We’ve gathered up some pantry boxes, pantry baskets, and other antique pantry containers in clay, wicker, wood, and glass to show you what pantry organization looks like before the age of plastic (and it’s gorgeous).  

A century ago, pantry staples such as flour, grains, and white sugar were stored in pantry boxes and drawers and cloth sacks.  Bread and crackers and some spices were stored in tins. Potatoes were stored in burlap and baskets. Glass was expensive and not easily made at home, but baskets and boxes were within reach of a handy homeowner.  Brown sugar and molasses and pickles were held in ceramic crocks and glazed clay jars. We have a lidded brown clay jar that still smells of brown sugar when you pop open the lid and sniff.

Antique pantry containers are a visual reminder that once it was common to own things made by hand, or to make them yourself. And in a very tactile way, they bring closer a faraway time before plastic. That time may appear to us a simpler, or harder (and I’ve heard it was uphill both ways…) but there’s no doubt that at times it was and remains very, very, very beautiful.  It’s probably not entirely practical to put these antiques to everyday use, or use antiques for pantry staples in heavy rotation.  Regardless, you may want to because they sure are amazing.

Pantry boxes

Pantry boxes are stunningly beautiful (and highly collectible).  If you think you love organization and order and all things pantry, but you aren’t already familiar with antique pantry boxes, get ready to fall in love in 3… 2….1.

Pantry Baskets

Baskets are great for holding everything from apples and other fruits to peppers and even cheese.  And we all know of the picnic basket…

Pantry crocks

Crocks hold pickles and wine, sauerkraut and butter, brown sugar and all sorts of good things.

Glass jars

Firkins

Firkins are lidded wooden buckets, and we understand they commonly held sugar.  We have one that someone screwed legs to and it’s now a small sewing stand. The one below is far more attractive:

Wooden bucket or wooden basket

Pie Box

And finally, an 1899 pie box, for those times you have to make or carry six or so pies…