The Affordable Dollar Tree Solution For Keeping Shoe Clutter Tucked Away & Tidy

There's no denying that shoe clutter — or any clutter, for that matter — can be stressful. The first step to fix it is to remove the stuff you no longer need, but if you live in a small apartment, donating a few items may not help much. Sometimes, the problem has less to do with the items and more with how they are organized. That's what makes this affordable Dollar Tree solution such a win. You may think IKEA shelves are perfect for organized shoe storage, but if your budget doesn't agree, all you really need are Dollar Tree's Collapsible Baskets and a set of Cable Zip Ties to tie them together side by side into a storage cube setup. (The baskets mentioned here have handles that you'll need to fasten in place, but they will come in handy if you ever have to move house.) It immediately resolves shoe clutter without any fancy tools or a big financial outlay. Depending on how much shoe storage you need, you may spend less than $15 for everything.

The wonderful thing about this shoe storage hack is that you can adapt it to the area you have available. You might line up four baskets in a single row, or use them to fashion a 2x2 square-shaped cubby. Make use of vertical space by stacking it in a narrow hallway, or stow it out of sight in a coat closet. If you have a large family with minimal storage options, you could even add eight or more baskets to accommodate all of your footwear. The only limitation is your square footage. If you've already tried to free up storage space with a wall-mounted shoe shelf and it wasn't as easy to DIY as it sounded, then this is definitely for you.

Putting this Dollar Tree DIY shoe organizer together could not be easier. Simply place your baskets on their sides, line them up next to one another in your preferred arrangement, and join them together by all four corners using the zip ties. The slotted design of these baskets makes it easy to securely attach zip ties through the holes, to secure everything. And once you've snipped off the tail ends, you'll hardly notice they're there. That's it: no hardware required. Plus, without the need for screws and drilling, this DIY is renter-friendly and won't damage your walls.

Not only is it ridiculously easy to assemble, you can also make it entirely your own. Not a fan of the plastic Dollar Tree baskets? Go ahead and choose a different type. You could paint or stain some upcycled wooden crates and stack them creatively (no zip ties needed). You can also opt for Collapsible Baskets — $6.00 at Dollar Tree — which makes storing them easier should you ever downsize your shoe collection (stranger things have happened.) Of course, going with something else will probably push the price up, but if you like the basic idea and want to switch it up, why not? That's the benefit of going the DIY route, after all. And if you still have shoes left on the floor after you've implemented this, there's a smart way to use your garage as extra shoe storage space.