DIY shoe rack. If you are a mom or a parent, you know there will constantly be items lying around your house. Toys, cups, clothes and so much more, just laying on the floor. I can hear my mom now, “Pick up your shoes and take them upstairs”.
The first thing Oliver does when he gets (basically) anywhere is to take his shoes off. We had taught him to put his shoes on the steps to be taken upstairs, but then there were just pairs of shoes on the steps to trip over.
Hubby and I both were terrible at leaving shoes just sit under the couch after we took them off. Of course, Emmitt being the curious little guys he is right now, he would have them strewn all over the room.
Hubby also has a backpack that he takes to work that holds his laptop and a lot of the time he would leave it sitting beside our chair. Again, curious little Emmitt would be messing with it. So, we need a better storage solution for shoes and bags.
I had looked at places for a bench with shoe storage, but they were either super expensive or weren’t what we were looking for. So, we decided to get some crates and build our own storage unit.
Supplies
- Crates– we used 5 to create our design, you can use more or less depending on the amount of space.
- stain– we wanted something a little rustic and to match our tv stand.
- screws
We rotated the crates multiple times before we found a design that we liked. Our thought process was that we wanted shoe storage, so some crates needed to be horizontal. Also, we wanted room for bags, so some crates needed to be vertical. Plus it made more sense to have the horizontal crates on the bottom because they would be holding shoes.
Handy hubby screwed the crates together. He also had an extra 1×4 board that he cut and created another shoe shelf in the bottom two crates for more shoe storage.
Now, if you are a little OCD like me I need to warn you that the crates aren’t symmetrical. So, there may be some gaps where the crates won’t meet exactly.
Now for the fun part
If you like the raw wood look then it will save you some time. We wanted to stain the crates to match our other furniture. Staining was a project in itself. You need to get every nook and cranny of every crate, so it took us some time. The stain we used (luckily) didn’t need a second coat so that saved us.
Once dried we brought it inside. We screwed it into the wall, so the boys couldn’t pull it over (curious Emmitt). And then we filled it up with our stuff.
I honestly love how this turned out. It is super functional and in the perfect spot of our entryway to hold our shoes and stuff we need to grab before going out the door.
It will also be a great area for the boys to leave their backpacks and lunchboxes when they start school. Yes, I know that maybe a few years away, but doesn’t hurt to plan ahead.
Hope you found this DIY shoe rack useful and can help contain some of your stuff too!
If you enjoyed this DIY, also check out Ledge Bookshelf, Mirror, and Growth Chart.
Don’t forget to follow along on Instagram.
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58 Comments
Ana
It looks wonderful! I really enjoy DIY projects and solving a problem in the house. Thank you for sharing this idea.
Julia Hess
Thank you. I enjoy creating pieces in our home that are both pretty and functional!
Britt K
This looks great and super simple too! I love when you can find a DIY that spruces up your home without busting the bank. We do a lot of DIY around our house for this reason. This would look incredible in our back entryway, so I’m going to have to give it a try.
Julia Hess
Thank you! Exactly, we are on a tight budget and could use more storage for little boy things. If you do try it, I would love to see the final result!
Cristina Petrini
You did an exceptional job. I love the rustic effect and in fact you made me think that I could try to do it myself!
Julia Hess
Haha you most certainly can!! and thank you.
It looks wonderful! I really enjoy DIY projects and solving a problem in the house. Thank you for sharing this idea.
It looks great and wonderful! Your DIY projects can solve organizational problems. Thank you for sharing the Great DIY ideas. I will try Your DIY ideas to organize my home.
Great article!!
Julia Hess
Thank you! We can always use more organization in a house full of boys.
Krysten Quiles
Oh I love this! It’s beautiful and I love that it isn’t just for shoes. Thanks so much for sharing this with all of us!
Julia Hess
Thank you! It can be used for about anything that can fit in those crates.
Monique
It turned out beautiful. You guys did an awesome job! Where did you get the crates? l’m planning on making a console for our foyer, but with the area being so small I wish I could cut into the wall to make an in wall storage unit with pull out drawers or something. Im pretty sure my mister would be against that idea though, haha!
Julia Hess
Oh thank you. The crates are from Walmart and they have different sizes so you can find one that fits your space perfectly. Haha demoing a wall is the best part of any project! That sounds like a great idea.
Jessica Collazo
This is great for a house and tree love it love that rustic farm house vibe
Julia Hess
oh thank you!
Amber Myers
I love how this came out! I need to make something like this. We have shoes all over the place and they drive me nuts.
Julia Hess
I hear you! Mostly it was my hubby’s shoes, but now they have a home instead of under the couch.
Tara Pittman
This would be perfect for my kids. They have bags and shoes that need taming
Julia Hess
haha yes! I am a firm believer that everything must have its place and that is where it goes.
Natalia
I love this kind of DIY pieces of furniture. I’ll use this idea in my new apartment! Looks perfect! 🙂
Julia Hess
If you do, I would love to see the outcome! It would be perfect for an apartment.
Chad
oh I looooove the idea so so much!!! It is simple and very doable…I would love to make this as a weekend project with the kids, that would be so cool.
Julia Hess
How fun! I love including our kids in our projects also. If you make it, I would love to see the outcome.
Heidi Slowinski
I really like the rustic look and this could be used for so many other storage purposes!
Julia Hess
Yes, I love the endless possibilities that it could be used for.
Marie Phillips
That is so awesome! I don’t do very much diy anymore but I would love to get back into it,especially when I see things like these shelves.
Julia Hess
Thank you. That means a lot especially coming from a fellow DIYer.
Candace Hampton
I like it! Taking your shoes off at the door is a must at our house! I struggled for a while to find a cute place to put them. I wish I had seen this sooner!
Julia Hess
Haha I wish you did also. Thank you.
Holidiaries
This is so cool…loved the color and the grain of the shoe rack. Very functional and good design.
Julia Hess
Thank you. I am surprised it turned out so well especially because they were cheap crates from Walmart.
Beryl
Omg this is sooooooooooooo cute!!!! I didn’t realize how easy it was to make something that professional looking!
Julia Hess
Oh thank you. I appreciate those kind words. We make stuff for us and our home but it is so nice to hear from other people that it looks good!
Shruti
I love the multipurpose utility of the shoe rack. Pretty amazing.
Julia Hess
Thank you. We were thinking about making a bench, but we wanted something to hold more than just shoes.
Hollie
Wow this is beautiful! As a runner, I have so many different shoes and I’m always looking for ways to store them all. I need to try making this.
Julia Hess
I couldn’t imagine your shoe closet lol. I am sure you have tons of sneakers.
Cristina Ioana
I love it. And it looks easy enough to make. Mind you, both I and my husband have ‘2 left hands’. We are not very skillful.
Julia Hess
Thank you. Haha, it is super easy. I have complete faith you could make one.
Margaret | Live Like No On Else
Oh wow..I love what you did here. What a creative way to make a great useful piece of furniture. It looks fantastic and so unique. Very cool. Thanks for sharing!
Julia Hess
Thank you! It is very useful and the boys know where to put their shoes.
Natalie
This is such a lovely idea. Looks really great. I have some rack in my basement that collects dust. Will make this.
Julia Hess
Thank you. If you do, I would love to see the finished product.
aisasami
Shoe racks are super important in organizing shoes and other things. It is super great that you made into a DIY project!
Julia Hess
They are so very important. I enjoy being semi-organized with things. Thank you.
Jessa
This is perfect! Saving!!
Julia Hess
Thank you:)
Susan1375
What a stylish shoe rack. Simple and cheap to construct but looks. Great
Julia Hess
Thank you! It is a functional piece that didn’t break the bank!
Rupal Srivastava
This DIY shoe rack is so handy. I have been looking in to make one for myself. Will try this one out.
Julia Hess
Would love to see the result of the finished product!
Cindy Ingalls
Great idea and it looks pretty easy to make. I would love to have this just inside my front door!
Julia Hess
It is a great addition to our foyer! Very convenient.
Crickette, The Things I Have to Say
This is such a great idea. I wonder if I can manage this on my own. It looks quite straightforward, though.
Julia Hess
Screwing the crates together might be the hardest part. Although the staining was kind of time-consuming.
David Elliott
This is so cool. I love it. I really love the look. I’m going to have to go out and look for some crates now. 🙂
Julia Hess
If you create one, I would love to see the end result!
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