Stop Hiding Your Blankets: Keep Them Organized In A Beautiful Antique Shoe Rack

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Storing blankets means striking the right balance between functionality and design. While you want to keep them within easy reach, leaving them out in the open can sometimes make a room look messy. Luckily, there are plenty of unique blanket storage ideas to keep any space organized in style. The key is for blankets to have their own designated area where they're neatly stored but not hidden away. That's because keeping stylish, colorful blankets in view is not just practical, it can also add visual interest to your living room or bedroom.

As YouTuber @ShesInHerElement showed off, a vintage wooden shoe rack can provide the perfect solution. Scouring flea markets or estate sales is a great starting point, but if those trips come up short, you can also search for a newly built wooden shoe rack on platforms like Etsy. While your personal take on the project will be dictated by the type of rack you find, this particular DIYer used a slim, four-tiered console that offered just enough storage without taking up too much space.

When choosing the right piece, keep in mind the shelves should be angled outwards, not inwards, to allow the blankets to be visible. What's more, double-check the thickness of the lip at the end of each shelf. While originally designed to stop shoes from sliding off, this lip will help keep thicker blankets in place, so it needs to be sturdy enough. Now, it's time to get customizing.

A vintage wooden shoe rack is a great way to stop hiding your blankets while keeping them organized. Once you've found the perfect one, you can easily customize it to match your aesthetic with a little paint and creativity. Start by unscrewing any hardware, then sand the entire shelf down. If removing the old paint and primer proves difficult, you may need to use an air sander that's able to get deep and banish decades-old finishes. Vacuum up any dust, then prime and paint the shoe rack to your liking. Consider using a bold color, stenciling a pattern, or applying a natural-looking wood stain. Finally, replace hardware, if applicable, fold your blankets neatly, and stack them individually on the angled shelves. This way, you'll be able to see exactly what you have and pull out individual blankets without disrupting the others.

If you'd rather not makeover a vintage shelf, another option is to put your blankets on full display inside IKEA's stylish FABRIKÖR Glass-door Cabinet. Another alternative is to make use of a HULTARP Kitchen Rail, mounting it next to a bed or couch. This IKEA find makes storing blankets stylish, as you can simply drape them over the rail or upgrade the DIY as TikToker @carolynjbraden did by picking up a couple of Nylon Buckle Straps from Amazon. Wrap two straps around a rolled blanket, loop them through the rail, then snap them closed, allowing the blanket to hang.