17 Baking Cart Organization

Every once in awhile this blog venture of mine brings me some really wonderful opportunities. This is one of those stories.

My niece has had a passion for baking as long as I can remember. And that passion was slowly taking over their home. They have a modest size kitchen sans pantry and it could no longer accommodate all of her baking trays, decorating tools, toppings, mixes, powders, utensils, trays, etc...




So, they turned a spare room into a bit of a makeshift storage pantry that she could call all hers. It was a blank slate room with two stacking shelves, a fridge, and a large bookcase to corral it all.

Because she bakes almost daily, she takes multiple trips into the room to haul everything back and forth, including her heavy stand mixer. 

A few weeks ago I received an email from Michaels Stores and they asked if I would be interested in sharing my experience organizing one of their rolling craft carts on my social media. I knew instantly who would benefit from one of these versatile storage stations (my niece), and quickly asked her mom to text me a photo of their current setup (above). 

Let's chat about a few ways that rolling cart can be functional organization around the home and why they are truly and organizers dream:

• Craft Supplies (for kids or adults)

• For Guests (towels/linens, water, snacks, toiletries, flowers, candle/matches, etc...)

• Garage/Outdoors as a Portable Grilling Station

• Outdoor Toys/Activities

• Nursery Supplies (small toys, diapers/wipes, swaddle blankets, onesies, toiletries/lotions)

• Laundry Supplies (detergent, stain remover, dryer balls/sheets, steamer/iron, trash bags, cleaners)

• Sewing Supplies (sewing machine, fabrics, patterns, threads/yarn, tools)

• Bathroom (towels, toiletries, makeup, hair tools, nail supplies, spa favorites, paper products)

• Cleaning Supplies (mop bucket, trash bags, dusting tools, scrubbing tools, paper products, spray bottles, vinegar, oils...)

• Portable Office (laptop, writing utensils, paper, envelopes, files, planner/calendar)

• Small Appliances

• Tools

• Baking (Mixer, baking powders, decorating tools/ingredients, pans, cooling racks)

BAKING! This was the ideal solution for my sweet-as-pie niece. A rolling cart would help her to transport all of her belongings out to the kitchen each day. And I know that this situation is probably unique but if you have a pantry, or even just some extra room in your kitchen, this cart could be your best baking buddy. There were a few options for me to select from, but I decided the Essex Rolling Cart was the best due to the drawers and expandable work surface. After it was easily assembled, I was honestly shocked by just how much I was able to store in this small but mighty cart (definitely emptied an entire shelving unit in her room).

You might think I am exaggerating, so I will show you how I organized each drawer. But first, I added a wide basket to the open shelf so that she could easily load it up with any bulkier items like her cake decorating turntable, drying racks, baking sheets/muffin tins, etc... based on what she is working on for the day. The basket prevents the items from sliding off of the edges while she is carting things to the nearby kitchen.

OK, now, onto the drawers, which are always stocked, loaded, and ready when she is.

Drawer number one is full of colorful goodies: cupcake liners, food/icing coloring, food-safe dusting powders, and sprinkles!

The next drawer is so intimidating to me because I have no idea what to do with all of those icing tips, but I have watched my niece decorate her creations and she definitely puts these to use and appreciates all of the options she has collected over the years. All of the tips and couplers are organized in divided craft boxes or drawer organizers so she can quickly find exactly what she is looking for.

Drawer number three is an extension of drawer number two and holds all of the piping bags of various sizes.

The bottom drawer is sized just right for spatulas and measuring utensils.

There are two rows of drawers; four shallow and two deep options.

Mixer attachments can be bulkier, so the deeper drawer was ideal for those. But there was enough room to add a fondant roller and a variety of scrapers.

Finally, the bottom drawer is divided out in a plethora of fondant molds and tools, as well as more icing scraper attachments. 

My eyes have been in heart shapes since I filled this cart with her goodies, and I think she would tell you the same. She was so excited and grateful and got right to work baking me a thank you cake. We both won.

After she loads up the cart with any supplies for her project and takes it all out to the kitchen, she can flip up a small shelf to expand her overall prep/working surface.

This cart will remain her baking bff for years to come, and should her needs ever change, I love knowing there are 101 other useful ways she can make it work for her.

In full transparency, Michaels provided me with the cart, but only sponsored my social media content. I really wanted to also share the story here because it was just a feel-good day to be able to pass this small gift of organization on to my niece, and I 100% stand behind the functionality. The cart was a really good value (especially when you use a coupon or watch for sales), rolls smoothly, and has more storage than I was expecting. Even if you don't bake, hopefully, you are now able to visualize alternative ways that rolling carts can be handy household helpers.

That said, I would love to know if you have a rolling cart in your home, and how you make it work for you. Did I miss any other helpful examples?