Magazine holders are one of the most underrated organization tools. Most people don’t realize it, but with a little creativity, they can be instantly repurposed for all sorts of different uses. You just have to think outside the box.
However, don’t just take our word for it. We’ve gathered 30 of our favorite magazine holder hacks to get you started and help get your wheels turning. While there are no wrong ways to use a magazine holder, in our opinion, these are definitely some of the best. Hint: exactly zero of them involve magazines.
1. Water Bottle Storage
Magazine holders are the perfect width for stacking water bottles. They will keep your bottles organized and help you to make better use of your counter or cabinet space. Each holder should be able to fit three or four of them depending on the size and shape.
2. Gift Wrap Accessories
You can also use them to store your various gift wrap supplies. Over time, it’s easy to accumulate a large variety of ribbons, wrapping paper, and gift bags. The magazine holders will keep your gift wrap accessories from becoming a jumbled mess.
3. Mail Rack
When you think about it, magazine holders are basically little mailboxes. They are perfect for keeping your different letters and pieces of mail organized. They look especially nice when fastened onto the bottom of a wall shelf.
4. Coffee Pods and K-Cups
Keurig coffee machines are all the rage these days. However, one thing you’ll quickly realize is that the k-cups take up a lot more space than a standard bag of coffee beans does. Instead of leaving them all lying around on the counter, try putting all your loose k-cups or other generic coffee pods in a magazine holder.
5. Plastic Lids
Tupperware containers are extremely useful for saving leftovers. When not in use though, it’s common knowledge that they stack much better with the lids off. Use a magazine holder to keep track of all of them so they don’t get lost.
6. Corner Shelf Storage
Magazine holders work great as corner shelves and come with the added benefit of built-in storage space on the bottom. Hang one up inside the door of your house and use them to store keys or other items. The wooden magazine holders work best for this as opposed to the ones that are made out of metal or wire.
7. Modems and Routers
Keep your modems or routers in a magazine holder to keep them hidden from the public eye. There is nothing uglier than a router with all the wires coming out of it sitting on your otherwise fashionable table. However, the magazine holder will keep it nice and disguised.
8. Wax Paper, Aluminum Foil, and Plastic Wrap
Here we have a smart way to keep all of your foils and other assorted boxes of plastic wraps organized. The foil boxes are actually the same height as magazines so they will fit in nice and snug. It also makes for very easy access anytime you need to use one.
9. Bedside Table
It’s always nice to have a nightstand or bedside table to keep a clock on as well as your phone and other accessories while you are sleeping. The other option is to keep your phone under your pillow, but who wants to do that? This magazine holder table is a simple DIY solution.
10. Kitchen Drawer Organizer
While this hack is not going to help at all with keeping your kitchen utensils organized, it is a good way to store spice packets or recipes. That way, when you need to access them you will know exactly where they are. Spice packets always have a habit of disappearing or getting buried.
11. Makeup Organizer
It’s rare to find someone whose makeup is neatly organized. More often than not, it ends up spread out all over the bathroom counter or haphazardly thrown into various containers and drawers. Having your own makeup organizer can be a lifesaver.
12. Coffee Table
This DIY coffee table is so cool and it’s simple to make too. All you need are four magazine holders and a stool. The end result is a beautiful coffee table that is both fashionable and functional.
13. Shoe Storage
Is your shoe collection is getting out of hand? Magazine holders can be a lifesaver. In addition to storing ballet flats in them, you can also use them for sandals, flip flops, or any other type of flat shoe.
14. Under Desk Storage Compartment
Having an extra spot to store stuff underneath your desk can be very handy. Use it for papers, spare keyboards, or whatever really. The choice is yours. If you are feeling extra crazy, you can even install two magazine holders under your desk for additional space.
15. Toilet Paper
Magazine holders work really good for storing toilet paper. You can typically fit about five rolls in one by stacking them up in a pyramid shape. They look surprisingly elegant too — at least as elegant as a toilet paper holder can be.
16. Yarn Organizer
If you are a knitting enthusiast, it goes without saying that you are going to end up accumulating a lot of balls of yarn. It is pretty much inevitable. That doesn’t mean you have to let chaos take over your craft corner though.
17. Tin Can Dispenser
Stack your tin cans in a magazine holder and they will naturally rearrange themselves as you pull one out from the bottom corner. It’s best to have one holder for each type of can… vegetables in one and soups in another. That way you don’t have to dig through the cans to get the type you want.
18. Curling Iron Organizer
Wrap the cord around each curling iron or straightener and stand them in the magazine holder upright. Then place them in the corner of your room out of the way. This strategy will help to prevent your drawers or vanity top from getting totally cluttered.
19. Kitchen Cabinet Door Storage
It’s easy to let your kitchen cabinets get kind of out of control, especially the ones underneath the sink. Install a magazine holder onto the cabinet door to create an additional storage place. You can store all kinds of things in them such as foils, dryer sheets, and plastic baggies just to name a few.
20. Cutting Board Organizer
Another smart use for the magazine racks is as cutting board holders. Install the holder on your wall next to your food preparation area. You can also attach them underneath the sink if you prefer to keep the cutting boards out of the way and hidden.
21. Bathroom Cabinet Storage
The magazine holders work just as good attached to bathroom cabinet doors as they do in the kitchen. In the bathroom, you’ll likely want to use them to store things like hairdryers or soaps and shampoos. Your items will be right there within arms reach when you need them in the future.
22. Freezer Storage
Freezers fill up quick. Sometimes it can be a battle to squeeze everything in there — things pretty much end up getting piled on top of each other. This hack will help you stay more organized so you don’t have to dig through everything all the time to find the item you are looking for.
23. Spaghetti Box Holder
Really, lots of different types of food boxes will be able to fit. Spaghetti boxes are just one of the first things that come to mind. Everyone loves a good Italian pasta dish. Try storing cans of tomato sauce in one right next to it. Then you’ll have your very own spaghetti station.
24. Towel Rack
Now that we’re in the digital age, magazines just aren’t as popular as they used to be. Lots of people have one of these lying around in their house unused. All it takes is a little creativity though and you can easily repurpose one into a beautiful towel rack.
25. Produce Storage
This storage hack works especially good in professional kitchens, however, home chefs will likely find it quite useful too. Magazine holders are perfect for keeping any dry storage items organized. Each one can be dedicated to its own specific type of produce.
26. Charging Station
Why not turn a magazine rack into your very own dedicated charging station? It sure beats having the entire end table covered with iPads, laptops, and whatever other electronic devices you have. Now, with this hack, all your electronics will be right there charged and ready to go whenever you need them.
27. Purses and Accessories
This one is a no-brainer. Who wouldn’t want their purses, jewelry, and other accessories to be organized? Don’t be one of those people who finds themselves in the middle of an avalanche every time they open their closet doors.
28. Baking Pans
This is a really neat way to keep your baking pans organized. You can paint the magazine holder whatever color you like so that it matches your decor. This individual went with a cute farmhouse theme.
29. Paper Organization
If you are into arts and crafts like us, there is a good chance you have all sorts of assorted paper scraps tucked in a binder somewhere. A better solution is to use magazine holders. If you have a lot of scraps, you can even separate them by color.
30. Washcloth Holder
Depending on how you fold your washcloths, magazine racks can also double as washcloth holders. You’ll need to go with the roll-up folding technique to make it work. It will be a bit like a puzzle seeing how many you can fit in.
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