Wine racks, of course, make lovely storage devices for wine bottles. Since the wine was originally sealed with a cork, keeping the cork moist prevented it from shrinking and coming loose from the neck of the bottle. Storing the wine on its side ensured that the wine always kept the cork moist. But there are other storage uses for a wine rack.
Fold the hand towels in half or thirds and roll them up tight. Place the towel roll in the round openings on the shelf. Towels stored this way add a splash of color to the bathroom and stay clean and dry. The cloths can also be stored if two cloths are rolled together, otherwise the roll is too small and it will fall off. Large bottle racks for liter and a half bottles can store bath towels.
Roll up the contoured sheets and place them in the openings. The contoured blades are nearly impossible to fold neatly for one person. A wine rack means you don’t have to. The sheets and pillowcases can be folded up and placed next to the wine rack. On the larger shelves, a single flat sheet, pillowcase, and contour sheet can be rolled together. Changing sheets is easy, just grab and go.
Use the kitchen bottle rack to store bottles of vinegars and oils. These will be close at hand when you’re cooking and you won’t have to fumble around in a dark kitchen cabinet to make sure you’ve grabbed the right bottle. Make sure the caps are tight.
Store t-shirts rolled up using the same method as for hand towels. Sweaters can also be rolled up. Clothes that are not worn often or are out of season can be rolled up and stored in the same way on the upper shelves of a closet.
Boots often fall off and leave a crease in the leather. Storing the boots in the bottle rack prevents them from falling off. Rotate the toe of the boot to the outside of the rack to allow the boots to fit.
Place the wine rack near the entrance and use it to sort the mail for each family member. Hot glue a 4-inch strip of balsa wood to the bottom of each wine compartment from back to front, so the mail won’t fall out. Balsa wood is very thin and needs to be bent to fit the curve of the shelf. A heavy piece of cardboard can also be used, but it doesn’t look as good. The bottle rack may also contain school reports that need a parent’s signature, permission slips, lunch menus, or notices from the school. Assign a group of spaces to each family member. Most of the mail fits into the openings without bending. The shelf is conveniently located, keeping clutter off your entryway table and making it easy to see at a glance who has what.
