them with. My shelves look much better and I would not of thought of that on my own!
Yes, I love this!
This patterned paper looks really nice. Is it available in a clear finish? Wouldn’t the clear finish help when looking for something in your pantry?
Everlyn, I’m sure there are lots of finishes available now as it’s been a few years since this little project. And yes, a clear finish would be great to keep items from tipping over and still being able to see “between” the shelves!
Thank you so much for this idea! I’m moving into a new home in May and won’t be ready to upgrade pantry shelving just yet. This is a great fix!
Well Congratulations on your new home!!
Do you ever have issues with the wired shelves where they begin to sag at the middle? If so, do you have any questions on how to fix that? My cans on multiple shelves slide forwards and off the shelf from the sagging.