Ditch Bins & Baskets: The Alternative Solution For Storing Extra Blankets

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If you want a cozy living room, blankets are non-negotiable. Whether they're fuzzy, knitted, or old family heirlooms, they're the perfect companion for your couch. But when they're not being used, blankets sort of linger around and make the room look cluttered. You can fold them and put them aside, but they still look messy. Sure, bins and baskets work, but they don't add much visual appeal to your space. They're sort of a catch-all for mess, instead of a piece of interior decor. Well, there's a unique blanket storage idea that can keep your living space organized: a coat rack.

This clever idea, which comes from Instagram creator @dearhomeblog, is to use a freestanding coat rack and turn it into a blanket tree. The result is an interesting storage space that uses vertical space in your home and turns blankets into pieces of decor, even when they're not in use.

Instead of bins and baskets, this approach has the benefit of keeping all of the blankets separate and visible. When you stuff a basket or bin with blankets, you end up forgetting about the ones at the bottom. Instead, you pull the first one from the top and put it back on top, forgetting that there's the perfect knitted option at the bottom patiently waiting for its time to shine. This coat rack hack keeps blankets aired out, helping you avoid the stuffy odors that accumulate when fabric is crammed in small spaces. It also helps prevent snagging, which is especially useful if you've got blankets made of sensitive materials.

To create a blanket tree, you'll need a standalone coat rack. Use a wooden one, one made of plastic, or a DIY-ed vintage brass coat rack – the choice is yours. What matters most is that the arms of the coat rack are strong enough to hold a blanket each. In most cases, that won't be an issue, but if you're buying second-hand or cheap models, make sure that the screws aren't loose and it won't break under the weight. Ideally, look for a coat rack that has pegs at different heights, allowing you to create a multi-layer blanket tree effect, like this Taitiy solid wood coat rack. But if you've only got the kind with upper pegs, that will work too. 

Depending on the placement and length of the pegs on your coat rack, you can drape the blankets two ways: First, fold the blanket in half lengthwise, and drape it over the peg in the center for a neater look. Otherwise, hang the blanket onto the peg like you would a coat, making sure to shift enough fabric to either side so that it doesn't get weighted down and fall. If you have any leftover available pegs, use them to hang other things, like sweaters or cozy reading socks. 

Another approach to this simple blanket storage DIY is to use a wall-mounted hanger instead of a freestanding one. For this, you can use any wall-mounted coat hanger as long as the pegs are long enough to fit the blanket. In this case, you can also drape it like a coat or fold it neatly to hang it.