It can be simple and convenient to store shoes in a hallway or mudroom near the door, to keep dirt, mud, and rain from being tracked all over the house. However, nothing ruins the look of your home’s entry like a messy pile of shoes.
Keeping shoes tidy and organized not only looks better, but it’s better for your shoes, keeping them clean and in good shape for longer.
Whether you need to organize a cluttered closet, a crowded entryway, or just make better use of your space, here are some great DIY shoe organizer ideas.
DIY Shoe Organizer Ideas
1. DIY Shoe Organizer from Peg Racks
If you’re a woodworker, it’s easy to make your own peg rack from a board and dowels. If you don’t want to make your own peg rack, they are extremely affordable. To use a peg rack as a shoe organizer:
- Hang one or more shoe racks in your shoe organizing area, a foot or two from the floor. Allow space for shoes to hang from the rack, and make sure you have a peg for every shoe you want to store
- Sneakers and loafers can simply be placed on a peg, where they will hang securely until they are needed
- Shoe hangers or S hooks can be used to hang flats or sandals from the peg rack
2. DIY Shoe Organizer from PVC Pipe
PVC pipe is a simple and versatile way to store shoes and keep them organized. This is a flexible shoe organization project, because you can build a shoe rack small enough to fit under a bench, or large enough to take up an entire wall.
It can also easily be painted or decorated to match your décor, and is a great way to save space when storing shoes. A 6” PVC tube cut to 12” lengths is typically large enough to hold a pair of flats, sandals, and canvas shoes.
Some larger athletic shoes or loafers may need to be placed individually. Plan for how many lengths of tube you need to store how many shoes you have.
To build a DIY shoe organizer from PVC pipe, you will need:
- 6” PVC pipe, cut to 12 inch lengths
- PVC glue
- Sandpaper
- Small clamps or clothespins
- Paint, adhesive paper, or other decoration (optional, but recommended)
To make a DIY shoe organizer:
- Clean and scrub your PVC pipe.
- If necessary, sand any rough edges to make them smooth.
- Plan how your PVC tubes will be stacked: will you stack them in a pyramid, or make horizontal rows?
- Glue your PVC tubes together in a row with PVC glue, using clamps or clothespins to hold them together as they dry. Give the glue at least 2 hours to fully cure.
- If necessary, stack your rows of PVC tubes on top of each other and glue them together, giving them at least 2 hours to cure.
- Once you have fully assembled your shoe rack structure, you can paint or decorate it. You may need to use primer to cover any writing on the tube itself.
- It’s always better to decorate PVC after it has been glued and cured, because painted or covered surfaces will not bond as well with PVC glue.
3. DIY Shoe Display for High Heels
High heeled shoes can be difficult to store, and they are so pretty that they deserve to be displayed. Fortunately, it is easy to hang high heels, which allows you to see your collection, display your shoes, and keep them beautifully organized all at the same time.
To make a DIY shoe display for high heels, you will need a length of crown molding. You can buy a length of new molding, or look for vintage molding at a flea market or recycling center.
Look for molding that is easy to attach to a wall, but comes out from the wall with a gap at the top, so your heels will hang securely. Paint the molding to match your décor.
Hang it securely; modern molding is lightweight and can be hung with something as simple as double-stick tape, but that will probably not support the weight of your shoe collection.
Hang your shoes by their heels from the molding, and enjoy this beautiful, space-saving DIY shoe organizer.
4. DIY Shoe Organizer from a Ladder
If you love the idea of displaying your high heels, but don’t love the idea of painting and hanging crown molding, consider hanging your high heeled shoes from a ladder. This DIY is fast and couldn’t be easier, and you can easily find old ladders at thrift and secondhand stores.
A ladder is also a great option because you can screw coat hooks to the sides, for additional storage of scarves, bags, and other fashion accessories, so you can organize so much more than just shoes. Ladders are quickly becoming a favorite home organizing item, and it’s easy to see why.
5. DIY Shoe Bench
A shoe bench is a fantastic way to organize an entryway and make it more inviting for friends and family. Shoes are conveniently stored on shelves beneath the bench, and the bench provides a comfortable place to sit and change shoes.
Building your own DIY shoe bench is a good project for people who have the space and tools to work with wood.
To make your own shoe bench, you will need:
- 3/4” plywood
- 1/4” plywood
- 1×2” pine boards
- 2×2” pine boards
- Cove molding trim
- Shelf pins
- A table saw or circular saw
- A miter saw
- An orbital sander
- A drill press
- A cordless drill
- Brad nailer
- Pocket hole jig
- Digital angle finder
- Clamps
- Paint and/or varnish
When making a shoe bench, follow these steps:
- Cut the legs from 2×2 boards. You will need 4 legs at 19 inches each.
- Add a 1/4” rabbet to the back legs to hold the rear panel of the bench.
- Build the side rails. Cut 1×2 boards to create side rails to join the legs.
- Add pocket holes to the ends of your rails.
- Cut three pieces of 3/4” plywood to 47 x 16.5 inches to act as the bottom, middle, and top shelf of your bench.
- Cut two pieces of 1/4” plywood for the side panels, and a piece of 1/4” plywood for the back panel.
- Secure the side rails to the legs.
- Add the side panels to the side legs, and secure them with pocket screws.
- Cut the stretchers to connect the legs, and drill pocket holes in the ends.
- Attach the lower shelf to the stretchers.
- Attach the front and back stretchers with pocket screws.
- Attach the lower shelf to the bottom and sides with pocket screws.
- Attach the top of the bench.
- Attach the center shelf.
- Trim and paint the bench.
This design allows you to store shoes on the bottom and center shelves, while sitting on the bench.
6. DIY Shoe Bench: Alternate Design
If you need more storage for shoes, consider making a traditional bench design with no shelves. It can be a very simple design, or choose an upholstered bench.
Add shoe storage beneath the bench with apple crates or storage baskets, or build your own shoe storage bins from cardboard.
You may also want to use cardboard to build internal dividers that keep shoes organized within the bins.
Then add casters or furniture sliders to the bottom of your shoe storage bins, so they slide easily back and forth from under the bench. Finish the storage bins off with nice handles to complete the look.
7. DIY Shoe Organizer from Milk Crates
This is a great project because you can organize an entire entry area in minutes, using milk crates, apple crates, or any square storage bins. This DIY lets you organize and store nearly anything, and it couldn’t be simpler.
To build a DIY shoe organizer from milk crates: Stack the milk crates in any structure you prefer. Attach the crates to each other with zip ties to create a sturdy structure. Use spray paint to finish the design.
To build a DIY shoe organizer from apple crates: As above, stack the crates in the system you design. Use wood screws or wood glue to attach them together. You may want to sand the crates before painting or varnishing.
Optional upgrades:
- Add baskets or trays to hold smaller loose items like gloves or sunglasses
- If you stack your crates higher, you can also attach coat hooks or S hooks to this design to hang bags, scarves, or umbrellas
- Use a label maker to label the sections of your shoe organizer to help it stay organized
Conclusion
DIY shoe organization projects can be as complex or as simple as you like, with options to keep your entryway, closet, or mudroom tidy and organized.
These projects are fast, versatile, and easy to customize to suit your shoe collection, your lifestyle, and your décor. With so many options, there’s simply no reason to live with a messy pile of shoes a moment longer.