How to Make a Built-In Closet Shoe Rack

If you find yourself tossing your shoes in a big pile in the bottom of your closet, or always missing half of your favorite pair, it may be time to make a built-in closet shoe organizer. Make it any size you like, and attach it wherever you like inside of your closet.

Things You'll Need

• Wooden boards at least 3/4-inch thick, 12-inches wide and as long as neccessary
• Tape measure
• Saw
• Drill
• 1 1/2-inch wood screws
• 3/4-inch thick plywood
• 2-inch drywall screws

Instructions

1. Think about Kindergarten classrooms and the storage cubbies that were available for children to put their school supplies in. These storage racks are perfect for keeping pairs of shoes separate, and you can make them quite easily.

2. Count the number of shoes you need to store in the closet rack. You can make each rack hold 2 to 6 pairs of shoes, and build as many separate racks as you need. If you acquire more shoes, you can make another rack and attach it to your closet with the others.

3. Start with the number of shoes that you want to store in each rack and multiply by 9 inches, because each cubby needs to be 9-inches wide. Add ¾ of an inch for the end boards and for each partition board between pairs of shoes. For an example, if you want to store 5 pairs of shoes, multiply 9 by 5 for a total of 45 inches. You would have two ends and four partitions, so multiply ¾ by 6 for a total of 4.5 inches. Add the two totals together to get 49 1/2 inches.

4. Gather your materials. For our example, you need two boards 12-inches wide and 49½-inches long for the top and bottom of the rack. You will also need 6 boards that are 12 by 6 inches for the sides and partitions. All of these boards should be ¾-inch thick.

5. Assemble your shoe rack to form a rectangle that will measure 49½ by 10½ inches and will contain 5 cubbies for shoes. Attach the pieces by placing 1½-inch wood screws down through the top board and up through the bottom board to attach the sides and partitions.

6. Lay the rack on a piece of plywood, and trace it. Cut the piece of plywood that you need to make the back of the rack. Attach this with 1½-inch wood screws to the edges and partitions of the rack. Paint the rack if you wish and allow it to dry.

7. Attach your rack to your closet. You can simply set it on the floor, if you wish. Alternatively, you can attach it to the wall by screwing through the plywood back into studs with 2-inch drywall screws. If you need more storage space for your shoes, make another rack and put on top of or below the other one, attaching it to the wall.