Under $20 Dollar Tree Fridge Makeover

Ok let's get real--who has this same expression when they open their fridge?

SUPPLIES: - plastic placemats - baskets/bins - containers (store bought and leftover deli containers) *I wanted to use the magnetic chip clips inside the fridge but they wouldn't stick. :( NOT PICTURED: -labels (I made mine using my Silhouette Cameo machine, 651 vinyl and transfer tape but you can always just write them on a sticker, purchase labels or buy stencils and create your own.

STEP 1: Clear the space Remove items from your fridge or throw out old/expired items. Doing one shelf at a time, I cleared all of fridge items. I threw away any old leftovers or expired foods.

STEP 2: Clean it Still only working with one shelf at a time (I didn't want to overwhelm myself with food all over the floor), I cleaned my fridge--it needed it badly!

STEP 3: Lay out placemats Next, I laid out the plastic place mats I purchased at the Dollar Tree. These added some spunk to my fridge while also making clean ups easy when I have spills or when my fridge just needs a good cleaning.

I had to cut the placemats for them to fit my shelves . These were super easy to cut!

STEP 4: Organize Use baskets/containers to organize. After my placemats were laid out on my shelves, I used little plastic baskets to better organize my bottled goods.

The baskets are also good for items that you use a lot, such as peanut/almond butter and jelly--they're all in one container so you can just pull them all out at once. This is also a good thing when your husband always opens the fridge and asks if we have such-n-such...this way he doesn't have to move things around to look (haha--sorry, babe but this is so true!).

If y'all haven't caught on yet, I shop in bulk for many things, including organic sugar. Though I have a small container of sugar out on our kitchen counter for coffee and everyday use, I leave the rest in the fridge (my mama taught me this)--the huge bag is always in the way, even though I usually store it in the back of the fridge. To solve this issue, I purchased a container at the Dollar Tree for my sugar and I'm so much happier at how I'm able to organize my fridge because of this small change!

STEP 5: Consolidate and organize produce Next, I consolidated my produce. I used clear, deli containers to store things like carrots and celery. Then, I used a dry erase marker to write the use by date on the lids.

For my herbs, I simply placed them in an open deli container by themselves.

STEP 6: Apply labels Finally, my favorite part! I was a little stumped as to how I could label my items and then it dawned on me, "duh Courtney! You can make them using vinyl!" I cut all of the words I wanted with my Silhouette Cameo and then used transfer tape to apply them to the surfaces I needed them on.

Then, I carefully pulled the transfer paper off...

...and made sure there were no air bubbles.

So much better, right?! I think my favorite thing about this whole project was my labels and how it made the whole fridge look more organized. Here's to clean, organized fridges on a small budget! ;)