If you can think of nothing worse than returning to a cluttered house, then you definitely don’t want to see a pile of shoes in your entryway. But if you’ve got a little time and some craft skills, you can hide the eyesore with a functional and attractive shoe organizer. From cabinets to benches to shelves, you’ll find a variety of DIY ideas and plans below to match your aesthetic and skills.
1o Perfect DIY Plans to Declutter Your Entryway
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- 1o Perfect DIY Plans to Declutter Your Entryway
- 1. Bench with Crates
- 2. Cabinet with Trays
- 3. Upholstered Bench
- 4. Bench with Shelves
- 5. Small Wood Shoe Cabinet
- 6. Large Folding Shoe Cabinet
- 7. Wall-mounted Wooden Shoe Rack
- 8. DIY Industrial Shoe Rack
- 9. Dowel and Pipe Fitting Shoe Organizer
- 10. PVC Pipe Shoe Storage
1. Bench with Crates
The natural wood grain of this plan will appeal to many people, especially those who want an exterior storage option. Thanks to two coats of deck sealant and some exterior polyurethane, this bench is fully waterproof! Of course, you won’t want to keep your Jimmy Choos in this organizer where they will be exposed to the elements or stolen if you keep the bench outside. But it’s ideal for sandals and flip-flops, especially if you keep the bench on a patio or by your swimming pool.
If you prefer to use a bit less wood or cannot find crates to use with the shoe organizer, you could use different baskets or bins, instead. Just make sure that they’ll survive in the sun and rain. Plastic, wicker, and metal could all work, and the bench top will offer some protection from the elements. Alternatively, you could place flat trays inside of the cubbies and set your shoes on top of them.
2. Cabinet with Trays
You’ll love the flexibility of this shoe cabinet, which is deeper than most. The trays can accommodate more than one row of shoes and tall boots, too. In fact, this versatile storage plan would work as well for watches, keys, or jewelry as it would for shoes – basically, anything you want to keep in your entryway!
Although the trays in the original design have cutout “handles” and are only stained, you could easily paint them and use hardware if you’re not a fan of that look. Similarly, the countertop adds form and function, but you can choose the material, design, and finish that appeals to you or matches your home the best.
3. Upholstered Bench
This plan is perfect for the entryway, as you have a place to seat down to change your shoes and a place to store them. Several things set this storage bench apart from other DIY options, including the padded top and use of wire baskets. The baskets work best for flip-flops, sandals, and other small shoes and will serve families with children well! You can put your craft skills to the test by working with wood and upholstery fabric, and you can definitely change the aesthetic of this shoe storage solution with a different fabric choice. If you’re not a fan of visible shoes, you could opt for different baskets or even skip the baskets entirely and hang fabric over the front of the cubbies for a different look.
4. Bench with Shelves
With a functional bench top and easily accessed shelves, this entryway shoe bench is perfect for homes with children. This DIY plan will take a bit longer and require more power tools to complete, but the video tutorial will help ensure you get all the cuts right the first time. The end result is a sleek design that will surprise anyone who learns this was a do-it-yourself project. Combine the shoe bench with a sophisticated coat or key rack on the wall above it, to give your entryway a facelift.
5. Small Wood Shoe Cabinet
While keeping shoes enclosed in a cabinet like this DIY plan might be slightly less convenient than other racks on this list, it’s perhaps more organized and sleek to hide the shoes from sight. This scrap wood cabinet is especially clean-looking, thanks to its sharp lines, white color, and elegant hardware. And because the door only opens at an angle, it works better in a small entryway than other cabinets.
Before you take on this plan, consider the types of shoes you own. Flat and short shoes will fit best inside the cabinet, but you could potentially skip one of the shelves or place taller shoes or boots sideways to store them if you don’t mind using more space to do so.
6. Large Folding Shoe Cabinet
While many shoe racks work well with flat shoes such as sandals or sneakers, heels and especially boots may be another story. This DIY cabinet gives you more space for tall shoes and boots, and you could even use it to store hats or bags. The contrasting interior color is perfect for your stylish accessories. We also love how the doors swing out to reveal more shelves, making the best use of limited space.
You’ll definitely want to follow the DIY plan closely to make sure you cut, notch, and build the cabinet correctly. However, you can express your style with paint colors or even line the inside of the doors and shelves for a more luxurious appearance.
7. Wall-mounted Wooden Shoe Rack
If your entryway is quite narrow, you’ll love this shoe rack plan that relies on vertical space instead. You don’t need to do more than sand wood and coat it with clear polyacrylic if you like the natural look, but staining or painting is also an option. As a bonus, you can install hooks for keys, bags, or jackets if you hang these shelves in your entryway because they’re securely attached to wall studs.
This is definitely more of a carpentry project than some of the other organizers on this list. Each of the wide racks consists of three 1″x4″ boards and one 1″x3″ board of the same length. The shoes are placed vertically and supported by boards at the front, back, and bottom. You can add another board to the front of a shelf if your shoes threaten to fall out, but that may not be necessary.
8. DIY Industrial Shoe Rack
It’s hard to believe this sturdy industrial chic shoe rack is a do-it-yourself project, but it’s true! It’s sturdy and attractive enough that you won’t have second thoughts about hiding it away, thanks to the pipe fittings, conduit straps, and wood screws. Use black iron fittings like the tutorial or lighten it up with regular iron or copper. The organizer’s width is determined by the length of the wooden planks, which you can stain and clear coat for a rustic look like in the example.
Once you create the side supports out of the pipes and fittings, you secure them to the wooden boards with conduit straps. Tie straps at the back of the shoe organizer add stability and visual appeal to finish off your project.
9. Dowel and Pipe Fitting Shoe Organizer
With the second and final industrial-inspired shoe rack on this list, your shoes are supported by bare pipes instead of shelves. You could even place a rubber mat beneath the rack so you can let wet shoes drip onto it. All of this convenience is accomplished with wooden dowels, some stain, and pipe fittings of the same diameter as the dowels. Once you cut the dowels to size, you need fewer tools than for the previous shoe rack.
The tutorial uses copper pipe fittings, but you could use iron or galvanized fittings if you prefer. Similarly, the blueish stain used in this example might not be everyone’s cup of tea, so you can use any stain or paint that strikes your fancy. Furthermore, you could easily add extra shelves. Just make sure you have four tee fittings for each shelf along with eight elbow fittings for the sides.
10. PVC Pipe Shoe Storage
This fun DIY shoe storage plan consists of stacks of 6″ PVC pipes that have been sanded, painted, and wallpapered to look like logs, each one holding a pair of shoes. However, you’ve got plenty of options if that doesn’t match your aesthetic. Leaving a small part of the pipe bare allows you to use PVC glue to connect it to the other pipes in the same row. The individual pipes let you match the height and width of your shoe rack to your space and choose the ultimate shape of the rack. For example, you could choose to stack the pipes in a pyramid. While you can secure the rows, you don’t necessarily have to if you stagger each row, and keeping the rows separate makes the shoe rack more modular if you ever move it.
So what are you waiting for? Pick a plan and declutter your entryway!
