Say Goodbye To Messy Shoe Storage With A Simple Foam Board Hack

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If there's one thing every home tends to have an abundance of, it's shoes. According to Kuru Footwear, each American will spend over $14,000 on footwear in their lifetime on average; that's a lot of shoes. There are plenty of genius shoe storage ideas that are game-changers for small closets out there, but what if your closet just has no more room for the shoes in your life? There's a very simple space in your home you're likely overlooking when it comes to organizing shoes: under your bed. With a piece of foam core, you can make this area the perfect out-of-sight spot for boots, flip-flops, and other footwear during the off-season. 

The star of the show in this simple DIY is a pair (or more) of fabric pouches. You know the kind. They pop up for travel purposes and have a zipper to keep items inside from flopping around when not in use. These get fastened to the board. For tiny closet owners or big sneaker collectors, you can maximize your space with these must-have under-bed storage solutions. A benefit to this hack is affordability. Craft one of these foam board organizers to slide under every bed in your home. It doesn't only work for footwear; the possibilities are endless. Stuff some overflowing craft supplies inside, or ask your children to store plushies they aren't using right now inside. You'll have more space without cluttering up your closets.

To get rolling on this under-bed DIY, pick up a piece of black foam board from Dollar Tree. You'll also need two or more pop-up fabric organizers. The most affordable options for these are probably Dollar Tree as well, with their Closet Essential clear storage bags, or IKEA's PÄRKLA cases — but any brand will do. Next, you need adhesive. Hot glue works, but you can use anything you have on hand; just give it time to dry properly before using your creation. Finally, the answer to the question: what do you do with too many shoes? Free up closet space with a sleek pull-out storage solution, and this hack lets you do it on the cheap. 

Place your chosen fabric organizers side by side on the foam and trace around them with a marker or chalk pen. Cut away the excess board. Then, glue the base of each zip-up cube to the foam, and let it dry. Slip in all the footwear you don't need access to, and slide it out of sight beneath the bed. You can also personalize it. Glue on lightweight wheels like FixtureDisplays plastic caster wheels, or add more foam to the top (with a slice down the middle so individual units are accessible) and decorate with paint, stencils, and decals. Alternatively, you could use a wood plank in place of foam for long-term durability instead. Whatever you choose, you'll have no more clutter, and best of all, you can buy more shoes.