Creative ideas for storing shoes and handbags with as little space as possible?

Question

Hello all you "masters of saving space with creative ideas"! lol. I'm in need of some SERIOUS help. I have tons of shoes and handbags that I need organized. I've already removed the items I don't want anymore, (and then I went and replaced them with new ones so I'm still right back where I started, except with the excitement of having some new peices). lol. Anyway, can anyone recommend some creative "space saving" ideas for getting my accesories OUT OF THE WAY?! Your suggestions will be greatly appreciated!!!

Me: I've already tried the "behind the door racks" I've got two different closet doors with handbags covering both! (No room for the shoes either)! I can't even open either one of the closets without stooping down to reach the door handle! lol. I know...it's bad!

Answer 1

If you have wall space available in the bedroom, put up shelves that are "shoe deep" to store your shoes, then purchase one of those screen room dividers to put in front of it, to hide the shoes and the screen adds a pretty accent to the room. Get some heavy duty hooks, hang from them lengths of heavy chains with the big loops and several "s" hooks to hang the purses from top to bottom.
You could display your passion for the world to see. Pick up a ladder, sometimes you can find them cheap at yard/estate sales. Paint it, make it colorful & funky, whatever you want. Display your shoes on the ladder that you currently wear for the season, store the off season in those under the bed containers. Make a collage of your purses in the same manner. Suspend a pot rack from the ceiling, hang lengths of chains with "s" hooks from the rack, use additional hooks to hang your purses from. Spray paint the rack and chains wild colors, or gold to give them an elegant look. Just be sure the rack is installed on a beam so it will take the weight and not end up falling and taking parts of the ceiling with it. To really make the purses a work of art, get some of those inexpensive pot lights to shine up to highlight your display. Alternate different colors and styles to give it an interesting look.

Answer 2

We have had this problem with shoes in the family room, which has eight fish tanks at one end and is a movie room at the other end near the door. We live in the woods, three hundred feet from the road, and have a dirt driveway and have a mat on the floor for dirty shoes. And once they have been cleaned or are dry we store them in a five foot ottoman in front of the couch. We keep out of season shoes in the cellar. You have already admitted to replacing shoes or handbags when you threw some away to make room, so if somebody here comes up with an idea that works for you, you'll just buy more to fill up the extra storage you just created and be right back where you started. I know you don't want to hear this, but a forceful amount of self control is needed here. Once you throw something out you know you are not using, don't replace it because you created an empty spot. Wait until you find something really nice, and then throw something else away to keep it under control. Look at every item you have and say to yourself do I ever or will I ever use this. I'm sure you will find more you can get rid of. GOOD LUCK !

Answer 3

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Answer 4

My close friend recently moved into a new place and had to drastically reorganize to accomodate her shoes (over 200 pairs) and handbags (at least 100). If you have the ability, head to Ikea and look into the wall units they can help you build for your bedrooms. There is one type of drawer/ shelf that they use in these units. It slides out, has a slight lip to it and I believe is actually meant to be used for sweaters. One of those shelves can hold between 12-15 pairs of shoes and about as many handbags.

If new shelving is not an option, utilze under the bed space. Get baskets or tubs and store the handbags you use occassionally under there. You can break them up by season or color, what ever works best for you. Keep the bags you use more often more handy. The door organizers are a good start. Another idea is to get a length of chain (the type used to hang ceiling lights) and hang it from the ceiling. You can got hooks that just slip into the links (similar to the ones you see on store shelves) and hang your everyday bags from that. Finally (and this is a good way to protect more delicate evening bags or small handbags that can get lost easily) store small bags inside larger ones! You'd be surprised how much space that can save.

Answer 5

My goodness! Aren't you cute!!

Anyway, if you have someone remove some of the wallboard in your closet walls to expose the wall studs, cross studs with holes for high heeled shoes can be tastefully attached. If done right and with an eye for design, you can have space for hundreds of pairs per closet without buying anything but a box of wood screws, a few two-by-fours, some paint, and the rental cost for a saw, power drill, and electric screw driver. Best thing? You can still use the closet exactly as you use it now for everything else, including the over-the-door storage.
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If you have a seldom used attic, the kind where you pull down the trap door on the ceiling to unfold the hidden ladder, you can have the ladder removed and a pull-down platform containing several, vertical shoe towers that are filled with hundreds of pairs of shoes that are hidden from view until needed.
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Finally, if your bed is on a standard frame with free space underneath, it can be raised with a simple wood frame while long pull-out drawers (two or three on each of the bed's longest sides) are positioned under it. Many, many pairs can be secreted away there.

Answer 6

I don't have this problem, because I'm a guy, but I do know how to save space and organize, especially when your available closet space is minimal. In my experience, storing under your bed in a container is a great way to get your excess items out of sight but still easily attainable. You can find low profile plastic containers at stores like Target and Walmart.

If you would rather use what little space is available in your closet, the space between the bottom of your garments and the closet floor is usually wasted by most people. Typically, people line the bottom with pairs of shoes, but use this space to store containers of your handbags and shoes, and the space is much better utilized. Also, you can get these shoe storage stacks that are made of canvas and attach to your closet pole with heavy duty velcro. I had one that I gave to my girlfriend that holds ten pairs of shoes. The best stores that specialize in containers, shelving, and racks, are Organized Living (online only), The Container Store, and Storables.

Answer 7

Here's a little suggestion. If you have 2 closets (or more), store all the shirt, shorts, short skirt and generally short items into one and the long ones in the other. In the short items closet, right under the clothes, buy/ask someone's help to do a little "library" (lots of narrow and short shelves) and make sure you have some for pumps, shorter ones for flip-flops and longer ones for the boots. Same goes for purses. In the long items closet, if you still have a little space left in one of the sides of the closet, build some shelves within a more narrow yet taller "library". In each closet, you can make several little libraries, to put one in front of each other and so on. Be sure to put the items that you're sure you're not gonna use this season in the back. Something like http://www.binkyswoodworking.com/TruckShelving11.jpg , but with different sizes so all your items will fit. Good luck in finding a solution!


And: You could also try buying/ordering some long coathangers (something like { | | | | | | | | | | | | ) for your high heels - try hanging one or more pairs on every line and same up space in the mini-library for your bags, boots and other shoes.

Answer 8

Handbag Storage Ideas

Answer 9

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http://www.shoesoutletmall.us

Answer 10

For handbag storage, try hanging a curtain rod or a towel rod in an out of the way place. I've also seen people use cup hooks to store the ones they use the most.
I'm not sure on shoes, since I live in FL and wear flip flops most of the time.