Have I told you how much I love the thrift store? That’s where you can find all sorts of things that can be used as organizational tools for cheap, cheap, cheap.
This week I’m sharing with you a plate rack I purchased for $1.99. Here it is as it was originally designed for.
Lovely although that isn’t how I use it. I decided to use it in my office to hold some of my notebooks. I don’t have a lot of wall space so I love that I am able to leave it on the floor leaning against the wall where it’s ever so handy dandy.
I can also think of two other uses for it. How about as a picture frame holder? (sorry I didn’t have enough of the right size frames for my display)
Or another idea that I just love is as a towel rack for the bathroom. Beautiful!
So what do you think? Can you think of anymore uses?
57 Comments
How about as a cloths rack for tomorrow’s outfit for little ones (screwed to the wall for safety!)? With two children, you could put one child’s on the left and the other on the right and they could see each piece easily. This would also help them to make sure they have picked out all the pieces of clothing that they need. (I.e., top hook = shirt, 2nd hook = undershirt, 3rd hook = undies, 4 hook = pants)
Katherine, so clever! Thanks!
I would have never thought to use it as a towel rack! That is genius!
How about a pot lid rack or a magazine rack for the bathroom?
What about painting it a bright color and using it in a teenage girls room for purses?
Great find!
Love the repurposing ideas!
Great ideas!
Thank you for the ideas… I have one down in the basement that I purchased at a rummage sale (years ago). I like the book and photo idea – why didn’t I think of that?
i love the towel idea and the purse idea in the comments!! thanks for all the ideas!!!
Those are all great ideas. Now I want to go find one to do all those things :)
I use a big one in my “airplane room” to hold coffee table books (we have young ones, so it’s better to keep nice things up high!). I have a mini plate rack that I use to hold coasters – if they’re not vertical, you’d never see how fancy their design is!
I used mine to display Christmas cards this year. I kept a spool of curling ribbon, scissors and a hole punch near it. I punched a hole in the corner of each card and tied them onto the rack with a short piece of ribbon.
Genius!!!!
I love these ideas! My favorite is the towel rack!
Awesome ideas! I have two in the garage that didn’t get used yet. You gave me inspiration today!
I like this and the repurposing. I have an idea that we could work together on…
You would need a lot of room on the sides, but I can see this holding my wrapping paper rolls. from Top to bottom, B-days, weddings, christmas, and kids christmas, you could hang bags off of the sides to corral ribbons and bows as well.
I would never, ever have thought of using it for organizing folders and notebooks!
I love the way you look at things. You always come up with such amazing repurposing ideas!
I think I could my 4 coordinating scrapbooks from the Library of Memories thing! AWESOME IDEA!!
I use mine for 2 pics and a tin in the middle.
The towel idea is a great one!
We have a three plate vertical plate rack in our living with our monogram on it. One letter to each shelf. I took dollar store frames and removed the glass. Added a piece of scrapbooking paper cut to size to cover the back. Then I glued a painted wooden letter to each frame. It looks fantastic and expensive but barely cost anything.
Love the towel rack idea! You are so clever!
Great ideas – love it! I use mine for photos (although we recently moved and it hasn’t made it on the wall yet) and since I love some of these other ideas (girls purses, towels etc.) I might change it up now.
I really like the ideas you have. I liked the towel rack idea though the towels were kind of far apart, perhaps a smaller plate rack would work for that idea.
I am going to have to spend some time in thrift shops this spring/summer.
what great uses for the plate rack! I had one of those that I just donated – darn it! I love the one where it’s holding towels.
Great ideas!
Jen
I think I suddenly feel the need to go thrift storing this afternoon…
Oh how fun! Sadly, I used to have a plate rack and got rid of it when I didn’t have any plates to put on it.
But now I know what I’ll be keeping an eye out for! Ideally, I would use it to hold current magazines. I get several, and my kids each receive two different ones, so I would assign them each a slot, and they could drop their current magazines in. When the spot fills up, it’s time to purge and get rid of some back issues.
I love the idea for towels!!
I like the towel idea, too! It would be beautiful for a guest bathroom. Now I’m going to have to keep my eye out for a plate rack! You’ve already got me addicted to baskets…
Seriously! How smart are all of you! I just knew there had to be more ideas for it and boy did you come through. I’m especially loving the purse and magazine ideas.
Keep them coming!
I LOVE all the uses for the plate holder!!! Especially the towel rack, it looks like that is what it was made for. It could be in one of those Home Magazines!!
I LOVE the towel rack idea.
You are a genius!!!!!!!!
What great ideas! I’ve also seen a friend rest her calendar on the middle rack and hang a dish towel from the bottom one and place it in her kitchen. What fun and thanks for sharing!
I really like the towel idea for my guest bathroom. The purse idea could work for me and mt daughter too. Love it!
Wow I’m impressed.
I don’t know if this is the right size or not, it’s hard to tell from a picture, but this is my idea. You could use dowel rods thruogh the slots to hang plastic wrap, tin foil, and paper towels. Then hang some hooks over the lowest dowel for pot holder, dish towels, or dishcloths.
Love all the ideas. I have been looking for one of these to repurpose.
I *LOVE* the towel idea!!! Gonna keep my eyes open for a couple of them!!!
You could hang it in a walk-in closet or bedroom to hang all your scarves!
I think the prettiest is the towel rack, but it seems so great for any of these uses! I hadn’t really thought about it, so thanks for these neat ideas. :)
*jaw is dropped*
Why cant I be that creative?
Those are adorable.
So creative.
I’m Jealous.
:)
I absolutely love the towel idea, and depending on how tall it was, once you hung it on the wall, you could use the lowest rod to hang your current hand towel.
I’m loving these ideas! :) I’m going to the thrift stores to see if I can find some to use in our new home.
I have one in my kitchen with framed photos. I’ve gotten lots of compliments on it over the years.
I do love the towel idea. It should work perfectly in my daughter’s bath with limited storage space.
Thanks for the idea!
Um… ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT. Loving it. In fact, I’m debating a trip to the thrift store to go see if they have any!!
Discovering new ways to use old things is so much fun. I would say use it to hold hats or scarfs. How about for a teenager to put her necklaces on. In the mud room to hang wet mittens! Could head bands or hair clips or scrunchies be put on it .. that would make a unique place for girls to hold all their hair stuff. How about if you used clothes pins and used it as a way to display your kids artwork or other important notes. This has got me thinking I need to get a plate rack!!!
Very creative ideas!! I just love organizing with re-purposed objects.
That’s so cute as a towel rack!
I LOVE the towel rack idea…to expand on it a little and make it a little more decrative…take a bath towel a hand towel and a wash cloth roll them up like you have them and then tie then together on top of one another with some decrative ribbon and then put them in the plate rack…ooo now I know what im gonna do in my mater bath
Wahhhh! Now I wish I hadnt donated mine. Love all the ideas but especially the pictures!
That is just too darn clever! It makes me want to go out and buy one right now! LOL Seriously!
I really like it for magazines, books, or towels. How about board games, photo albums, or scrapbooks in the living room, cutting boards, pizza pans, cookie sheets, towels, wine or soda bottles, or cookbooks in the kitchen.
I am utterly blown away by this post and all the great commentary!!! That purse rack idea is so clever, well heck, all of the ideas are clever! I haven’t been this excited since the nuts and bolts twirly spice rack!
Val
That’s an amazing array of uses you’ve got there.
I can think of one: as a tie holder for his ties (or maybe a belt holder), though I guess in the cupboard, the attractiveness doesn’t come through!
I love it as a towel rack. I actually saw a towel rack that looks like that!
I had one that I put little tin planter things in it. Not sure what they are called but they look like little tin hanging pouches (purchased at JoAnns) Originally it was going to go in the bathroom for individual magazine rack for the family. (Had painted an initial on each one) Instead it looked too cute outside by the garden next to the steps leading up to my deck. I planted little herbs in the planters.
I like the idea of using it in your office for files.
A TOWEL RACK!!! Awesome idea!!!
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