3 Creative Ways To Use Bed Slats To Organize Your Space

Whether one's living space is ample or limited, it never hurts to organize it efficiently. Maximizing each surface for storage purposes is central to an organized environment, and repurposing bed slats is a practical and economic way to provide order in your home. Usually, bed slats are salvaged from a discarded bed and can be mounted, transformed into a box, converted into a chair, or even turned into a bicycle rack. Moreover, these lightweight but durable planks are ideal for arranging and storing items in any room of the house or office. With a little DIY know-how, anything lightweight can be stored using a slat system, according to Trendhunter. 

Bed slats are planks, generally made of wood or metal. Pine or beech are typically used, and poplar wood is becoming common because it is less expensive and easier to grow, according to The Original Bed Co. Slats can be single pieces or inter-connected like a ladder or pallet, and the boards range from 38 inches to twice that in length, explains Slumber Yard. Building and arranging shelves, organizing your garage, or making miscellaneous items such as a caddy or planter are creative and space-saving ways to use them.

Using bed slats is an inexpensive and practical alternative to traditional shelving. Slats are adaptable to narrow spaces and they do not protrude as much as their conventional counterpart. They can be cut to fit and squeezed into tight corners. Bed slats are appropriate to construct a frame and the shelves themselves, according to Pillar Box Blue. They can be installed on a wall or behind a door to consolidate any manner of things.

Attach the slat organizer to the wall with wood screws secured into studs, or brackets can be used to provide added stability. To add to the storage space, the slatted shelves can be outfitted with over-the-door hooks, or the hardware can be hung from the bottom. The compartments can hold anything that is relatively light — such as magazines, utensils, towels, collectibles, or footwear. Suspending baskets from the shelves, as well as attaching pillowcases for use as containers, are methods to expand the organizers' storage space. Ikea Hackers suggests devoting a slat wall organizer to one's jewelry collection, where items can be hung from hooks.

According to Garage Designs, utilizing bed slats is one of the best ways to save space while keeping a garage organized. They are lightweight and easy to move and can be installed in a variety of permutations. The space between the slats can be used to mount baskets or shelves, and the entire system is adjustable should your storage needs change. Per More Space Place, the flexibility of a slat wall provides endless storage possibilities. A light can be draped over a slat wall organizer, and bags, hooks, and hangers are useful for organizing and increasing its storage capacity. 

Moreover, a wall organizer fashioned from slats is perfect for storing tools, equipment, and garage supplies. A rack for your bicycle can even be made from the bed planks and conveniently stored in the garage. A slat rack for athletic gear is a space-saving organizer for bats and racquets. When using slats and shelves, make sure to pay attention to the weight of stored items and any weight limits of the slats and shelves holding them. Another tip: Make it easier to find what's stored by using different colored labels and arranging the slats in designated sections.

Wooden bed slats have multiple other uses around the home. Furniturefull suggests that a bed frame can be converted into a bench, and building a pet bed using slats is a practical way to use them. A plant-filled garden shelf is another possibility, and the slats used for it are multi-purposed. They serve as the actual shelves, a slat at the rear holds the construction together, and a slat or slats can be used to hang the whole thing. All you need is glue, screws, and a drill, and you're in business. 

Alternatively, bed slats can be used to good effect in the kitchen. The planks can be modified to fashion a wooden caddy or box with interior compartments. My Repurposed Life recommends storing wine or jars in a slat box, and the chambers can be used to house all sorts of supplies. The retrofitted slats can make a compact spice box. Instead of discarding it, a bed frame that has run its course can be broken down and reconstructed as a multiple-bottle wine rack, according to Ikea Hackers.