Re-Purposed Scrabble Game and Shoe Rack

A place to set my shoes was transformed into a resting place for some of my favorite authors namely Cameron, Russo, Atwood and C.S. Lewis.

More than sixty years ago my grandfather made the green two-tiered wooden shoe rack pictured in this hub. I remember seeing saw dust hang in the air like a thick fog around him as he sliced through pieces of wood on his buzz saw in his basement work shop. He was a practical man who made many items that could be used around the home such as coffee tables, doors, and shelves. He obviously needed a shoe rack at some point and made this one.

I've used this sturdy shoe rack to set my shoes on for many years and decided to give it a new purpose. I only own a handful of shoes and thought why not have the rack serve another need as a book rack. I wanted to create a book rack covered with letter and words to hold books filled with letters and words. If you would like to make your own see how I did just that below.

This project was so easy to do!

Lets get started:

1. Wipe down rack with a slightly damp cloth then wipe dry.

2. Lay down newspapers to protect underlying surface.

3. Use KRYLON satin black indoor/outdoor spray paint to spray the rack. To be safe spray outside as the fumes are strong. Let dry about ten minutes.

4. Tear newspaper into strips using a combination of headlines and text.

To apply newspaper and scrabble box strips to the rack you'll need Mod Podge and a half inch wide paint brush.

Simply brush a thin layer of Mod Podge onto the paper and apply leaving some of the black background showing on the rack. Be sure to smooth the paper out with your finger to remove any air bubbles. Do this to both outside sections of the rack.

I knew I wanted to put individual letters on the book rack so when I found a scrabble game at a garage sale for a mire fifty cents I bought it. The lid was a little banged up but it didn't matter as I just wanted a few strips off of it anyway.

Once all the scrabble box and newsprint strips were glued on I let it dry about fifteen minutes before adding the scrabble tiles.

To add the scrabble letters apply a small amount of hot glue to the back of each block letter and attach to rack immediately. Be creative and have fun with it. I decided to spell out family names on one side of the rack and set up a mock game on the opposite side.

This was a fun project and easier than I thought it would be to do. It's a one of a kind book rack made from a hand made shoe rack. This unique piece of re-purposed home decor is not only functional but fun to look at all covered in newsprint and scrabble letters. Have fun making your own scrabble book rack!