7 Tips to Organize Your Decorating and Baking Supplies

Much of the organizing of decorating and baking supplies comes down to labeled bins you can nest and stack.

Related To:

©Christine Glade

Christine Glade

1: Designate a baking area in your pantry or cupboard and store any baking-specific food items there. Keep dry ingredients together and wet ingredients together. Keep all bottled items together (corn syrup, molasses, extracts) as well as baking-specific spices. Bags of ingredients that tend to slide around, like marshmallows, coconut flakes and chocolate chips, can be stored together in a bin. Many flours and nuts can go rancid if not used quickly, so keep those in the freezer. Transfer all-purpose flour and sugar to separate airtight containers with large mouths that can easily accommodate measuring cups. Open bags of brown sugar can easily harden if not tightly sealed and kept in a (sandwich or quart-size) resealable bag.

2: Use labeled clear bins to store decorating equipment so you can easily identify and pull out the whole bin. Keep icing tips and piping bags, food coloring and meringue or royal icing powder together. It’s helpful to have the containers of food coloring stored in a plastic bag or lidded container in case they leak. Icing gels, sprinkles, nonpareils, sanding sugars and other decorations can also be stored here along with cupcake liners.

3: Keep cookie cutters together. If you have a large collection, group like-shaped cutters together: circles, squares, letters, animals and more. Keep holiday-specific cutters together. Put separate groups into their own containers, either resealable bags or plastic containers, or even link them together with a piece of string and store altogether in a bin.

4: Designate a baking drawer or cupboard. Store dry and liquid measuring cups; measuring spoons; small offset spatulas; small fine-mesh strainers; rolling pins; and any brushes, ice cream scoops (for cookie dough), spatulas, wooden spoons and whisks used specifically for baking.

5: Silicone mats can be stacked and loosely rolled up and secured with a rubber band or stacked and sandwiched between two sheet pans.

6: Nest and stack as much baking equipment as possible and store in a cabinet: mixing bowls, sheet pans and accompanying cooling racks, like-shaped cake pans, tart pans and muffin pans. Use wire racks or vertical dividers to maximize vertical space.

7: Unless you use it often or you have a lot of counter space, standing mixers should be kept in a cabinet.

Next Up

Everything You Need to Know About Dry Ice

Be sure to keep this in mind before transporting it in your car.

14 Tips to Organize Your Pantry

Keeping your pantry organized will help with menu planning and shopping. A quick glance will tell you what you need and what you have space for.

The Best Baking Powder Substitute

No powder? No problem. Make your own leavener with pantry staples.

How to Buy the Best Chocolate, According to Professional Chefs and Chocolatiers

Here’s everything you need to know before buying your next bar or box.

How to Clean a Grill

Cleaning grill grates before or after grilling is a must: This helps prevent food from attaching and keeps leftover grit from sticking to your food. All grills should be cleaned at the start of the season to keep everything in tip-top shape.

How to Freeze Baked Goods

Extend the life of breads, bagels and cakes with a few simple tips.

The Rules of Make-Ahead-and-Freeze Meals

With this extensive guide, there’s no need for you to — er — freeze up.

How to Store All the Fresh, Healthy Foods So They Last Longer

Correct storage strategy is key — here's how to put away produce and meat so it doesn't spoil quickly.

The 6 Best Soy Sauce Substitutes

Use these six substitutes 1:1 in place of soy sauce.

Can You Freeze Avocado?

Extend the life of perfectly ripe avocados easily and effectively.

Latest Stories