Free up floor space in your closet with a homemade hanging shoe storage unit.
Organize your closet and create more floor space in it by making a homemade hanging shoe storage unit. By making a storage unit for shoes from quilted fabric, vinyl and double fold bias tape, you eliminate sewing steps and create a sturdy organizer that can be hung from the wall by two nails. Shoe storage organizers can also be used to store other objects, including toys, scarves, belts, jewelry and anything else that will fit into the pockets. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Measure and cut six pieces of 20-inch-long double fold bias tape.
2. Insert the top edge of a clear vinyl rectangle into each tape piece and pin them together.
3. Sew the tape along the top vinyl edge for each piece on a sewing machine using a straight stitch and a 1-inch seam allowance.
4. Lay one quilted fabric rectangle on a table, right side of the fabric facing up, with the longer sides as the right and left sides.
5. Measure 4 inches down from the top edge and mark this location on the fabric in chalk. Lay one vinyl rectangle horizontally across the fabric, aligning the tape edge with the chalk mark. Pin the vinyl to the fabric.
6. Measure down 3 inches from the bottom edge of the pinned vinyl rectangle and make a chalk mark. Lay a vinyl rectangle across the fabric, aligning the tape edge with the chalk mark. Pin the vinyl to the fabric.
7. Repeat Step 6 until all of the vinyl rectangles are pinned to the quilted fabric.
8. Sew each vinyl rectangle to the fabric along its bottom edge. Remove the pins.
9. Measure 10 inches from the fabric piece's left edge toward the middle. This is the center of the storage unit. Mark this measurement with chalk. Sew a straight line, with a straight stitch, vertically, down the center of the unit, over each vinyl rectangle.
10. Measure 5 inches to the left of the center seam and sew a line along this measurement with a straight stitch, vertically, from the top to the bottom of the storage unit. You have now formed one pocket on each row. The storage unit will have six rows of four pockets each for a total of 24 pockets that will hold 12 pairs of shoes.
11. Measure 5 inches to the right of the center seam. Sew a line vertically from the top to the bottom of the unit. The storage unit now has two center pockets on each row.
12. Turn the fabric over so that the wrong side of the fabric faces up.
13. Squirt fabric glue over one side of the cardboard piece.
14. Center and press the cardboard over the fabric back. There will be a 1-inch fabric frame around the cardboard. Squirt glue onto the other side of the cardboard.
15. Align the edges of the wrong side of the other piece of fabric with the edges of the fabric beneath the cardboard and, with the right side of the second piece of fabric facing you, press the fabric to the glue/cardboard. Allow the glue to dry for about an hour.
16. Measure and cut a 153-inch long piece of double fold bias tape.
17.Insert the edges of the unit into the tape's fold and pin them together. When you reach the tape's end, fold it under to conceal the raw fabric. Pin.
18. Sew the tape to the unit using a straight stitch and 1-inch seam allowance. As you sew the tape, you will form the remaining vinyl pockets.
19. Use a grommet tool to install two grommets 2 inches down from the top edge and 2 inches from the right and left corners. Grommet tools vary in design, but involve two metal rings that are squeezed and/or hammered into each other.
20. Hang the unit by the grommets on the closet wall with nails.
Tags: storage unit, vinyl rectangle, Measure inches, straight stitch, bias tape, chalk mark