Build an Outdoor Shoe Rack From Pallets

Leticia Saunders
by Leticia Saunders
6 Materials
$30
30 Minutes
Medium

Dirty boots and sweaty sports shoes can be stored outside. They are well protected in a weatherproof and robust shoe rack. You can build it yourself quickly and easily from pallet wood and treated types of wood whose surfaces are waterproof, such as decking or fence wood.

Anyone with a balcony or terrace can simply banish dirty shoes outside: A pallet and a few pieces of wood are enough to build an outdoor shoe rack.


You will need the following material:

  • 1 pallet, 120 x 80 cm (used or new, e.g. online)
  • Slat, approx. 15 x 120 cm
  • Jigsaw
  • Pencil for marking
  • Cordless screwdriver
  • Wood drill
  • Wood screws
  • Sandpaper


And that is how it works:

Step 1 : Saw the pallet lengthways with the jigsaw and remove the middle blocks so that only the bottom three blocks and the bottom bar remain.


Step 2 : Use the jigsaw to cut three right-angled triangles out of one of the slats from the pallet part that you don’t need. The best thing to do is to draw them on the wood with a stencil so that they are all the same size. These triangles are the connecting pieces between the shelf and the rain canopy.


Step 3 : Cut out a small square from the two right-angled sides of each triangle – as in the picture above. So you can put the connectors on the pallet later.


Step 4 : If necessary, shorten the lath to 120 cm so that it is flush with the edges of the pallet. Sand the cut edges of the pallet and lath with sandpaper.

Step 5 : Place the pallet upright on the bottom three blocks. Place the three connecting pieces on the pallet at both ends and in the middle so that the sloping side is facing up. It is best to fix each connection piece to the pallet with a wood screw.


So that the wooden parts do not splinter when screwing, it is best to pre-drill screw holes with a wood drill. The diameter should be smaller than your screws so that the screws can get hold of the wood.

Step 6: Place the lath on the connecting pieces so that it sits diagonally downwards on the pallet like a rain canopy. Screw the lath to the pallet with two long wood screws through the three connecting pieces.


Your DIY shoe rack made of pallets is ready!

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Leticia Saunders
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4 of 7 comments
  • Sherry Sherry on Mar 09, 2021

    Love this, but I'd have mice nesting in my shoes overnight!

    • See 1 previous
  • Melody Rodriguez Melody Rodriguez on May 15, 2021

    Thank you for your post.

    It inspired me to make my own outside shoe organizer.

    I used a wood window valance that was left over from my last yard sale. I simply flipped it over, added some big, wide screws with the bolts attached to the bottom so it was raised off the floor. This way no stagnant water or moisture can get trapped underneath and mildew. Chalk painted (which I made) and sealed.



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