Here’s How To Make An Easy Wall Mounted Shoe Rack with Molding…
I’m going to show you how to create an easy and attractive wall mounted shoe rack for your heels today!
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A while back we completed a dressing room renovation. We had this ⤵ unused space off the master bedroom, so after much marital debate…
it became our walk-in closet.
This room has a dormer window in it. Nice to have, but the square footage often goes unused because people don’t know what to do with it. We didn’t either, initially.
It became a crap-catch-all. Here’s what that area looked like BEFORE…
I finally decided to use it for storing (and displaying) my favorite high heels and bags! And here’s what it looks like now:
As you can see, we made a wall mounted shoe rack from inexpensive “casing” molding, and today I want to show you how you can do the same! Here’s what you’ll need…
supplies for your wall mounted shoe rack:
- primed casing (sold by linear foot)
- nails (we used our nail gun)
- caulk
- wood putty or joint compound (this is my fave kind)
- sanding block
- paint
- level
- saw (we used our miter saw, but you don’t have to get that fancy)
how to make and install a wall mounted shoe rack:
1.) Plan and purchase molding.
First things first. You need a plan. Take a look at the area you’re wanting to install the wall mounted shoe rack and take some measurements. Decide how many linear feet of molding you’ll need to complete your project.
The molding we used for this project is called casing (it’s typically used around windows and doors), and it’s sold by the linear foot.
It can be purchased primed or unprimed. We also decided to spend the extra pennies for the primed molding. It just saves a bit of time and effort.
I’d recommend buying a couple different pieces of molding to try at home before you start sawing and installing your wall mounted shoe rack. Some of the molding profiles we tried DID NOT HOLD the heels on the wall AT ALL.
So try a few before you move on to figure out which molding profile holds your shoes best. If you don’t want to take the time to buy and return a couple types, then do yourself a big favor and take at least one heel to Home Depot with you! Sure, you may look a bit strange holding a heel up against a piece of molding against a wall in the store, but you’ll save yourself a lot of money, time and energy this way!
Our plan used a total of 8′ of molding, and we cut the casing into (4) 2′ sections. But you could configure yours completely differently depending on whether you wanted more or less hanging space for your shoes.
2.) Prime (if needed) and paint molding.
It’s easiest to prime/paint the molding before it’s on the wall. That way, you can slap the paint around without fear of having to re-paint the wall behind it.
I debated between painting the molding to match the wall paint, going with a bright, bold color, or keeping it a simple white to match the other molding in the room. There’s endless flexibility here. In the end, I chose to paint the molding with a basic white semi-gloss. Why semi-gloss? Great question. If you have questions about choosing the right paint sheen for a project, we wrote a paint sheen tutorial you should check out!
3.) Cut the molding into desired length(s).
If you want to get fancy and make returns for the sides of your molding, then you’ll have to get out your geometry book and go to town on cutting all the angles and little end pieces you’ll need. Since Dave is a master at molding, he opted to cut the molding on the miter saw and add the end pieces.
The process for cutting those end pieces is beyond the scope of this basic tutorial. This project can be done much quicker by simply making straight cuts on the molding to the desired length.
If you’re not sure what I mean when I say “return pieces” look at the picture below. That tiny piece of molding on the end is the “return.”
4.) Nail molding to the wall.
Once you’ve placed your molding where you’d like it, and checked the position with a level to ensure it’s not wonky,
go ahead and nail it to the wall. We used our nail gun, but you could also use a staple gun, or pre-drill some holes and use small anchors and screws.
5.) Fill nail holes. Sand and finish.
Fill the nail holes with spackle, joint compound or wood putty.
Once dried, you can sand the excess until the holes are covered and smooth. You’ll then want to touch up your paint.
6.) You’re done! Now for the hard part…
Decision time. This is for sure the most challenging part of this DIY!
You have to pick which shoes to showcase.
Or perhaps you’ll decide you really need a couple more pairs in order to perfect this project (wink, wink).
Happy shoe storing, ladies!
Frankly, I like my heels (ouch!) better on the wall, anyhow.
OH, and if you want to see more of our master bedroom or dressing room transformations, just click ← those links now.
If you’re needing more utilitarian shoe storage ideas, then check out this simple shoe cubby you can make for your garage!
Pin this post for later! And if you make one, leave a comment (or better yet, a photo) on the pin! That helps others know whether they want to try this project, too!
Pssst…before you go, I sure would love to hang out with you again really, really soon!! Become an insider and get first access to all that’s new here at the nest. Click the image below to join!
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