Unique Uses for an Over the Door Shoe Organizer

Over the door, hanging shoe organizers can be used for more than just shoes. Here are practical ideas for repurposing a shoe caddy for the garage, kitchen, and craftroom.

Have you jumped on the simplified life bandwagon? Have you taken a few loads of unused stuff to a local thrift shop as a donation? Do you evaluate every purchase ruthlessly and even consider where you will store it before you buy it? Congratulations! I'm working towards that kind of simplified living too.

However, I still find that my possessions -- the ones I truly need and am keeping -- have to be organized. But sometimes the organizers cost more than the items you are storing! We need realistic organization tools that help us sort things so they can be accessed when needed and keep them out of the way in the meantime.

Over the door shoe organizers to the rescue! These inexpensive canvas or plastic dividers are great for storing small items besides your shoes.

Affordable Over the Door Shoe Caddies

	Over The Door Clear Shoe Organizer/Storage Rack This 24 pocket organizer hangs conveniently over the closet door and features clear plastic pockets to help you find the right pair of shoes in a flash. Gives you the space ... Only $29.62
	DAZZ 42-Pocket Over-the-Door Organizer, Natural Canvas No space? No problem. This over the door organizer lies flat against any standard door as you discretely store your shoes and stuff. 42 spacious pockets. Only $16.97

Space Saving and Economical

Organize with Over the Door Shoe Caddies

Organizing with Shoe Caddies

Areas Where Shoe Organizers Work Well

The pockets on shoe organizers are not huge, so they work best for smaller items. Also, since you will be hanging the organizer on a door, you can't overload it with too much weight. Your collection of gold bullion is not a good candidate for these caddies. Here are three spots where shoe organizers work wonderfully.

1. Garage/Garden

The photo to the left shoes quite an innovative use of a shoe caddy-- use it to plant seedlings! But it could also be used to hold garden tools, gloves, and seed packets. Hang the caddy on your shed or garage wall.

In the garage a shoe caddy can hold all those odds and ends that seem to clutter up the area -- reusable shopping bags, various tools and gadgets, bungee cords, and umbrellas.

2. Schoolroom/Craftroom

The pockets on shoe organizers are commonly clear which makes them great organizers because you can see what is in each section. This is especially good for children who have trouble finding things. Hang a shoe organizer on the back of a closet door and multiply the available storage space for those small supplies that often get misplaced -- stapler, glitter, hole punches, glue sticks, paints, and stamps.

Craft supplies are notorious for being difficult and expensive to organize. But a shoe caddy can coral everything into handy and visible sections. Imagine an organizer filled with ribbon, buttons, lace, hot glue sticks, thread, measuring tapes, tailor's chalk, beads, etc.

To be even more organized, label the pockets or rows of pockets.

3. Kitchen

If you like the clean counter top look, you might be struggling to find room in your kitchen to store all of your gadgets. Again, an over the door shoe caddy can work! Hang it on the back of a pantry door and load it up with utensils, pot holders, cookie cutters, toothpicks, napkins, spices, chopsticks, measuring spoons, and clothespins.

Anchor the Caddy

In whatever room you use the caddy, it is a good idea to anchor it to the bottom of the door so that it doesn't swing around. Keeping it held fast to the door at the bottom will increase the life of your caddy since slinging it rips the grommets at the top. Use stick on velcro to affix the shoe organizer to the door.

Ideas for the Shoes?

Try These Organizers

Shoe Organizer Ideas

Take charge of the shoe chaos with these organizers and ideas for over the door and under the bed shoe caddies.

Updated: 04/26/2013, Jimmie

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MrsKey on 09/17/2012

I use the shoe organizer when I cruise. There is NO space in the bathroom. These really help with organization and cut down tremendously on the bathroom clutter!

tandemonimom on 04/03/2012

I've never managed to use a shoe organizer for shoes, but I have one over my pantry door now, filled with all the little things that always get LOST in there: tiny bags of dried mushrooms or chopped nuts and so forth. And the lowest spots, of course, are filled with healthy snacks for the kids!

Mladen on 04/02/2012

In my opinion, its other purposes are way better than shoe organizer purpose. :)
I am surprised to see so many possibilities to repurpose simple hanging shoe organizer. Great tips!

bhthanks on 02/26/2012

The shoe organizers can even be used for sorting Jewelry! They are very convenient.

BrendaReeves on 02/14/2012

I use one of these in my bathroom for supplies and another for my yarn and knitting/crochet supplies

katiem2 on 02/13/2012

Oh what a brilliant idea, I can use oh... five or six of these no, no wait seven or eight, wow the possibilities. I love this idea thanks for the brain storm with the over the door shoe organizer. Awesome :)