18 Convenient DIY Can Organizers Ideas You Can Try Today (With Pictures)

If you store many canned goods for a rainy day or put dry goods or small items like buttons or screws in jars, you know that it can be challenging to keep everything sorted so you can find something when you need it. A can organizer can be a huge help, and several commercial units are available online. However, these products can be expensive. If you are handy, you can build one for a fraction of the price, so keep reading as we list several projects that you can tackle at home.

The 18 DIY Can Organizers Ideas

1. DIY Canned Goods Storage by The Prepared Page

The DIY Canned Goods Storage project is a great choice for anyone with extra wall space that they can turn into a storage rack. You can customize it to hold only a few cans or hundreds, and you can stain or paint it any way that you like. It’s inexpensive to build and only requires you to build a simple frame out of 2 x 4s.

2. Cardboard Can Organizer by Instructables

The Cardboard Can Organizer is an inexpensive project that is easy to build and will help you store several cans in a portable organizer. The instructions are easy to follow, and the hardest part is getting accurate measurements of your cans and cutting the cardboard to size. Most people will likely finish the project in an hour or two.

3. Stackable Canned Food Organizer by Shanty 2 Chic

The Stackable Canned Food Organizer is one of our favorite projects because it isn’t that difficult to build and results in a durable and sturdy container for storing your canned goods. Even better, it only takes a few dollars to make, and you can make several to stack on top of each other to store as many cans as you need. The organizers are also portable, so you can transport your cans easily to another location.

4. Easy DIY Canned Food Storage by Tom Builds Stuff

The Easy DIY Canned Food Storage project is fun and easy to build without many tools, and the finished product holds 39 cans. It can mount to a door or wall so you can reach it easily to access the cans that you need. The author clearly describes each step of the project so you can complete it even if you don’t have much woodworking experience.

5. First In, First Out Can Organizer by Heart Hook Home

The First In, First Out Can Organizer is perfect for someone who uses many canned goods and wants to use the oldest product first to preserve freshness. The instructions on this project are easy to follow. This project might be considered easy if there weren’t so many cuts to make. You can leave the project without a finish or add stain and varnish or paint to help prevent it from absorbing moisture.

6. Canned Food Rotator by Build My Own Cabin

The Canned Food Rotator project is a moderately difficult project that will help you store your cans and rotate them, so you can use the oldest one first. You can customize it to fit any area of your home, and the instructions are clear and easy to follow. There are several cuts required in the plywood that you use to construct it, but most are easy to make.

7. Bulk Can Dispenser by Instructables

The Bulk Can Dispenser project is great for people who have a large supply of cans that they need to keep sorted. It provides storage for up to 81 cans and is relatively inexpensive to make, as it is mostly plywood. The instructions are easy to follow, and there are several cuts to make, but most people should be able to complete it.

8. Wall Mounted Canned Food Dispenser by Budget 101

The Wall Mounted Canned Food Dispenser is a great project that you can customize to fit your wall space or the number of cans that you need to store. It only requires making a few cuts and connecting the boards using wood screws and glue. The author explains how to build the dispenser in video format, so it is easy to follow along with, but some of the tools are more advanced.

9. Can Rotating Shelf by Instructables

The Can Rotating Shelf is a project perfect for someone who only has a few cans to store but wants to ensure that they use the oldest ones first. You only need a few pieces of plywood and wood glue to build the project, but it requires you to cut dovetail joints which might be hard for a beginner.

10. Fabric Covered DIY Can Organizer by pretty diyhom

You can make a pretty, simple, and effective can organizer using a magazine holder and fabric. This plan is great for can storage that can be seen and is not tucked away in a cupboard, and the result is stylish enough for any kitchen. There are several fabric designs you can use, which makes this project unique and personable.

11. Wall Mounted DIY Can Organizer by ana white

This wall-mounted DIY can organizer will help free up space in your pantry or cupboards! Less than 4 inches of wall space can accommodate 32 cans. It rotates older cans to the front, and transparent acrylic glass keeps them visible so you know when you are running low. It is assembled with drill screws and constructed with inexpensive wood. Hanging it is quite simple; even a DIY rookie can do this project with the help of this tutorial.

12. DIY Can Organizer for Cupboard by shanty 2 chic

This step-by-step tutorial helps you save space and organize your grocery cans with DIY-stacked can organizers. The individual containers you’ll construct can store up to seven cans, which rotate so you can use the older dates first. The materials are easy to source, and the project does not require power tools.

13. Three Tier DIY Can Organizer by ana white

Create a custom-length DIY three-tier can organizer to organize your canned goods with this tutorial by Ana White. This incredibly easy project will raise the cans in the back row, so you can see your stock easily.  It can also be built to any length to avoid wasting any room on the ends. They can be made to fit inside your pantry cupboard for a discrete location or even on a pantry shelf for extra space and storage.

14. DIY Secret Cupboard Can Organizer by build my own cabin

This plan shows you how to construct a revolving system using minimal materials. You can make the most of a sizable kitchen cupboard in your pantry, and the can organizer is designed to rotate. The capacity of each bin is approximately 14 standard-size cans, making a total of 252 cans, but the design can be modified to meet the space you have available. It’s a great way to keep your canned food supply out of site but quickly and conveniently accessible.

15. Can Organizer Roll Out Shelf by classy clutter

If you are tight with space and looking for a space-saving storage and organizing solution, this project is for you. This storage shelf is made to slide in and out of a narrow space easily, so it’s tucked away when it’s not needed but displays all your organized canned goods when you need one. The plan includes several shelves, but you can adjust it to suit your needs and personalize the inside pattern to suit your kitchen décor.

16. Toilet Paper Roll Hack by almost allaldi

Using toilet roll dispensers is a quick, easy, cheap, and ingenious hack for organizing your cans, especially for those looking for a quick solution. Toilet roll dispensers are the ideal size for a standard-sized can and make it simple to roll cans through and keep them rotated in order of the expiration date. Each organizer can hold about 12 cans.

17. Wire Shelving Can Organizer Hack by instructables

This is another simple hack to help organize your cans, and it will either use zero materials or will involve changing your shelves. If you have wire shelving already, then this tutorial will show you how to adjust them to organize your cans, but if your shelving is wood, you can replace it with wire shelves or even use a wire basket. The shelf will essentially be installed at a slight angle with a stop at the end to display and rotate your cans.

18. Can Organizer Cabinet on Wheels by wiki how

If you are looking to organize your cans, as well as extra storage, this plan will help you do that with a step-by-step guide to making a DIY storage cabinet on wheels. It can be easily transported for rearranging your pantry and provides an impressive amount of space for your canned food. It is also made to rotate your cans so that they get used before their expiration dates. This project is more suited for someone with a little woodworking experience, but even if you are a novice, the tutorial can guide you through the details.

Summary

For only a few dollars, you can build many projects that will help you store cans so you can easily retrieve what you need and even use the oldest ones first. If you don’t have much woodworking experience, we recommend starting with one of the easier projects. The Cardboard Can Organizer costs almost no money, so you can keep trying until you get it right, and we think that you will be surprised at how durable it is. Once you gain more experience, a project like the Bulk Can Dispenser will help you store all the cans that you can collect.

See also:

• The 5 Convenient DIY Attic Lift Pulley System Plans
• 13 Clever and Creative Pantry Organization Ideas
• How To Organize Kitchen Cabinets – 12 Tips & Tricks

Featured Image Credit: Dmitriev Mikhail, Shutterstock