Backpack Holder

Now that the kids are back in school, I’m motivated to organize all.the.things! And to avoid the annoying backpacks-on-the-floor-or-doorknobs syndrome (please tell me we’re not the only ones!), I made this holder with some handy hooks.

The best part: it was basically free. Yes, free!

I did this project two years ago and never got it up before we moved (oops!), but now it’s up near our front door entryway in our new house, and I love it for backpacks as well as guests’ purses and coats.

It started with a drawer front that I found in our basement. The previous owners had left it there after redoing the kitchen. Perfect size for a backpack holder, but it needed to be repainted.

I removed the handle on the front and the inside hardware.

I had a little helper. 🙂

And then pulled hooks from another shelf I wasn’t using and mapped out where they should go to hold three backpacks.

Because there was a sealant on it, I had to sand it before staining and painting. This was before I knew about BB Frosch chalk paint powder. The sanding step is totally unnecessary if I had used that!

I sanded it enough to remove the sealant and then put on a light coat of paint, then gray stain, and then a little bit brown gel stain to darken it.

And then it was ready to go with a gray, distressed look!

To mount it, I added a couple nail holders on the back that I had leftover from some frames.

Good message for the entryway…

Now every backpack has its place. And it’s much easier to get out the door when everything has its place, am I right? And, most importantly, it’s less likely I will turn into the dreaded monster mommy when things are more organized, and that’s always a good thing so here’s to getting more organized!

If you’re looking for more organization ideas, check out Entryway Hooks and Caddy Makeover,