Before you bring out the cookie cutters this holiday season, try some new kitchen organization ideas in your Dallas-Ft. Worth home. You’ll be better prepared to make some sweet treats (and some lasting memories) when your cooking space is streamlined and organized. Read on for some easy ways to prepare your kitchen for the bustling baking season ahead.

Start With Your Pantry

Some of the best kitchen organization ideas are right in your kitchen’s pantry. Before embarking on a holiday-baking project, take stock of what you have. Your pantry is likely packed with many ingredients and supplies you need, saving you a trip to the store. Start from the top and work your way down, tossing out expired or stale foods, spices, or boxed goods. Transfer bulk baking supplies (ingredients like flour, sugar, and chocolate chips or nuts) to clear airtight containers. This keeps the ingredients fresh and gives some structure to your pantry shelves. Check out this article for more top tips on pantry organization.

Create Zones for Your Kitchen

Between the fresh-baked pies, sweet breads, and cookies for Santa, your kitchen will likely be abuzz with activity this holiday season. If your kitchen is as busy as some of Dallas’ top bakeries (or if it only seems that way), make the baking process more efficient by dividing your kitchen into zones. Designate an area in your pantry for seasonal ingredients or cooking utensils, and if you’ll have little ones helping out, make their supplies easy to find (and keep them away from the hot stove).

Designate a Work Area

It’s all too easy to let clutter creep into your kitchen — especially when you have a bundt cake in the oven, cranberry potpourri simmering on the stove, and flour, sugar, and chopped pecans scattered all around. Pick a work area in your kitchen and stick to it. This is the spot that should always be clean and ready to do some of the preliminary prep work for holiday baking: the chopping, mixing, and rolling. If your kitchen has an island, that’s the ideal spot. If not, create some room next to your sink so you can easily clean up afterwards. The goal is for you to tackle all your baking tasks in one spot without having to move from place to place.

The holiday season is a time for your kitchen to shine. By approaching your holiday baking with some kitchen organization ideas in mind, the season will be that much sweeter.

Image Source: Flickr/Nadja Tatar

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