Turn An Old Shoe Box Into A Clever Storage Solution For Your Kitchen Countertop

Kitchens are versatile spaces where we spend a lot of our time, whether we're prepping meals or converting the breakfast table into a makeshift home office. There are probably quite a few items making your kitchen look cluttered. In fact, countertops are infamous for being one of the most disorganized parts of the home, and that universal junk drawer probably isn't much help. Once you place a receipt or loose change inside, there's no telling if you'll find it again. Fortunately, there are quick, at-home hacks for getting your countertop clutter under control, one of which involves repurposing an old shoe box.

The next time you order a new pair of boots or sneakers, save the packaging. Beyond a basic shoe box, all you need to complete this project is a pair of good scissors or a box cutter, a ruler, and a pencil. Of course, it's also helpful to have Mod Podge or paint on hand if you plan to add some color to the finished product.

The objective here is simple: separate a rectangular shoe box into separate compartments, each used for storing loose items like keys, makeup products, and more — in other words, things that you'd normally spread out onto the counter or toss in a drawer will now go inside the box. Before you get started, it can be helpful to diagram what you're hoping to achieve, assigning each section a separate item. Alternatively, look to this shoe box hack for storing crafting essentials for further inspiration. Once you're done, you'll be one step closer to a healthier, more stress-free kitchen environment.

To create this upcycled shoe box from TikTok user @jies.life.tips, you want to remove the top of the shoe box and place it on a flat surface. Use a ruler and pencil to evenly draw perpendicular lines along the center of the lid, extending the lines down the sides. Using a box cutter or a pair of sharp scissors, start slicing. You should be left with four distinct sections, each with three sides: a base, and two walls. Keep in mind that this hack works best if the lid of your box has longer sides; this will allow for more visible compartments. If you find this isn't the case, and the sides of the lid are short, you can always use the base of another, similarly-sized shoe box instead.

Now that you've cut your cardboard, it's time to arrange it inside the box. Place the "walls" of your quadrants back-to-back inside the base of the shoe box, resulting in a T-shaped cross-section at the center. And there you have it: four equal sections ready for everything from rubber bands and paperclips to spices and silverware. You can even rearrange the dividers to give the box three compartments or two compartments. 

For added pizzazz, use ModPodge to attach wrapping paper or even old recipe pages to the outside of any cardboard box. Label them by attaching nickel-plated card holders to ensure everything stays in its place. Of course, there are plenty of other ways to upcycle a shoe box, like cutting holes around the side to keep cords organized and clutter-free.