When I go thrift shopping, it seems hanging shoe holders are everywhere, most of them in excellent shape. I love snatching these up and using them for just about everything. It seems I can find a use for them in every room in the house. There are different types with up to 40 or more pockets, which really opens up a ton of uses. I have a few stashed away just in case I need them for something in the future, and I’m sure I will.
- Storing Socks. The first thing I ever used a hanging shoe holder for was sorting all my different colored socks. It helps if it’s clear plastic, so you can easily see the colors, but you can always tag the pockets. This saved me a lot of time digging through sock drawers for a matching pair.
- Phone and Electronics Station. Always misplacing your cell phone, mp3 player or chargers? Put an organizer right by the door where everyone can stash their electronics so they don’t get mislaid. Add some hooks on the top for keys and a small table underneath with a strip for charging phones.
- Craft Supplies. The clear organizers are also wonderful for craft supplies. My friend who makes quilts has these all over her quilting room walls with quilt squares, threads, and other small quilting accessories. She uses one for each quilt so parts don’t get separated.
- Office Organizer. When I had my home office and did work for local businesses, I used a shoe holder hung on the wall to keep clients’ paperwork straight. A simple, removable white label had their name and account number, and all paperwork, timesheets and receipts for reimbursement went into the pockets until I was ready to bill. This kept me from having to use a large file cabinet, which I had no room for.
- Mail Center. If you have several people living in your home, you can create a simple mail center with a shoe organizer. Put a clip on the front of each pocket, and you have a place to leave messages.
- Towel Holder. The kind of shoe holders that hang in the closet with small open cubes are wonderful as towel holders in a bathroom with no linen closet. I installed a decorative plant bracket and hung the holder from that to get it out and away from the wall.
- Small Garden Tools and Accessories. I found one shoe holder with very large, deep pockets, which I suppose was for men’s shoes. I hung it on the wall in the garage to hold my small garden tools, such as hand trowels, clippers, gloves, etc. Of course, you can also stash your gardening shoes and socks there. Again, simple stick-on labels identify the contents.
I like to get creative with the organizers and dress them up with stencils, appliques, fabric paints, or handmade tags. Colored duct tape cut into shapes makes cute stick-on labels. Clear stick-on photo holders can identify whose pocket is whose when you’re sorting different people’s stuff. Do you have other ideas for using shoe organizers? Let us know!
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