During the winter, bringing snowy boots and shoes into the house in inevitable. But this easy project for a DIY Boot Tray will allow the boots to dry thoroughly and keep the snow and water off of your floors.
WINTER | Published January 24, 2018
If there is snow outside of your home this winter, it is highly likely snow is being brought inside on everyone's boots and shoes.
Maybe it is from your children outside building snowmen. Or possibly it is from your spouse shoveling the sidewalk. And it just might be on your own shoes from going out to get the mail.
It doesn't matter who is outside or what they are doing....during the winter you need a reliable way to make sure that the shoes dry out and the snow doesn't end up on your precious floors. A little prevention goes a long way in keeping your house clean during the messy winter months.
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There are pre-made boot trays you can buy. Many of them very decorative and pretty to look at, but can be a little pricey. (You can find a few of my favorites at the end of this post.)
And countless DIY projects exist of mostly trays filled with pebbles and stones.
But if you are just looking for a basic tool to take care of those snowy boots, you really need to look no further than to gather a few items that would normally be used in the kitchen.
All that you need is a very basic cookie sheet and cooling rack. Of course there is no need to spend a lot of money buying the best quality non-stick surface since you won't ever be baking with these. Something from the dollar store or Goodwill is perfect if you can find them. You may even have some already at your house that you've been meaning to donate.
An average size half-sheet pan will hold two to three pair of shoes depending on their size. If you have a large family with multiple pair of snowy boots coming in at a time, you can buy a couple cookie sheets and racks. Or, restaurant supply stores always have large commercial sized versions of both of these. (Amazon also has the full size cookie sheets and cooling racks.)
You simply rest the cooling rack down inside of the baking pan and voila! A DIY rack to hold all the snowy shoes coming inside.
Because the boots are sitting up on the rack and completely off of the tray, the soles will dry easily as the snow melts off into the pan. The air is able to circulate around the bottom of the shoes rather than letting them sit in the water.
When the snow is off and the shoes are dry, simply pour the water that has collected into the sink, dry off the pan with a rag or paper towel, and you are ready for the next snowy day.
The two pieces are able to be easily stored away until they are needed again and will last through many years of use.
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