DIY Project: How to Make an Organizer from Old Shoe Box

After buying a new pair of shoes, I used to put the shoes on shoe rack and got rid of the shoe box. But some of us keep old shoe box to store shoes as well. However, if you are like me, from now on you, before recycling your shoe box, you may think of up cycling it instead. Few days back I was watching a video on Youtube  and got this wonderful idea of turning an unused shoe box into an organizer. Immediately, I decided to try this DIY project by my self for making a stationary organizer for my daughter.

Look at the final product in the following picture. Although the finishing is not that good, but still I found it very cute and handy.

Before, my daughter used to keep her crayons, pencils, erasers, craft glues and so on in different places. Some of those were stored in box or pouch. But one think she hated to use a kid’s roll play medical carry case for storing crayons. I knew that very well and decided to make an organizer for her to solve this problem. You can clearly see the difference between now and before form the following pictures.

If you really like it and make an organizer like this for yourself or for some one else just follow this simple guideline.


What you need for this project:

•     An old shoe box

•     Couple of toilet paper rolls and small boxes (e.g. cereal box/box of waffle)

•     Scissor

•     Glue

•     Wrapping Papers

First of all, you have to decide on how you are going set toilet paper rolls and other boxes inside the shoe box. Also, take a rough measurement of heights of the show box and cut the small boxes so that they fit nicely inside the box. If you have a box which does not exceed the height of shoe box, then just cut the lid.

Secondly, you can either keep the lid of your shoe box intact or do this project without it.  I kept it and planned to create a colourful background for my daughter’s stationary organizer. Also, with lid, this organizer can be kept closed. So, it is totally upto you whether you are going to keep that part or not.

Now, wrap the entire shoe box. You can wrap it either with wrapping papers or duct tapes. I used a cute but inexpensive gift wrap roll paper that I brought long back from IKEA. You can also buy similar wrap rolls from Walmart, Target or some other retail stores.

Then, wrap toilet paper rolls and small boxes that you prepared for creating compartment inside the shoe box. 

Last of all, with glue at the bottom, set al the boxes and rolls inside the shoe box and put finishing touch to those.

Your new stationary organizer is now perfectly ready to be used.

My daughter was so excited after we set her crayons and other stuffs inside the box. Hope you will make one for your home. Please let me know if you make one  and share your experience with “We Love Cozy Homes”.