10 Creative Ways To Repurpose A Thrifted Magazine Rack Around Your Home & Garden

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When perusing the aisles of a thrift store, you'll probably notice that there's quite a few vintage magazine racks for sale. Homes tend to house fewer magazines these days, and so, it's not uncommon to spot some really attractive racks while thrifting. Even though magazine racks can be quite striking, you may have never thought about purchasing one. After all, how many magazines do you own?

Well, thankfully, if a secondhand magazine rack catches your eye, you can bring it home and make some use out of it — and not necessarily to hold magazines. You might be surprised how many different ways a vintage magazine rack can be used: from housing children's books and shoes, to bath towels, blankets, baking sheets, and beyond. For some interesting inspiration, check out these 10 DIYs that prove just how versatile magazine racks can be in your home and garden.

Most vinyl collectors want a cool way to display their albums. With just a few easy steps, you can have the perfect spot for your album collection. After obtaining a wooden magazine rack at your thrift store, you can paint it the color of your preference. It might also be fun to get some inspiration from the cover of your favorite album when taking on this project. For instance, if you have Pink Floyd's "The Dark Side of the Moon" on repeat, consider painting the magazine rack black with some rainbow detailing. Alternatively, you can simply sand and restain the piece. Here are some tips and tricks for successfully using wood stain to get you started.

Parents know that children's libraries can get a little disorganized. Fortunately for you, a magazine rack can help tidy up your kid's collection of picture books. The DIYer above used a fine brush to give the piece a gorgeous floral design after painting it a deep, dark green. If you are artistic and have a steady hand, we encourage you to add your own personalized touches with some paint for this project. If free-handing the design doesn't appeal, consider stencils (like these Marspark Leaf Stencils). Alternatively, you can use this hack for upgrading thrift store furniture with wallpaper and apply some fun self-adhesive contact paper, like this Light Teal Glitter Wallpaper Peel and Stick Green Contact Paper or Taogift Peel and Stick Dinosaur Cartoon Contact Paper Wallpaper. 

Unless you do takeout every night, kitchens can easily get cluttered. Thankfully, you'll have the perfect storage solution for all your baking supplies once you've cleaned and decorated your used magazine rack. And obviously because of the rack's cuteness, you'll want to proudly display it on your kitchen counter, meaning you won't have to search for your baking sheets and pans in your crowded cabinets ever again.

This upcycle tops the list of unique blanket storage ideas for your living room. Blankets are an absolute must in any entertainment space. After all, how can you possibly enjoy a movie night without being curled up in a cuddly blanket? For this blanket rack hack, look for a secondhand magazine rack that's nice and wide, so your rolled-up blankets can stand up in it. If you can't find a design similar to the one shown in the video, a V-shaped or sling-style one will also work, but you will need to lay the rolled-up blankets down lengthways. 

Sewers know the pain of having to organize spare fabric. By picking up a previously discarded magazine rack, your extra textiles will finally have a proper home. While the TikToker above just did a few repairs before putting in the fabric in her rack, we think it would be a good idea to give some razzle-dazzle to this project. Maybe you can show your creativity (and love of sewing) by découpaging some beautiful fabric onto your rack.

Unless your kids have a designated place to put their shoes, they're going to be everywhere and pose as major tripping hazards. To remedy this issue, you can put your children's shoes in a used magazine rack. If you don't want to change the look of a wooden rack but still want to show it some love, consider sanding down the surfaces and applying a couple coats of wood stain. Alternatively, you could simply clean the piece and disguise any marks with one of these hacks to easily erase wood furniture scratches, such as filling them in with a crayon in the same color, or using wood filler pens, like these Daixism Furniture Repair Kit Wood Markers.

Show off your imitation flower bouquets with the help of a magazine rack. After cleaning and priming the rack, give it a paint job. We recommend sticking to a neutral color so your gorgeous flowers really pop. The TikTok user above added a customized sign, which reads, "Freshly Cut Flowers," to the project. While this is totally a great option, you could also paint your message directly onto the rack, either freehand or with a stencil. If you're working with a rack that has lower sides, and you prefer the idea of real foliage over imitation, you could also consider popping a few potted plants inside and letting the leaves spill out the top.

By transforming a wooden magazine rack, you'll have an attractive holder for clean towels for you and your guests. This DIYer chose to give the rack a makeover using chalk paint, but if you prefer a less distressed look, you could opt for spray paint. If you pick this option, here are some tips on how to spray paint wooden furniture to make the project easier. And keep in mind, your new bathroom caddy doesn't just have to be for towels! You can also use it to house some essential toiletries, like makeup wipes, bandages, or cotton swabs, especially in a guest bathroom. 

If you've snagged a smaller magazine rack, you can have the perfect caddy for your next outdoor gathering. Instead of throwing plates, utensils, and napkins haphazardly in a tote bag, you can neatly place the items in your new caddy. And if you want something on theme, we think you should totally decorate the rack accordingly. For instance, you could hot-glue on some gingham bows and a couple of Mini Resin Ladybug Decor pieces to make it extra cute.

If you want to elevate your garden, try out this hack. All you'll need to do is insert a plant liner (like this Sunyay 12-inch by 80-inch Natural Coco Liner Roll) into your secondhand magazine rack. Next, pour in some potting soil and pop in your flowers. Metal racks are ideal, as they'll hold up to the elements better than materials like rattan. Be aware that this planter will dry out faster than a regular, solid-walled one. Therefore, keep on top of watering and choose plants that can handle a missed drink here and there. If you're more of a newbie when it comes to gardening, take a look at our list of the easiest plants to grow for beginners before you get started on this project.