The Must-Have Dollar Tree Wall Rack That Will Add Shoe Storage To Any Closet

At one point or another, we have all dealt with a messy closet. Whether you have a capsule wardrobe or more clothes than you know what to do with, it's easy for them to end up in a haphazard heap. And one of the items that seem to get in that disorderly state the most is shoes. They end up in a jumbled mess at the bottom of your wardrobe, not only creating visual clutter but making it difficult to see your options. If you find yourself constantly battling this chaos, you might be happy to learn that there is an easy solution, and it won't cost you an arm and a leg to implement it. All you need is a wall rack from Dollar Tree to get them off the floor and hanging neatly in a row. 

This is a great hack to try to free up storage space in your closet because it's inexpensive and accessible. Rather than buying an expensive shoe cabinet or investing in a pricey shoe storage bench, you're using an item that only costs $1.25 to solve your problems. If you have ever gone into The Container Store and paled at the prices, you know that this is a major plus. Because of this, you can organize your closet no matter what kind of budget you're on. Here is how to use Dollar Tree wall racks to wrangle in your shoe clutter once and for all. 

To get your shoes off of the floor, you need to source a wall rack from the dollar store. Head to the hardware aisle and pick up the "Wall-Mountable Metal Hangers with Hooks," which will clock in at $1.25. It comes in either black, white, or silver, which allows you to choose the aesthetic that best fits your closet. These metal hangers come with seven hooks, allowing you to hang three pairs of shoes on one hanger or seven pairs of shoes on two (if you install them side by side.)

To install them, first put painter's tape on the back of the rack, and mark where the screw holes go using a black marker. Remove the tape, and use a level to adhere it to the wall in a straight line. You can either attach it to the lower wall of your closet — where a traditional shoe rack would go, near the floor — or hang it at eye level if you have enough room. Hanging it higher helps you see your selection better, but not everyone has the wall space to do so. Using a drill bit, drill into the marker dots in the painter's tape to create your screw holes. Immediately after, remove the painter's tape from the wall. Grab the rack, and using the screws that come with the packaging, drill them into the preexisting holes. And there you have it — a hanging shoe rack that gets the clutter off your floors! 

Depending on how many shoes you have, you will need to buy several racks. This might require some planning before you screw them to the wall. Make sure to count how many pairs you want to hang, and then figure out how many hooks you need. For example, if you have 10 pairs of shoes, you will need 20 hooks, which equals three racks. They would look best if they are hung in a straight line across, so you would need to measure your closet space and see if it could accommodate that width. In this case, it would be 48 inches across since each rack is 16 inches wide. Map this out before buying them. Also, be aware that your particular Dollar Tree might have a version with less amount of hooks. Some reviews under the product state that the wall mount now only offers five hooks instead of seven, so that could change your calculations (and your price!) 

If you would like to customize your wall mounts, you can do so with some simple paint spray or paint. For example, if you want the hooks to be the same color as your closet wall, you can use your leftover wall paint to coat it in the same hue. Or, if you prefer a more fun shade — such as a cherry red — you can spray paint it that hue. Just make sure to do so outside or in a well-ventilated room, as breathing in those fumes can be dangerous. As a finishing step, lock the paint or spray paint into place with an acrylic sealer afterward, such as the Mod Podge Spray Acrylic Sealer. You can get it for $10 on Amazon.