- Health & beauty storage
- For office & classroom organization
- Tidy up after kids
- Outdoor storage
- Kitchen & utility organization
- Clothing storage
- Seasonal uses
Getting organized can be a challenge in any home - especially when there isn't much storage! That's where over the door shoe organizers come in. The handy piece of fabric hooks over the back of your door and provides you with 24 handy pockets.
Normally, they're used for storing shoes, but why stop there? Today we're sharing 24 different uses for this handy shoe organizer that'll help you get organized once and for all.
Health & beauty storage
1. Organize makeup
Ever wondered where to store all of your palettes, foundations, and brushes? An over-the-door shoe organizer is the perfect makeup storage solution!
You'll be able to see where every mascara and lipstick is hiding. It's guaranteed to make getting out the door that bit easier each morning.
2. Storage for hair tools
There's just not enough places to store all of our hair tools and accessories. Store them vertically with this clever hanger. You could include:
- Straighteners
- Hair Dryer
- Curling tongs
- Hair brushes
- Clips and pins
- Hair ties
- Hairsprays and styling products
NOTE: Leave hot tools to cool completely before storing them in the pockets.
3. Spares & backups
We love buying in bulk. It's great to have spares of all the essentials like toothpaste and shampoo. That way, you'll never be without. The only trouble can be finding an appropriate place to stash everything away.
An over-the-door shoe organizer makes the perfect place to store all of your spares. It's especially good for all the travel-sized shampoos that we love to sneak out of hotels!
4. First aid
When disaster strikes, the last thing you want is to be hunting through cupboards for a remedy. Why not keep everything where you can clearly see it?
You can even keep unsafe medicines higher up in the organizer so that they're away from small hands.
For office & classroom organization
5. Stationery
Do you have a cluttered office? For those who have more stationery than they could use in a lifetime, we love this idea.
Pens, pencils and scissors look fabulous displayed in each pocket. Sort your stationery by colour for a bright, rainbow look.
6. Wrapping paper holder
Why not turn a shoe organizer into a wrapping paper station. Either add some elastic to hold the rolls in place, or cut along the bottom of the middle pockets to make a holder.
You can keep scraps of paper, rolls, scissors, tape, and gift bags in one handy place. This would be perfect for the office or a spare room.
7. Craft supplies
As well as wrapping paper, over the door organizers are perfect for sorting out all kinds of craft supplies. Whether you've got spools of thread or tubes of paint, the pockets will be perfect for easy access.
8. Cords
Cords and cables can be a nightmare to organize, but they don't have to be! Try this storage solution and never lose a cable again. You could even label each pocket for peace of mind.
9. Classroom storage for water bottles
Calling all primary school teachers! Are you fed up of water bottles spilling on desks? Pop up a shoe organizer in your classroom. It's the perfect solution for getting water bottles off the desks.
TOP TIP: Label each pocket with the names of the students so that bottles don't get mixed up.
10. Post organizer
Get to grips with all of the post that comes through your letterbox with, you guessed it, an over the door shoe organizer!
The pockets are the perfect size for storing letters, cards - even menus from your favourite takeaway.
Tidy up after kids
11. Baby clothes & supplies
Baby blankets and clothes are just the right size. Babygrows, socks, nappies - you name it, it should fit!
12. Toy storage
Kids' rooms can be chaotic. If you're running out of room in the toy box, try making storage on the back of the door! The pockets in an organizer are perfect for holding Barbies, Hot Wheels and Lego.
Outdoor storage
13. Car Organizer
Besides the boot, cars don't have a whole lot of storage. This isn't helpful if you're on a long road trip, or if you're constantly dealing with the joys of messy children. With all that clutter and mess, your car won't stay clean for very long.
Cut an over the door organizer in half and attach it to the back of the headrest. We'd recommend you include:
- Tissues
- A bottle of water
- A first aid kit
- A small towel
- Chargers for your devices
- A torch
- Spare change
- Maps
- A raincoat
14. Vertical garden
This one is perfect if you don't have much of a garden to work with. To make a vertical garden from an over the door organizer, cut some holes for drainage and fill each pocket with soil and seeds. You'll have a beautiful living wall in no time!
TOP TIP: Why not grow different herbs in each pocket? Add labels so you remember which is which.
15. Tent kitchen
This is a great little camping hack! A plastic organizer will be the perfect companion for any camping trip. Use it to store all of your essentials for cleaning and cooking. It'll keep everything clean, dry and off of the floor.
Kitchen & utility organization
16. Cleaning supplies
How do you organise your household cleaning kit? Shoe organizers are perfect for holding sprays, cloths, and gloves. Just grab what you need and go. We guarantee you'll want to spend more time cleaning when it's this easy!
17. Spices
For some, a spice rack just isn't big enough to store their collection of spices. If you're an avid cook, this could be a great solution for getting all of your spices organized. You could also use it to store sauces - as long as they can be kept at room temperature.
18. Fruit & vegetables
Could this be the solution to storing your root vegetables? Anything that can be stored at room temperature would fit perfectly into the pockets.
19. Lunch packing station
Packing a lunch can be a struggle. Make life easier by organizing snacks. You'll be able to see what you've got left and stock up accordingly. This system works well for kids too, giving them more independence to pack their lunches.
Clothing storage
20. Vest tops
Why waste valuable wardrobe space on vest tops? Use an over the door shoe organizer to maximize your space. Fold each top in half, roll up and place into the pockets.
21. Packing tip for your hotel room
Make packing your suitcase a breeze with this handy tip. Pack smaller items into a shoe organizer, gently fold it up and place it in your suitcase. When you arrive at your destination, you can take the organizer out and hang it over the back of the door. How good is that?
22. Socks
If you've not got enough storage to have a designated sock drawer, this could be the answer.
TOP TIP: Use one or two pockets for storing odd socks. If the other sock doesn't turn up after a few months, consider using them for fun crafts.
Seasonal ideas
23. DIY advent calendar
Looking for an affordable DIY advent calendar idea? Jo from Chica and Jo has used a transparent organizer. They have 24 pockets, making them perfect for this use. Each numbered panel has been printed out and turns over to reveal part of the story for How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
24. Seasonal accessories
You've opened the door to leave the house, but it's much chillier than expected. Instead of wondering where you last left your hat and gloves, keep them close to hand in a pocket organizer.
You could also store summer essentials like insect repellant and sun cream.
Will you be giving any of these a try? Let us know in the comments below!
Useful for gardening "stuff" - Hand tools, Gardening Gloves, Seeds (to be planted), Spray cans etc even a drinks can.
Wonderful suggestion, Anne!
Many thanks for some great ideas. xxx
You're very welcome, Sue!
Some great space saving ideas thank you.
You're welcome, Jean!
I love the suitcase idea - I'm going to use that one:) I like to use them as 'annual planners and organisers' - be organised throughout the year! Don't miss those important dates:) label the pockets January through to December - if you have more than 12 pockets, decide where you want the extra spaces, beginning/ end, top/ bottom, etc. Here's how I use them: 1. if, like me, you buy birthday/celebration cards super early, pop them in the pocket for the relevant month (this won't work if you buy giant cards, of course!) I keep a book of stamps in one of the spare pockets- and a pen! 2. annual renewals/ important reminders/ deadlines - eg paperwork for MOT, car tax, insurance which could be different months; tv licence; any acknowledgement forms/slips that have to be returned, especially for school, etc. I keep a summary of the most important in a spare pocket. I also use the spare pockets for receipts of recent big purchases, leaflets on operating instructions 3. if you have children at school, a dedicated over the door hanger, marked up in months for the school year, is a really practical form of help - you can have one for each child - and you can keep them involved too:) 4. I have one for coupons. I used to forget to use coupons in time, or forget where I'd put them - now I look at the use by date, pop them in the month they have to be used by and check what I've got before I go shopping. I save a lot of money this way. I use a spare pocket for my shopping lists. 5. competitions. There aren't as many entry forms around as there used to be but I used to keep my forms in 'closing date' order, by month. I wouldn't miss the date that way! 6. shed/allotment. I put my seed packets in date order of final planting time, by month, so that I can work my way through the season. I use the spare pockets for plant labels, pencil, marker pen, string, etc. Happy sorting!
That's genius, Ruby! Thank you for sharing.
:) Two more things: 1. You can do similar to make it into a great personal/ family organiser - on a weekly basis, Monday to Sunday (or Monday to Friday) and spare pockets. Cut the door hanger in half, if you prefer. Or, add in another week or two. This way you can have a weekly organiser (all on one hanger) for 3 people - great if you have kids:) Great on a Sunday night when you have to think about 'what needs doing for school tomorrow/ this week'. Use the first pocket for each week as a name card/place - which the children can design/ personalise. (2rows required per person) NB You can do this horizontally or vertically. Vertically works well too, especially for 4 people, you have 6 pockets going down (Monday to Friday + 'Sat/Sun - weekend') each person having a column each. A family organiser! 2. As a daily planner/organiser. 24 pockets - 24 hours in a day. I've used these hangers to keep track of tablets/medicines. Label as required - I usually start at 7am. With so much to keep track of, medicine times are a worry, doses every 4 hours for one medicine, every 6 for something else, 3 different people to look after, for example. Once they've had the dose, put the packet in the next time slot required (or a card to represent a fridged item). To help with this, I put a sticky label on the item when I get it, along with the times it is to be given so that I can see at a glance which pocket it has to go back in. Label the meds/ hanger for the person you're caring for. How many times have you forgotten when you last took your tablets? IMPORTANT: KEEP ALL MEDICINES OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN AND THE VULNERABLE. This is great for keeping track of anything that you need to monitor on a daily basis! Happy organising:)
Thanks, Ruby!
Although the ideas are good, we must remember that these are all made of plastic and buying new ones is not good for the environment. Better either only to use them like this if you already have an unused one, or make one from fabric...
Great idea, Alison!
I have two dogs and I hang a shoe organiser in my back hallway, it's an ideal storage for their packets of treats, particularly as it allows me to see when I'm running out of any particular flavour so that I can re-stock. It also means that I'm not cluttering up a cupboard and having to rummage around to find the one I want.
You're right - the clear pockets are one of the great benefits! We've lost count of how many times we've forgotten about things in the back of cupboards.
Looks great! I'm definitely going to do this. Never thought of it before Thank you xx
You're welcome, Barbie!
Really great storage ideas. Your other readers have good organisational uses too. Agree with not using the plastic, so I'll be making some in fabric. Good to use some of 'the stash', then sneak & store fat quarters in. Thank you.
It's so nice when our little community give each other ideas!