The Common Pantry Essential You Should Repurpose For Handy Kitchen Storage

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You don't have to spend a ton of money on specialty storage racks when there are lots of budget-friendly ways to organize your kitchen. That includes common kitchen items you should reuse instead of tossing into the garbage, like transforming fruit scraps into bespoke wall decor and turning brand name boxes into a DIY for plants.

You could also turn a humble cylindrical oatmeal container into a stylish and handy grocery bag holder — a kitchen essential to keep all the plastic sacks organized in your pantry. You just need an empty oatmeal container and lid, some Mod Podge, a foam brush, and paper that you want to decorate it with (scrapbook paper, wrapping paper, or you can cleverly repurpose old magazines). You can also include some paint and a painting dish if you want to paint the can first or create your own design, but it's not a required step or material for this DIY project.

First, you'll need to gather your materials and decide if you want to paint the oatmeal can first. Most oatmeal cans, like Quaker Oats, are made from thick cardboard that might get soggy after multiple layers of paint. Some other brands, however, use containers made of metal, like McCann's Irish Oatmeal. This hack could also easily work for any other similar containers made of durable materials — think cookie or popcorn tins.

Once you've made that decision, you can either start painting or brush on a layer of Mod Podge. If you're opting to decoupage the can with some type of paper, start adhering the design around the container and smooth out any wrinkles that might form. Repeat until the whole oatmeal canister is covered. Make sure to also cover any paper edges with more Mod Podge so it doesn't peel off once it's dried. Later, you should also cover the entire project in an additional layer of this adhesive to seal your design.

If you want to customize the lid, you can Mod Podge that as well. At this point, cut a hole in the lid to serve as the spot where the plastic bags will be dispensed. Once you're finished, just stuff the grocery bags inside and use your new storage container as needed.