The Shoe Rack

Since it looks like we are going to be living in the Basement Estate for another year, I have come up with several ideas to make the place feel more like home, and be a lot more functional.  We started off with the easiest project on the list: the shoe rack.

The closet where Cory and I keep our clothes is teeny tiny and the shoes are all over the place and never seem to stay in the closet.  It is so frustrating not to be able to open or close the doors because the shoes have come tumbling out.  A shoe rack was clearly needed, but after a few months of searching I couldn't find one that I liked, was the right size, and within the budget.  So we made one.  That's right, I finally convinced Cory to help me get the saw out and let me buy some wood.

While the new shoe rack is functionally amazing and I love the level of organization it brings to our tiny abode, we learned a few valuable lessons with our first project.

Lesson 1: A scroll saw is not ideal for cutting a 3/4" piece of wood in half
Lesson 2: Not all pieces of wood are the same length, even if the items are from the same self at the same store with the same item description.
Lesson 3: Even if the board seems perfectly straight, it might not be
Lesson 4: Knots are hard to cut through with a hand saw
Lesson 5: Not everything we make will be (or needs to be) beautiful

 At 4'2", our new shelf accommodates nearly 20 pairs of shoes!