DIY Shoe Rack (Space-saving for small spaces!)

DIY Shoe Rack (Space-saving for small spaces!)

shoe rack DIY | shoe rack DIY small spaces | DIY shoe rack easy | shoe rack easy DIY | shoe rack DIY entrance | DIY shoe rack easy cheap | DIY shoe rack space saving on the Six Clever Sisters blog!

 

DIY Shoe Rack (Space-saving for small spaces!)

 

Since we moved into our new house a couple years ago, our “shoe pile” at the front door has been a constant problem

(We have a no-shoes-in-the-house rule because it’s just plain unsanitary. I can’t even think about walking in public places and collecting all kinds of germs from everywhere and then bringing those onto the floor that my kids sit and play cars and Legos on. No…just NO.)

So, having a place to drop shoes at the front door is a must. 

And by the looks of this “drop area,” you can see that we definitely needed a better system, haha!

shoe rack DIY | shoe rack DIY small spaces | DIY shoe rack easy | shoe rack easy DIY | shoe rack DIY entrance | DIY shoe rack easy cheap | DIY shoe rack space saving on the Six Clever Sisters blog!

I dream of someday having a big mudroom with all sorts of shelves and cabinets to keep shoes, coats, and bags organized (this one that Erin from “The Sunny Side Up Blog” made is to die for!)

But for now, I decided that a custom-fit DIY shoe rack that used advantage of the empty height space was the best solution for us. 🙂 

Here’s how I made my DIY Shoe Rack:

shoe rack DIY | shoe rack DIY small spaces | DIY shoe rack easy | shoe rack easy DIY | shoe rack DIY entrance | DIY shoe rack easy cheap | DIY shoe rack space saving on the Six Clever Sisters blog!

What you’ll need:

  • 6 pieces of 1.5″x1.5″ wood strips cut to 9″ each
  • 4 pieces of 1.5″x1.5″ wood strips cut to 20″ each
  • 15 metal rods (mine are hollow), cut to the length that you want your shoe rack to be. (mine are 25.5″ in length)
  • drill (I use THIS DeWalt drill – it’s top-notch and affordable!)
  • sanding block
  • wood stain or paint

1. Measure and cut

The first thing I did was measure my space so I could plan how big to build the frames.

I went with 9″ length for the horizontal pieces, and 20″ for the side vertical ones.

Then I cut my 1.5″x1.5″‘s accordingly — 6 pieces 9″ long, and 4 pieces 20″ long.

(If you want your shoe rack to be deeper, for larger-size shoes, just make your 6 pieces an inch or two longer.)

2. Assemble the shoe rack ends

Next I assembled the 2 “ladder ends” for my shoe rack, as pictured.

(I drilled into the sides of each vertical piece and kept drilling on through to the horizontal….then I attached with screws.)

3. Drill holes for the metal rods

I cut my metal rods to size.  25.5″ was what fit my space perfectly. I needed 5 for each rung, so 15 total.

TIP: To  get your metal rods all the exact same size, tape them together into a bundle with masking tape, then cut them all at the same time.

Next, I clamped my 2 shoe rack ends together so that I could drill through both at the same time. I needed the holes to be perfectly lined up….if they’re a little off, your metal rods won’t be exactly straight when you assemble them onto the shoe rack ends.

I chose a drill bit that was the same size as my metal rods so that the rods would fit nice and tight.

After I marked 5 holes evenly across each piece, I drilled through.

shoe rack DIY | shoe rack DIY small spaces | DIY shoe rack easy | shoe rack easy DIY | shoe rack DIY entrance | DIY shoe rack easy cheap | DIY shoe rack space saving on the Six Clever Sisters blog!

shoe rack DIY | shoe rack DIY small spaces | DIY shoe rack easy | shoe rack easy DIY | shoe rack DIY entrance | DIY shoe rack easy cheap | DIY shoe rack space saving on the Six Clever Sisters blog!

Give everything a quick sand with a sanding block so that there are no rough spots.

4. Stain or paint and assemble to finish

White was what I chose for my space – I have a chalky gray cabinet next to it, and my floors are a dark marble, so I thought white was perfect. 🙂

I assembled by putting all of my rods into one shoe rack end (ladder). They fit nice and tight so I didn’t need to glue.

(If I had drilled too big of holes that allowed the rods to move, I would’ve put a little hot glue in each hole to secure the rods.)

Then I put the other end on top, which took a little time to align all the rods into the holes. 

But when it was finished, I was SO. HAPPY. with the result!

shoe rack DIY | shoe rack DIY small spaces | DIY shoe rack easy | shoe rack easy DIY | shoe rack DIY entrance | DIY shoe rack easy cheap | DIY shoe rack space saving on the Six Clever Sisters blog!

 

shoe rack DIY | shoe rack DIY small spaces | DIY shoe rack easy | shoe rack easy DIY | shoe rack DIY entrance | DIY shoe rack easy cheap | DIY shoe rack space saving on the Six Clever Sisters blog!

shoe rack DIY | shoe rack DIY small spaces | DIY shoe rack easy | shoe rack easy DIY | shoe rack DIY entrance | DIY shoe rack easy cheap | DIY shoe rack space saving on the Six Clever Sisters blog!

 

5. Enjoy your organized space!

shoe rack DIY | shoe rack DIY small spaces | DIY shoe rack easy | shoe rack easy DIY | shoe rack DIY entrance | DIY shoe rack easy cheap | DIY shoe rack space saving on the Six Clever Sisters blog!

 

shoe rack DIY | shoe rack DIY small spaces | DIY shoe rack easy | shoe rack easy DIY | shoe rack DIY entrance | DIY shoe rack easy cheap | DIY shoe rack space saving on the Six Clever Sisters blog!

If you love organization, you may like this IKEA tie rack hack! Nice for scarves, too!

IKEA hack tie organizer

 

shoe rack DIY | shoe rack DIY small spaces | DIY shoe rack easy | shoe rack easy DIY | shoe rack DIY entrance | DIY shoe rack easy cheap | DIY shoe rack space saving on the Six Clever Sisters blog!       shoe rack DIY | shoe rack DIY small spaces | DIY shoe rack easy | shoe rack easy DIY | shoe rack DIY entrance | DIY shoe rack easy cheap | DIY shoe rack space saving on the Six Clever Sisters blog!

Some of the links on sixcleversisters.com are affiliate links that pay a commission if a purchase is made. Six Clever Sisters, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

4 Comments

  1. Pingback: 25 DIY Shoe Rack Ideas That You Can Make Today - DIYnCrafty

  2. Hello six sisters, what a nice article! It is just what I have been looking for. I am making some home improvements to create pleasant conditions for my family, kind of renovation. Good thing I have finished with heating, cooling, and plumbing with the help of contractors. All of those things are very important. But now it is time to pay attention to small details such as to find place where to put all the shoes and not to make a shoe mess. These little details that usually ends up taking way too much time and effort. I think it will make my home look more stylish and cozy! Thank you for your advice! I will follow it!

  3. Where do you purchase the metal rods?

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published.

*

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.