How To Reuse A Tie Rack For Smart Storage In A Smaller Kitchen

Kitchen storage is a non-renewable resource that means the world to families, especially if you're big on baking, cooking, and hosting. While it's not easy to expand your kitchen's square footage, there are plenty of options for adding more storage to your kitchen without spending too much time and money. In this case, you can use a tie rack to store kitchen towels, aprons, and other fabrics without breaking the bank or bringing out the big toolbox. 

Tie racks come in a few different shapes and sizes, so for this hack, use the type that has a circular design and a hook at the top (as shown above). YAFIYGI sells tie racks in a pack of two, and the plastic units are easy to assemble. Alternatively, if you want to avoid plastic and opt for a wooden option, the WEICIM wooden windmill tie rack is a great selection that also comes with a base and screws that are ready to be affixed to any part of your walls. This is also a good item to keep an eye out for while you're shopping at thrift or antique stores, because there are plenty of antique circular tie racks that will add a vintage look to your kitchen.

Once you've acquired the right tie rack for your space, locate the right area for a new hanger. Consider a spot next to where you already store dish towels and other fabrics, such as in a linen cabinet or under an apron hook. Mark on the wall exactly where you want to hang the tie rack: You can opt for a taller hanger at the height of a coat rack or affix your tie rack to the side of a cabinet so it's around hip level and easy to reach while you're working in the kitchen. 

Most wooden tie racks, including many vintage models, will have holes for screws so it's easy to install them into the wall. If you're using a plastic version, you will need a protruding bar to hang the rack on. You could take a curtain hanger, place it inside a cabinet, then hook the rack onto the hanger like it's in a closet. Alternatively, buy some long hooks typically made for bath towels and place them on the side of a cabinet or on a wall so that you can hang the plastic tie rack easily.

The best way to use your circular tie rack is to store simple fabric items on it so you can easily spin them around and find the perfect one at a moment's notice. You could use the rack to hang dozens of aprons by their neck straps, allowing you to find the right one for each cooking and baking project and slide it back on when you're finished. Use potholders and oven mitts to fill in extra slots and ensure easy storage for these regularly used items. You can even repeat this hack in a garage or shed to store gardening aprons easily.

If you want to hang kitchen towels, you might need to do some simple sewing to make sure they fit on the small hooks. Many kitchen towels come with a little strap in the corner that they can hang on, but if yours didn't, simply take a thin piece of fabric and sew it onto your towel (with a sewing machine or by hand, as it will only take a few stitches). This might also be a great time to invest in new kitchen towels now that you have more storage space for them — buy a pack that have a hanging loop on them, such as the Homaxy cotton waffle towels.