Monday, April 4, 2011

How's it Hangin'? A Flop Tutorial

I know some of you still have snow on the ground, but for us Floridians summer is already kicking into high gear. And summer means flip flops.

Yep, we southern girls have 'em for everything: casual wear, evening wear, 'flops with heels, 'flops with big poofy flowers glued on...you name it. They're cheap impulse buys, so it's easy to accumulate a whole mountain of flip-flops in a single season.

But say you don't like the "mountain" storage method. Say you need to get your mound o' 'flops off the floor and into a tidy system, but are limited on space. What then?

Well, how about this?

This was my no-cost solution last year: a left over curtain rod mounted on two shelf brackets, and lots of modified hangers. For the rod you could also use a wooden dowel, piece of PVC pipe, or any other strong bit of metal. To mount it we bent up the tips of two metal shelf brackets and secured the rod with small screws, but you could also use conventional closet rod hangers, which you can find in any hardware store.

Now, the fun part is the actual hangers. Here's how to make them:

First, grab a handful of the flimsiest metal hangers you can find in your closet. (You want to be able to bend them with your hands, if possible.) You'll also need a pair of needle-nosed pliers.

Cut off the bottom section of the hanger like so:

You may need to score the metal with the pliers and then snap it with your hands.

Now take your pliers and roll up the two edges, like this:

This gets the sharp edges safely out of the way, and also looks kind of cute.

Now, using both your hands and your pliers, bend your hanger into this approximate shape:

Kind of like a stick figure flexing his muscles. :)

Now, to be honest, you could just stop here. I did, for over a year. The hangers are perfectly functional, if a bit chippy and drab.

I recently went back and decided to pretty them up, though. First I put a fresh coat of spray paint on them:

And then I found some gorgeous teal, orange, and red ribbon - though it took me a little while to figure out a way to use it. In the end, I came up with this cute little hanger jacket:


Here's how you make it:

Make sure your ribbon is snug, so it doesn't fall off the hanger. To secure it you can use fabric or super glue - or, if the glue stains the ribbon like mine did, glue dots also work really well.

Step 6 shows the backside of the hanger. I suggest flipping it over like this to trim off the excess ribbon.

When you're done, your hanger should look like this:

Again, you could stop there, but I thought a red button was the perfect cherry on top for mine:


And here they are, hanging in a row:

Actually I have even more than this, but I didn't want to hang them all up because then you'd know I have that many flip-flops and it'd be, like, totally embarrassing.

Here's how the 'flops hang:

I never could get all the sides quite even. :/

And now en masse:


Plus, here's a handy bonus: you can also hang your ballerina flats on these!


And finally, since I spent the better part of an evening cleaning it out, allow me to present - for your judging pleasure - a glimpse inside my closet:

Hey! It's, like, neat and stuff!

I had to use a wide-angle lens to get this; it's pretty cramped in there. As you can see, when I'm not wearing flip-flops I'm wearing little boy's sneakers or boots. (I loooove boots.) I think the last time I wore a pair of heels was our Christmas cruise, but at least they look pretty on the shelves. ;)


So, do you guys have any nifty space-saving tips from your closet? Share in the comments!

*****

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188 comments:

  1. Oh, those are the cutest! I don't really wear flip flops, but I have some other sandals (and a couple pairs of fake Crocs) that would go on these very well. I'll be hunting up some wire hangers this weekend, thanks for the idea.

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  2. I love that you're yellow boots got not one, but two appearances in this post.

    Anyway, great idea for the flip-flop hangers. Somehow, flops just look cuter when they're suspended like that then when their on the floor.

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  3. holy crap you have a lot of shoes. I'm strange in the fact that I am female and only have about 6 pairs of shoes (includes winter boots, running sneakers and dress flats)

    those are great ideas for a shoe hanger though - thanks for sharing and I'm so working on that :)

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  4. Love it! And you know those pants hangers from the drycleaners with the broken carboard tubes? Those would work too!

    Also, if you have the kind of shelving you have there and you don't have a spare rod handy, you *could* just hang the flops from the bottom shelf in the little spaces in the wire shelving.

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    1. Exactly what I was thinking!!

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  5. Love this idea! I'm quite jealous of your crafty genius.

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  6. What a great idea for flip-flops! You my dear are a Genius!

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  7. Excellent idea! I like this especially because my flip-flops are always getting separated and I have to dig to find a matching pair! I bet this would also work with a spring shower curtain rod if you're going across the whole bottom of your closet.

    I live in AZ, so I understand the need for cheap flip-flops! I always have a flip-flop foot tan every summer! And I also am not a wearer of heels. My feet hurt too much in them, so I go for flats and boots when I want to wear some nicer shoes. I love your boat shoes--I plan to get some this year.

    I don't have anything really clever in my closet, but I do keep all of my Halloween socks and t-shirts in a space bag to save room. That's also how I keep my pirate costume. Anything that either doesn't need ironing or can be quickly ironed that I don't wear often goes in a space bag. Easy to store and keeps the clothes clean!

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  8. Totally cute and very clever!

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  9. I have no tips to share because my closet is a complete unorganized sty (no judging here) but can I please say how your Converse collection is making me drool? Seriously. I need to put a towel on my keyboard.

    I'll even the score though- check out the awesome Converse collection I saw in Harajuku while we were there.

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  10. I don't have any great ideas for you...I just want your ballet flats :) Super cute hangers!

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  11. Just for the heck of more wall of Converse to make you jealous.

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  12. If you want to make your hanger loops more even, then you need to make a jig. All you will need is a few wooden dowels, a piece of plywood, a few screws and maybe a few nails.

    First, trace out the final loop you want on the plywood. It's probably best to make the sketched loop with about 10 to 15% more curl than you want on the final hanger.

    next, screw pieces of dowel sticking straight out of the plywood, to make a form that follows the curve that you sketched. Put the dowels on the inside of the curve.

    Bend your hangers around your new form, and they should all come out the same.

    You can use finish nails to make a smaller form for the little loops on the end, or get some small brass acorn nuts from the hardware store (probably a size #4-40) and screw them directly onto the hanger end without the little loop.

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    1. A rolling pin works well, too.

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    2. If you went to the trouble to make a jig like Branden says, then you could make bunches of these and sell them in etsy... I WOULD BUY THEM. We who have no time (and are too lazy) to craft need to buy from someone.

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  13. My space saving technique is two pairs of sneakers, and two pairs of dress up, 'cause I'm boring like that. Your closet makes me want to go out and buy lots of brightly colored shoes, just to decorate my closet with. It's so cheerful!

    Oh, and the flop hangers are awesome, of course.

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  14. I love this idea! I'm from FL (born and raised in Orlando!), so I'm with you on the mountain of flops thing.

    My clever storage idea- a friend gave me a pair of nightstands a few months ago. I chucked them in the closet and now store socks in one drawer, bathing suits (I am from FL and have a ton!) in another drawer, and workout clothes in the other nightstand. They keep things organized without the need for another dresser!

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  15. For another jig idea....go scrounge in the kitchen for a can the right size. You can either just use it as is or make a fancy jig with a pair screwed down to a board (might wanna empty them first)

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  16. Jen! You are a total genius. Looks like I have a project for the weekend! I can't wait to get all 10,000 pairs of my flats and 'flops organized this week!

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  17. Love this idea! Cute & useful, can't beat that. ;]

    oh, and I LOVE boots too. Best shoe evar...

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  18. I never wear flip flops but I might or might not own at least 30 pairs of ballerina flats. Great project!

    ( I want what seems to be amazing orange high heels in the middle of your shoe rack!! )

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  19. Lovin' those brown/copper flops with the buckle! If I ever get a chance to redo the "system" in our "walk in" closet, I'm so doing this! :)

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  20. This is so AWESOME! I love most of your ideas, but they will have to wait until I have money :(

    But this one looks like a keeper for stuff I've already got. Keep 'em coming!

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  21. I have to say i've never ever thought of hanging up my slippers (that's what we call 'flops here in Hawaii), and I LOVE this idea! I have a basket full of slippers, and more than once have gone out wearing 1navy and 1black...this could solve that problem and look adorable to boot! Thanks for the inspiration!

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  22. Very creative! I also have a few pairs of those shoes. Pink ruffle flats from Target?

    Do you remember when flip flops were called thongs? Like, back in the 80's when they only came in orange, green, or yellow?

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    Replies
    1. Heidi! Haha, my Mom refers to flip flops as "thongs" and it drives me crazy! In fact, my Mom and I just had this conversation a couple of weeks ago, too funny!

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  23. Such a GREAT idea! Now I won't have a "mountain" of flip-flops.

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  24. I LOVE flip flops!!! I have so many it's ridiculous. What a great idea for storing them. I live in Ontario, Canda but I wear them from March to November, and save the prettiest ones for the summer months. I even have a flip flop tattoo!!

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  25. This is brilliant, not only because it's super space efficient, but also because it looks awesome. Too bad I don't have the hangers to do this or the option to attach a rod to the apartment wall without paying some ridiculous charge later.

    I've never really understood the desire to have many, many pairs of shoes, but that picture kind of makes me want to buy some. Now I want boots.

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    1. I have a teeny tiny closet, and also happen to have a tension curtain rod that I haven't had a use for since we moved. It will be perfect and won't cost a thing! You can often go to thrift stores and ask for hangers. I know ppl would bring things in on hangers trying to help, but they use their own hangers, so they give away the donated ones for free!:)

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  26. Oohh! Shiny, shiny. Your shoe collection is superb and your closet is neat and you have a tidy mountain of flip flops (how do you wear those amazingly cute thick boots in Florida?! :)) and also! you are very creative. :D

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  27. You have some really cute shoes!! ( and I <3 boots too!)

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  28. This is amazing! I love it. You come up with the best ideas.:D

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  29. Where did you get those magical yellow boots?! I LOVE them. Like your Converse(is that the right plural?, too.

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  30. Love it! What a great gift for any Florida girl :)

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  31. How timely! I'm getting ready to move and my new closet is going to be super tiny. I LOVE this idea!!
    Thanks for sharing!

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  32. You have the greatest ideas!! My flip flops are going to feel so special. =)

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  33. So this has nothing to do with this post and you may already know about it but I found a cute shop on Etsy that has a bunch of steampunk-esq figures!

    http://www.etsy.com/shop/buildersstudio?ref=seller_info

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  34. Such a great solution! I'm not a shoe horse, but my daughter is. This is a fantastic way to keep things a little more organized. This grateful mama thanks you.

    (and shes NUTS about brightly colored converse - she would love your shoe collection)

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  35. Florida girl (that would be you)and Arizona girl (that would be me!) .... flip flops - must have - all colors ..... I hear ya sunshine sister! haha Great idea, thanks for sharing!

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  36. I ownn those grey boots on the third shelf up also!!

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  37. That's such a cool idea!

    Unfortunately nothing would make my wardrobe neat and pretty, but if one day I get rich and have a gigantic walk-in wardrobe so everything fits - I'm soooo making them!

    It would also work for a scarf hanger too - you could put a scarf on each side.

    .. and if you had sturdier metal ones.. maybe even hang your handbags!

    ... and using finer wire you could make earring hangers...

    .... ohhh.... the possibilities!

    ("nomet" - I nom-et your closet)

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    Replies
    1. Hi Obsi. A little off topic but storage related: A great way to store scarves is to hang a few shower curtain rings on a hanger. Loop your scarves through the curtain rings. Voila!

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  38. I have a lot of flip-flops and sandals too. I'd live in them year round if Maryland weather would allow it (I did get to break mine out today though! It was 74!). For mine I have one of those fabric closet door shoe hangers. Two pairs of flip-flops usually fit in each pocket. It also holds my scarves and belts too. It works nicely since my apartment doesn't have walk-in closets.

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  39. Genius.
    And I love that you just couldn't leave them plain.

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  40. tiny purple elephantApril 4, 2011 at 7:52 PM

    Love it Jen!!!

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  41. O
    M
    G.

    Brilliant, I say! Brilliant!

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  42. Holy jeebus. I have one pair of hemp Rainbows, one pair of flats (for work), one pair of rain boots (come on! I live in Portland!), one pair of purple Chucks and my sneakers. That's like... 5 pairs of shoes. I think my girlie card might get revoked :(

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  43. AHHH I love this! You always have the most creative and amazing tutorials. I would have never even thought of something so simple but so useful! And I <3 your shoe collection! :)

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  44. Oh gawd! I remember thongs! You should have seen my co-workers faces when I mentioned that my 86 year old mother used to wear thongs around the house all the time. It took me a long long time to get used to calling them flip flops.

    I don't have a clever closet system but I do have my spice cabinet alphabetized. I used the long narrow plastic drawer organizers (2 inches by 10 inches). Slide them in the kitchen cabinet so the narrow side end shows. Label each end with a letter. So my "A" organizer has Allspice and achiote. "C" has corriander, cumin, cinnamon, etc.

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  45. I love that. If only I could make it work for other shoes.

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  46. After reading this post, I feel as though my girl card should be removed. I have two pairs of boots (Army Issue Combat and Thinsulation style cold weather Sorels), one pair of rocker style sneaks and a pair of flats. That is it. My husband only adds about two more pair to the closet.

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  47. Holy smokes you have a lot of shoes!!! Those hangers are sweet though.
    My storage involves throwing the "little boys sneaks" and flops under the bed and piling boots and heels in the corner of my closet. I also only have two pairs of flops and they only get worn in the house, I seriously can NOT walk in flops outside as it kills my feet and legs.

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  48. Oh I love this idea. I have no idea how/where I'll implement it but I'm determined to. I'd like to think I don't have too many shoes but I've come to realize I've got about 30 pairs. That's not a lot is it?

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  49. Brilliant. I like your shoe storage in general. i need to convince DH to give up some space-I need a shoe wall.

    Mine is the same basic concept as your shoes but I put it up higher and clipped on shower curtain rings. So you have a long bar with all these rings on it. Perfect for scarf collections. Fewer fold marks, less wrinkling and you can see all your beautiful options!

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  50. I am mentally bowing to you right now. I'mma have to find me some wire hangers and another dowel rod for rack #3 of my closet.

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  51. I love, love, love the boots on the top corner on the left-hand side. The combat/aviator boots9i have know idea what kind they are). They are absolutely gorgeous. And your yellow boots. Those are really cute

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  52. You've probably seen this fantastic Steampunk home, but in case you haven't, I had to pass it along: http://offbeathome.com/2011/03/massachusetts-steampunk-desk

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  53. I love this idea! I don't wear flip flops but I do wear ballet flats, and my Chucks could go on these hangers too, providing the hanger is strong enough. Oh and by the way your closet is a a dream come true for me, if only every closet could be so clean.

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  54. This is the most brilliant idea in the history of brilliance. Seriously, this is, like, the moon landing of shoe storage. I'm in awe.
    Also, I own those purple ballet flats! ^_^

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  55. My solution is fewer shoes. I think I'm edging closer to a dozen pairs than a half-dozen, but some of those are at retirement age.

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  56. I wish it was hot enough in the UK to wear flip flops already! I love them 'cos they're pretty much the closest you can get to not wearing shoes while still wearing shoes :)

    I work in a shoe shop, and am worried about your boots on your shelves though...! they'll go all saggy round the ankles if you don't put stiffeners in them, so they stand up straight like your leg is in them all the time. I refuse to spend £15 on a tube of plastic and just rolled up thick cardboard to keep mine standing up.

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    Replies
    1. Empty quart soda bottles fit perfect

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  57. Hi Jen! I have to give you kudos! That is one well organized and enviable closet you got happening there. Love your shoe collection and your amazing creativity in solving your shoe storage dilema. You could also use scrap-booking cardstock with stamps and such to make the sleeves, but ribbon is a great idea since it is already pre-printed.

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  58. I've been looking for some way to hang belts in my closet without just pounding large nails into my [apartment!] walls. This looks like it will do nicely for that as well as my flip-flop collection.
    Now I'm kind of glad my boyfriend didn't throw away his metal hangers when I told him to, so I can steal them for this! Mwahaha! :) Thanks, Jen!

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  59. I live in Texas and we wear them ALL the time, too. My collection rivals yours and yes, I've been known to spend $30 for flip-flops. I love the little hangers so I'm going to give it a try. Thanks, Jen!

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  60. oh em gee!! i totally just squealed with delight!! hubby has been on my case FOREVER over the amount of flip flops i own (i remind him, this is FL.. what does he expect?) AND the fact that they're either piled up, or i've lost one...
    I am soooo gona make one!! thanks for sharing your crafty awesomeness!!

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  61. No tips here, but total shoe envy over your orange shoes!

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  62. SOOO Cute! I just keep a nifty old metal storage tub/bucket near the door and I toss all my flip flops and the kids' crocs in there. In the winter, it holds slippers.

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  63. Totally..... freakin'.... AWESOME!!! Wow! I just love your flip-flop hanger idea, Jen!!

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  64. fantastic idea!! i have waaaaay too many shoes and flip flops (i'm Canuck and as soon as the snow melts, i'm 90% in flippies hehe)

    my closets are horrifically disorganized. the most organized it gets is all my purses are in those collapsible boxes from IKEA and the shoes are in those hanging closet pocket thingamabobs. :P

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  65. Heidi D - My mother STILL calls them thongs.

    llama,llama not yo mama - I was thinking the same thing re: hanging them from the wire rack.

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  66. I have a set of tall, narrow wire shelves in my closet for holding shoes. I used ribbon and cardboard - copy paper box lids, actually - to create a hanging shelf below each "real" shelf, doubling my storage space! It's not pretty, but I used stuff I had lying around so it was free!

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  67. Brilliant!!! Thanks for sharing the perfect way to store flip-flops!

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  68. I LOVE this idea! I am making some today to hold my millions of flip-flops!!

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  69. Jen, I think I found this art through you, so I thought maybe you'd be so kind as to re-post a link to help Maddy, the daughter of James Hance in case anyone hasn't seen it on facebook. <3

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  70. @Heidi
    The Principal at my husband's school got tired of the dress code violations, and so got on the intercom and announced that 'Thongs are not allowed at school, and anyone wearing thongs should go their car and change, or they would be sent home.' Haha, shortly thereafter he made a clarifying announcement about 'flip-flops or slides'

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  71. I love love this idea! I am so doing this!

    Melissa
    @juiceboxdreams.com

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  72. Your organizational skills are truly mind-boggling. Would you be interested in coming to Montreal to do a private consultation?

    I'll provide five-star futon lodging with all the tasty food you can eat, a local guide and metro pass, all the Xbox kinect you can shake a stick at, and any materials required for organization. You provide organization- and decor-minded brain. I can cook but MAN am I lacking in the keeping stuff neat and good-looking department.

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  73. GENIUS! I'm so gonna try this, AND pass your link on to my stepdaughter who could rival Imelda Marcos. Thanks so much! Wonderful :)

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  74. Brilliant! I am already collecting wire hangers...Please feel free to visit me anytime at twogingerprinces.blogspot.com

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  75. My 5 year old daughter just fell in love with your shoe collection. Then insisted she has more shoes. (She probably would give you a run for your money.) This will make it so much easier to find our flip flops! Time to start saving the cheapie hangers from the dry cleaner instead of returning them.

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  76. Wicked! Now I finally have something to do with those old yucky wire hangers!

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  77. Oh how I love shoes! I’ve got at least (ahem) fifty pairs, or something like that. ☺ As a California girl I, too have a great love for flip flops, but once my husband introduced me to Chacos I developed a definite preference. They’re not cheap, but they are super comfy (they actually have a good deal of support, which you might not like at first), and they last forever. Plus, since you’re pretty much guaranteed to love them and never want them to die, Chaco offers a full line of repairs, from new straps to new soles. Hmm…I’m feeling the urge to start searching for shoe sales online. Must resist!!!

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  78. Ok, I have to be the bad gal. Your poor boots do not deserve to be folded over! Especially if they are real leather or suede! Tall boots need some sort of insert (sturdy carboard tube, I use rolled up Priority Flat Rate Envelopes). Otherwise love the hanger idea, if only I wore flip flops...

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  79. And yet another adorable, inspiring crafty idea from Epbot. Go Jen!

    (I'd use it if I had space for it...should work for a lot of sandals & flats, actually)

    @ Jordan - in case no one else beat me to it, it sounds like you're talking about www.jameshance.com. I love Wookie the Chew, and it's all Jen's fault. :p

    @ MCR - yep, around here they're definitely slippers, rubber slippers, or even slippahs. Flip flops and thongs are what people from the mainland call them. Did you catch the big Hawaii Five-O flap about that? ;)

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  80. thanks for sharing the flip flop organizer!!

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  81. First off 20+ pairs is decent, but I wouldn't call it A LOT. And hey @whitneyvegan I live in portland too, but that doesn't stop me from having about SEVENTY-FIVE pairs of fabulous shoes & boots :D(NOT including the flipflops).... PLUS I have those same exact Orange rosette wedges!! (DSW anyone?)
    Great minds... I mean Jennifers, think alike!! (But with a name like Jennifer Rose I couldn't NOT buy them!) My husband says "one day" he'll build me a really nice shoe closet but for now they're on a crappy plastic rack I've had since like college, and shelves, and under the bed, and on the floor... :( sad

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  82. I at one point had 84 pairs of shoes but I pared down since then. (Although last year I became a VIP at both DSW and Zappos because I bought so much so maybe I'm back up there) I store my flip flops in a mesh pocket thingy that hangs on the back of my guest bedroom door. I also used old wine bottles for my boots to keep them from flopping over. How in the world do people do with one pair of each type of shoes?

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  83. I put all of my flip flops in a bin with a lid. They get stored in the winter and in the summer the bin sits on my closet floor and I just toss them in there. It's not as pretty or fancy as your idea, but it works for me. Also, there is alot of un-used space behind doors. You can find over the door everything now-a-days including shoe racks, towel racks and even ironing boards!

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  84. I go barefoot as soon as it's warm enough - so I don't own many shoes, but it looks incredibly pretty!

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  85. Yet again Jen you never cease to amaze me with your crafty-ness!!

    I linked you in my Tumblr, I just had to share this idea with all my normal Floridian friends that own more than 2 pairs of Flip-Flops.

    http://beatnik-kittie.tumblr.com/

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  86. omg this is too cute! i live in an apartment right now so i couldn't install a rod for the hangers at the moment, but i'm storing this idea in the back of my mind for when my boyfriend and i buy a house one day =)

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  87. Great idea! Love it. May have to steal it...you know, when my mountain get's too big...:)

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  88. I thank you & most of all, the hubs thanks you! I also am a native of the Sunshine State & thought flip flops & sandals was what everybody wore until I started kindergarten. I can know relieve hubby's anxiety over the FF Mountain that is in the corner of the bedroom! Keep coming with the great ideas!!

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  89. You have adorable shoes! I'm glad you shared. :-)

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  90. This is brilliant! I hate my rubbermaid tote full of flip flops. What a great solution. Thanks for sharing!

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  91. I don't have space in my coset, so I took out smallest bedroom and made it a closet too. This is the second house I have done this in. Of course there is a t.v. a treadmill and all package wrapping items in there as well...thats multitasking on a grand scale!

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  92. Old magazines rolled up or wine bottles work well to keep tall boots from being slouchy too...

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  93. I found this flip-flop picture and blog link through Pinterest.com and I have to say this is one of the most genius things I have seen. You could seriously patten and market these babies. Hanger companies would buy them up!!!
    ~Katie

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  94. Brilliant! We call them thongs here in Aussie and we live in them all summer long...thank you for a fantastic idea.

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  95. This is awesome! I might make some of these for my bridesmaids' shoes, as well as my own! You are a genius, Jen!

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  96. I saw this on Real Mom Kitchen's fab five. LOVE IT! I need to do this.

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  97. Saw this on Real Mom's Kitchen and love the idea.. I've got the hangers out and the project will begin..

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  98. I have the pink Mossimo flats!

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  99. these are amazing!!! I'm totally making some of these ASAP! Thanks for the tutorial!

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  100. Jen, yet another creative project - you are so talented! Even I could make these hangers, and I don't have a creative or artsy bone in my body.

    Please tell me the platform/wedge behemoths in the upper right corner of your closet photo are for a costume, because I can't imagine anyone wearing those (no offense intended, they're just really CHUNKY shoes). The orange pair is causing shoe envy in me, too.

    Keep up the great work here and over at Cake Wrecks - I'm a big fan!

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  101. I had seen these flip flop hangers when I first got on pinterest and then I couldn't find them again. I wanted to know how they were made. Anyway, I love the idea and I'll be saving wire hangers for a while. Thanks for the tutorial.

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  102. if you like to keep your boots upright stuff an old magazine in them!

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    Replies
    1. to keep my boots standing tall I like recycling my water bottles by re-filling them with sand or even tap water. That way they are strong enough to give them the support they need without falling over !!

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  103. These are just the cutest darn things I've seen. I am so doing this in our soon-to-be new home where we will finally have a walk-in closet! Thanks for being so creative.
    CAS

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  104. I wish I had known this technique 10 years ago. would have saved me from countless hours searching through my mountain method of organization ;)

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  105. Thanks for the tutorial. I actually have this picture pinned on Pinterest. I was wondering how to do it!

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  106. Awesome!! Glad I found your blog

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  107. Love this idea but my closet doesn't have enough room to hang all of my flip flops individually! I use closet skinnies flipflop hangers instead and they hold up to 7 pairs...needless to say I have 3 in my closet right now :)

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  108. Pool noodles work great to keep boots standing straight. I get 'em from the dollar store and cut to fit different height boots.

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  109. Genius! I am soo making these!

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  110. Found this on pinterest, and totally linked to it in my blog! Such a great idea and SO ADORABLE!!! Please come to my house and organize my closet! LOL

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  111. G-R-E-A-T I-D-E-A!!!!! I need to have you at my house and fix my closet. This flip flop hanger is an awesome idea. Pinning it!
    We would love to have you at our next link party, This coming Tuesday. Carfty Lassie Tuesdays
    www.SewStylisBoutique.blogpsot.com
    Thanks!
    Heather & Rose

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  112. Love this! Where did you get the racks/shelves for the shoes in the last picture?

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  113. The shelves are plain ol' white wire shelving just hung at an angle, Jackie, so you can find it at any hardware store.

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  114. I Love this!!! I am such a flip flop girl...XoXo

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  115. so i absolutely hate wire hangers i dont keep a single one in my house but then i saw this tutorial and was wishing i did! well dont you know on my way home today there was a whole box of wire hangers sitting on the side of the road just for me!!!! my flop will now have a home! thank you so much for this tutorial

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  116. I found this on pinterest and this is the cutest thing EVER!!!!

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  117. I don't have flip flops, but saw this on pint rest and I am so doing this for my hubby's hats. Thanks for the great idea!

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  118. cute, budget friendly & functional...what more could you want?

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  119. Awesome idea. We have a lot of hangers we don't use and I have a lot of flats and and flip flops. I'm gonna try it! Thanks. :)

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  120. Great idea! btw: I have the same pair of Steve Madden shoes you have second row from the top- middle pair. Tangerine wedges with flowers--yep I have them in yellow and they are my favorite! get compliments every time I wear them.

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  121. jenntastic@hotmail.comNovember 23, 2011 at 10:36 AM

    Aloha from Honolulu,
    Thank you for this posting it is super cool! I just had one question. Here in HI we have peeps leaving flip flops at the door before coming into the house. Any suggestions on how to make one for near the outside front door. Maybe a free standing or floor standing one? I am impressed my your creativitity.Thanks. My next thought is how to put slippers on the inside of the door to protect hard wood floors. May use same idea on the inside too. your thoughts? thanks

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  122. I have a question .. what thickness was your ribbon? It looks like 1 or 1 1/2" .. but I just wanted to be sure so I didn't get it too thick or too thin.

    I want to make these for christmas presents .. so I need to order my ribbon soon :)

    Thanks in Advance,
    Jennie

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  123. I've just post it in Portuguese on my website, gave u all the credit! Feel free to visit. Just click translate this page to see in English!
    Thanks this idea is awesome!
    www.sitedanathy.com

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  124. Love this!!! I just took one of my daughters coated wire hangers, didnt cut at all, and bent the ends up (kinda like a smile), spent a few miutes fiddling with it and opening up the loops a bit a little more rounded to fit better in the shoes, and then folded the bent up ends in to the center, like bookends. It looks like it is going to work great for hanging all my little ones shoes from tennis shoes to flats and i can still hang flip flops on it. With an adult size hanger I can hang bigger and heavier shoes on it. Thanks for such a wonderful idea.

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  125. I loved this idea.. thanks for sharing :):).. I blogged about it here..http://nicksnacksbyme.blogspot.com/2012/01/from-trash-to-wow-ii.html.

    Thanks!

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  126. WOW! I am a young mommy (23) and I wore flippers (flip flops) all last winter because I was sooo overheated the whole time! Finally the "mountain method" shall disappear :-) This is the BEST idea!

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  127. Oh my gosh!!! Those are the greatest things ever!! I live in Minnesota and have a flip flop fetish (weird, I know!) so this is a great thing for my closet! Yay!!

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  128. I made a whole bunch of these for Christmas presents (15 sets of 10 to be exact lol) .. and I will say this .. don't use glue dots because I found that after about a week they eventually turn loose (good thing I got started early lol).. a small drop of hot glue in place of the glue dots worked sooo much better.

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  129. A short cut to make the hanger would be to use a pants hanger, just remove the card board roll and turn up the edge! These are really cute.

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  130. I have a one year old who loves to eat my shoes. This is a perfect way to get them out of reach and organized. Thanks

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  131. Who says no more wire hangers! This is a great idea!

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  132. I am IMPRESSED. I live in AZ also, and have tons of flip flops and other sandals that this will work great with. Thanks for sharing

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  133. I love flip flops b/c I live in S. Cal and am too lazy to wear shoes. I hang my boots on skirt hangers and hang them up with my skirts in my closet (:

    Where did you get those shoe shelves? I am looking for something like that (:

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  134. This is a GENIUS idea! I have ton's of flip flops-as you said we in the southern states where variations year round. This solves a problem I had this a.m. "finding" a match to pair I had to wear in the sandal pile.

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  135. Love this! You can place a rolled up file folder inside of your boots that have "floppy" tops and place the tall (newly straightened) boots on your TOP SHELF. THANKS for the post!

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  136. Excellent idea! I like this especially because my flip-flops are always getting separated and I have to dig to find a matching pair! I bet this would also work with a spring shower curtain rod if you're going across the whole bottom of your closet.

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  137. I love this idea! Made the hangers a while back & now I'm ready to fancy them up. What size ribbon did u use? I have some extra ribbon from another project that is 1 1/2", but it looks to wide. Thanks :)

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  138. Super cute idea! I wish I had room in our closet for such nice shoe organization, but I have to share with my husband, sigh. I miss when we had separate closets! I tend to keep a pair of flip flops where I'll need them - two pairs by the laundry room and garage, a pair by the front door, for quick runs outside to the mail box and such. Even use them in the winter, and I live in Michigan! I'm sure these hangers would be easy to make with dry cleaner hangers, since the bottom part is just a cardboard roll, you wouldn't have as much wire leftover. My husband keeps breaking the cardboard part when he takes his pants off the hanger, hmm....

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  139. This Alabama lady loves your FlipFlop idea! My hubby has a Clever Grillin' Hanger idea he MUST SHARE......

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  140. This is really cute.:) But why not make the loop at the end bigger, to fit into the toe part of a pair of ballerinas better, but still small enough to get flip flops over. (Y) :D

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  141. Had to share this on my fanpage - To Be Me Jewelry. I'm such a flip-flop lover!

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  142. Looooove this idea! I have sooo many flip flops I always have to dig around in my pile. I actually worked on this the other day and my closet looks so much more organized. Now I can actually find my flip flops especially when Im on the go! ;) Thanks for such a great idea!!

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  143. I love this idea!!! I have been trying to figure out what to do with my sandals, and this is the answer! I hate those wire hangers and refuse to use them, BUT, now I have a great use for them. Thanks for the tutorial!

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  144. Oh my, I do love this idea for a shoes lover with so little space to store them ;D WIll do thanks for sharing.

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  145. This is one of the BEST diy ideas I have seen in a long time! LOVE IT!!!!!

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  146. I am going to dip the hangers in that rubberized paint for tools and add a can pop top to each one to hang them vertically. More useage and less space.

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    Replies
    1. The plasti dip now comes in a spray. No need to dip anymore!

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  147. With flip flops being my footwear of choice....love this idea!

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  148. i made these! best invention for this thrifty FL girl!!! thanks a ton -jenn

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  149. This is so fantastic, no more "pile of flops". I linked to your blog. I loved the project! So much fun, I will be making more

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  150. this is my version. tanks for the idea.
    http://filididani.blogspot.it/2012/06/sono-disordinata-ma-ci-provo.html

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  151. Absolutely LOVE it!!! My flip flops are all where I can find them :) THANK YOU!!

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  152. a very clever storage solution...and really pretty.


    I linked to your tutorial on my blog - thanks for sharing!

    doro K.

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  153. Would you have a tutorial on making an "extender" that would allow one to hang these hangers from one another w/o dirtying the contents by rubbing the soles of one on the tops of the others. This would allow those of us that are more "closet-starved" to hang a column of your wonderful flip-flop/flats hangers from a higher rod or a hook on the wall or back of the door.
    Thanks so much

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  154. Thank you for sharing..such an easy and fun solution! I have tons of flip flops too-I love them and wear them all year long-rain or shine! :)

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  155. Patent ur idea before someone steals it

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  156. Wow - looks like the idea is making its way around the internet / Facebook... just saw this today:
    https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=4471650909559&set=o.243999862450&type=1&theater

    The page: When the Dinner Bell Rings reposted the pics (I added your link for proper accreditation).

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  157. I used plastic coated wire hangers instead of spray painting to save time. Thanks for your great idea!

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  158. This is AMAZING. I'm always struggling to find a way to house my flip-flops and flats without piling them all on top of one another.. thank you! :) I (and the BF) very greatly appreciate this! lol

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  159. Someone stole it again... https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=496847863715294&set=a.258822727517810.64006.258814837518599&type=1

    I gave the link to this page in the comments and asked for credit on your behalf, I'll keep an eye open, they might repost more of your ideas.

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  160. Omg. I love this idea. I've always hated wire coat hangers. Not anymore. So cute!

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  161. Someone stole it again:

    http://www.studentbeans.com/student101/a/Universities/20-genius-life-hacks-for-very-messy-people5271.html

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  162. I made some of these today and They came out great! I've linked your tutorial so other people can go to the RIGHT place. ;)

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  163. Wow what a great idea! Easy to make and great for closet organization.

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  164. I used this for all of my sandals, flats and heals (one thing I did with the heals is I doubled up the hangers)

    Great Idea!!!!

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  165. I'm gonna use this in my nieces closet..........but for her I think a good shower tension rod going across the back part of her closet behind her clothes is gonna work great and save her tons of space! Thanks for the idea!

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  166. I SET MYSELF UP TO SEE SOMETHING RIDICULOUS-BUT I WAS CLEARLY WRONG! THIS IS A PRETTY BRILLIANT IDEA AND I HATE MY SHOES BEING STACKED ON EACH OTHER ETC!! TY FOR SHARING!!

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  167. Hey...look at Mom's Got Ink on FB. She stole your photo from this post and didn't give any credit or links. Here's how to report her: https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/208282075858952

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  168. I saw this on Pinterest a month ago & really, really love this idea for storing a "mountain" of flip flops, which I own also. I live in Alabama & right now it is super hot here so I'm wearing a pair of flip flops every day. I also remember when they were called thongs. Your idea of storing them on wire hangers is so practical. Joan Crawford had me apprehensive about using wire hangers but not anymore. I will be making this project very soon. Thanks so, so much for sharing.....

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  169. hey Jen, I just saw picture from this tutorial on Pinterest-without your watermark and without linking to Epbot...so I went through and did a similar image search thing that they now have...and reached my "mention limit" commenting on each erroneously linked pin. I only found one that had the proper link and still had your watermark on it-so I liked that one and kept going. Just wanted to let you know that your fans are looking out for you when the opportunity arises. (There's so much that needs fighting these days....but this-I know that I can do.)

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  170. Yes indeed as noted "genius". Look forward to making these!

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  171. I have a tip to free up a little space in your closet. You'll also need wire hangers the plastic hangers hanging part is to large to fit through the tab opening. I use pop can tabs bend off if there's a sharp area hang pop tab on the neck area of the hanger put it over the hanging part and then you can hang another hanger in the pop tab so you have two hangers in the space of one. If this doesn't make sense comment I'll check them and answer your questions.

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  172. Beautifull hangup, thanks tutorial.

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