Boot Hangers

What youll need:Cafe curtain rodStyrofoam or wooden disk or oval"C" hooksHot glueNice collection of boots youve got there. Too bad theyre not getting the care they need. Sure, you keep them clean, and stand them neatly in the closet, but, like some boots do, the legs fall over. When that happens many times, or they stay bent like that for a period of time, they can get cracks and creases that can ruin the whole look. Dont let that happen to your expensive boots; hang them up instead. Few people know that you can easily organize your boots by hanging them up rather than standing them.Hang a caf? rod in your closet and youll be able to take much better care of your boots. The inexpensive rod is ideal for creating the unusual boot organizer. Just in case youre unsure of what a caf? rod is its a skinny, metal, pole-like hanger. Attach the rod between the two sides of the closet, a bit higher than your tallest boot.Make the hangers themselves by starting with a Styrofoam disk or oval. Measure around one boot then seek a circle or oval which is that size or a little larger. The Styrofoam should be a couple of inches thick. Its not hard to cut and shape Styrofoam. Cut an old candle with a sharp knife to transfer the wax to the knife. With this, you can easily cut a Styrofoam circle or disk to the size you need. You can shape Styrofoam by using sandpaper or even an emery board. However, if you purchase a disk or oval thats the same size as the boot you wont have to refashion it. The Styrofoam piece should fit snugly into the top of the boot.Use a large "c" hook to make the hanger. Twist it into the middle of the Styrofoam piece, remove it, fill the hole with hot glue, then twist the screw back into the hole. Allow the glue to set.Instead of Styrofoam you can also use a wooden disk or oval. The Styrofoam or wooden pieces are sold at any craft store and are not expensive. With Styrofoam, its much easier to shape it to fit the boot, but its not as sturdy as the wooden version. Its not necessary to purchase a really thick piece of wood; an inch thick is fine.To hang the boots, put one of the Styrofoam pieces into the top of it, and there you go. Hang it on the caf? rod and its up off the floor. Now the legs of your boots wont fall over and cause creases you cant remove. Make hangers for all your boots and you can wear them with confidence!See boot hangers here: http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/25-bedroom-organizers#slide_12