We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. Shoe cabinets don’t last forever, but you can give that old one a new lease on life by turning it into handy shed storage. Those flip-out drawers can become independent catch-all shelves when you mount them on the wall. It’s a budget-friendly way to get organized without tossing out a still-usable piece of furniture. The laminate on these cabinets isn’t super durable, but the cabinet’s frame can still provide a sturdy foundation for wall-mounted storage. Just check that the drawers are in good working order, then get to work dismantling the cabinet and attaching the individual components to the shed wall. You don’t need a ton of extra materials – a drill, screws, and a level are about all you’ll need to transform that old shoe cabinet. Mount the frame pieces on the wall, then screw the drawers back on one by one. This vertical storage solution will keep your shed tidy and organized.
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Turn shoe cabinet drawers into vertical garden shed shelves
Instead of just plopping the whole cabinet in the corner, go vertical with your repurposed shoe rack storage. Take off the drawers, remove any handles, and disassemble the frame. Mount the frame pieces to the wall, using a level to make sure they’re straight. Then screw the drawers back on one by one. This gives you a custom, built-in storage system for your shed.
If the drawers have dividers inside, you may want to remove them if you plan to store larger items on the shelves. But if the dividers help with organization, feel free to leave them in. This vertical storage solution will maximize the space in your shed and keep everything nice and tidy.
Improve and expand your new shelves’ function
Alina Rosanova/Getty Images With all that wall space in your shed, you can get even more organized by adding some hooks or a tool holder to the frame pieces you mounted. Plain hooks are great for hanging tools, but you can also use a tool holder to keep small hand tools within easy reach.
One potential issue with using the flip-out drawers as shelves is that the brackets aren’t always super sturdy. The holes they leave on the sides could allow items to slip through and get lost. You can fix this by cutting a piece of the old frame and gluing it over the openings. Or just staple some thick fabric like denim over those gaps – it’s a quick and easy solution.
