Remember a few weeks ago when I was complaining about the endless stream of cluttery nonsense that kept filling our entryway and driving me bananas? Well, Jared’s aunt read of my shoe-clutter woes and just last week passed along a genius nugget of info she snagged from Better Homes and Gardens online. It was a DIY project, specifically a shoe tray, that corrals wet shoes in an easy-on-the-eyes locale, where they can adequately dry before returning to their rightful spot (i.e. the closet). No puddles on the floor. No shoes left standing in slush. It’s pretty groovy, right? And the perfect solution to my troubles.
Needless to say, I was so thrilled with this idea, I went into project mode right away. I’m happy to report that this decluttering endeavor is positively foolproof and takes no more than a few minutes from start to finish. And in the middle of a crazy busy week, fast and easy are worth their weight in pebbles. Here’s what you do:
Look for a tray for the project, something large enough to fit a couple pairs of shoes. Keep in mind that the tray will get wet, so choose a material that can stand up to moisture. We found this white plastic tray at Target for about $12, and it has no beef at all with the ol’ H20.
Fill the bottom of the tray with decorative rocks or pebbles (the kind used as vase filler or to keep your goldfish company).
These blue pebbles were another Target find; it took three containers to fill the bottom of the tray. You could definitely use white or cream-colored pebbles for a streamlined, monochromatic look, but we thought these blue guys added a nice pop of color.
Make sure the bottom surface of the tray is covered entirely with the pebbles, at least a half-inch deep so the water from your shoes has a place to drain.
And that’s all there is to it! We’ve been rockin’ the shoe tray for two days now, and it’s doing a mighty nice job of waylaying puddles and drying our footwear. The idea couldn’t have come at a better time, really. With the six-ish inches of snow we got last week, we’ve had a heavy dosing of wet shoes and sloppy messes. Woo hoo for practical solutions with a stylish twist!
Did you tackle any DIY projects this weekend? Or do you have any on the horizon for the upcoming week? Any favorite decluttering techniques (shoe- or non-shoe-related) that you’d like to share? Can’t wait to hear it!
XO,
Katrina
Help! I do a lot of referring to a large, awkwardly bound cook book while working in the kitchen. Right now I’m propping it precariously against the window and holding the pages in place with a gin and rum bottle, respectively (sigh…). Anyway, I was wondering if you have any ideas for making and/or where to find a recipe book holder? I have a tiny kitchen, so space saving is a priority…
What do you do with your _NYT_ cookbook, by the way? It must be a beast…
Thanks! 🙂
This drives me crazy, too! I’ve been propping open the NYT cookbook with a rolling pin. Fancy, I know. 🙂
I’ve been thinking about getting a cookbook holder for a while, too. Any DIY solutions I’ve found seem to rely heavily on wood cutting and wood gluing, neither of which are my fortes. They can be really inexpensive solutions though. (This one uses the ol’ wood-cutting technique: http://www.gardenguides.com/135332-make-cookbook-holder.html ; and this one does the glue bit: http://www.ehow.com/how_4830861_cookbook-stand.html ).
As for the buying of one, I know Crate and Barrel has a snazzy glass and stainless-steel contraption that props up the book and holds the open pages safely behind a glass shield. I also stumbled across a site called organizeit.com, and they have a lot of cookbook holder options, some super inexpensive: http://storage.organizeit.com/search?p=Q&ts=custom&w=cookbook+holder&restricted=mt_restricted_organizesit
Their adjustable one looks pretty good and still has a splashguard to keep pages clean.
Hope that helps! 🙂
Just wanted to drop a line to say that I noticed a magazine called The Nest at the bookstore. I haven’t noticed it before, but it may not be new. Anyway, it’s all about newlyweds and their homes. It made me think of your blog!
Thanks for the note! The Nest is a super fun magazine! I don’t have a subscription, but I’ve picked it up a few times and always have fun flipping through. They have a pretty extensive website, too, with lots of recipes and decorating rigamarole. You should check it out! 🙂