Step Up Your Organization With A DIY Cardboard Box Shoe Rack Stand

Shoe organization is one aspect of a tidy home that always seems to demand a little extra care. Racks fill up fast (especially if you're a shoe-shopping fanatic), leaving more than a few pairs scattered on the floor and in search of a home. While buying the footwear is fun, the need to constantly upgrade your shoe rack is far from it. For those extra stragglers, the better solution may be a small handmade build to save you money and effort. A rack is only slightly more complex than the most basic shoe storage repurposing DIY, and you won't need much time or materials to complete the project. In fact, you can whip up a functional rack right now using only a cardboard box and a few other simple materials. It can even become an attractive accessory among your decor with a few extra steps, like wrapping it in contact paper for color and texture. This will transform your rack into a delightful design that doesn't look like it's made from cardboard.

For this build, raid the recycling for a few specific items. Grab a medium-sized rectangular spare cardboard box and four toilet paper rolls to use for legs. You'll also need something for the shelving slats, such as wood dowels that are at least as long as the width of your box. Also decide on some decorative wrapping or contact paper for the box's interior and exterior, choosing designs as you would pick the right wallpaper for your space. A few applications of glue bring it all together, giving you an ideal spot to tidy up your overflowing shoe collection.

To craft your cardboard shoe rack, first cut the top flaps off of a cardboard box to make an open container. Reinforce the bottom flaps, which will act as the racks backing, with extra tape, and glue down the interior flaps to prevent movement. Standard super glue will adhere paper pieces firmly, or you could use a hot glue gun as seen in the video. Use cardboard panels from another box to line the walls, doubling their thickness for a more rigid construction. 

Then, line the inside with paper. While @Manjuuniquecreative on YouTube then wraps the outside before cutting dowel holes, you can instead install your dowels first and then wrap the box. Doing so will avoid the need to cover the holes in extra material, saving you time and providing a cleaner look. To install the dowels, cut holes that match their diameters into both sides of the box and hot glue them in place. You may also need to trim the dowels to size. Finish by wrapping four toilet paper tubes in paper and gluing them to the underside.

The finished product doesn't leave much room for customization, though you can always use larger boxes to store more shoes. On top, you have a space for accessory storage as well. You can add a wicker basket or make a basket out of another smaller cardboard box to hold items like deodorizing balls, shoehorns, and DIY shoe deodorizers. With your shoes organized below and your accessories on top, you'll have no trouble keeping your favorite footwear both fresh and accessible.