DIY Shoe Rack Tower with Dowel Joinery

See how to build this amazing shoe rack tower using dowels that go all the way through from the outside and into the frame pieces.

It’s super easy to do!

See it All

Below you will find

• Tools and materials list
• Video tutorial
• Step-by-step written tutorial with snapshots

Video Tutorial

See how easy it is to make this Shoe Rack Tower

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DIY Shoe Rack Tower

Written Tutorial

See the steps with screenshots

Plan Overall Size

I made this shoe rack to fit my shoes. I wear a women’s size 8.

You may need to adjust the front to back dimensions to suit your shoe size, or allow for overhang, if you like.

Below are the dimensions I used.

Dimensions

The 2×2 frame uprights are 54”. You’ll need 4 of these.

The 2×2 frame rails are 11”. You’ll need 14 of these.

The 1x4s shelf boards are 12”. You’ll need 21 of these.

This will give you a total shelf width of 12” and an interior width of 9” for the shoes.

For the spacing between shelves, most are 6” high, but I wanted a 12” high shelf on the bottom for my duck boots.

The 1×4 boards are 1/2″ thick, so the distance from the top of the bottom rail to the bottom of the next rail is 12-1/2”.

For all other shelves, the distance from the top of the lower rail to the bottom of the next rail up is 6-1/2”.

And that turned out to make the top shelving boards even with the top of the frame rails too.

Sand Lumber Prior to Cuts

I chose to sand my 2x2s before I even cut.

This just made the whole project a lot easier, especially doing the finish.

Make the Cuts

I used a stop block on my miter saw to ensure that all of my cuts were even for the 4 frame pieces, and then for all of the rails, plus all of the shelving boards.

Build the Frame

Layout 2 of the long 2x2s for your frame uprights.

Use a 2×4 or other block to ensure that both uprights are even on the bottom.

Place your 2×2 rails inside.

Snug fit 4 long clamps to hold the frame pieces together while you check square.

Then tighten the long clamps to hold the frame pieces together tightly.

I alternated my clamp handles as I think that produces a more even hold across the whole piece.

Glue the Frame Rails

I used a popsicle stick to spread the Titebond III glue.

Loosen one of the clamps.

Remove the rail piece.

Spread glue on each end.

Then place the rail piece back in its spot.

Continue down the frame by loosening and tightening the appropriate clamps as you go until all rails have been glued.

I would let this cure for at least 4 hours, if not overnight.

Drill Dowel Holes

The glue should be able to hold your frame together without the clamps once it has fully cured.

But you can leave them attached, if like, as long as they don’t get in the way of you drilling your dowel holes.

To ensure my holes were centered, I made my own dowel jig, as the other ones I had just didn’t fit on 2x2s as well as I liked.

And here is how easy it is to attach this jig to line it up with the rail and drill straight holes into it.

Or, use any method you like for drilling your dowel holes straight.

I’m also using a brad point bit that came with my dowel jig kit.

It’s made specifically to go deep into the wood for dowels and clear itself.

You can use a regular spiral cut or twisty bit, but you may need to go in and out more to remove the shavings.

As you can see, I used the jig to drill straight into the frame piece.

Then I removed the jig and used that hole as my guide to drill into the rail.

This method may widen the frame dowel hole a wee bit, but certainly not enough to matter.

And my bit is exactly long enough to go deep enough into the rail to make a hole that is 2” long in total. So, I didn’t need to put a stop collar or piece of tape on it to know how deep to go.

But you’ll want to check your bit’s length.

And it’s okay if you go a little deeper into the rail, as you’ll be hammering the dowel flush anyway.

Insert the Dowel

I really like these fluted dowels.

They hold more glue and spread out as they go into the hole, giving it a snug fit.

And it’s super easy to get the glue spread all around them with a popsicle stick.

Plus, they have tapered ends for easy insertion.

I found some that did not have both ends tapered, so check for that before you insert, as it will be easier if you put the tapered end in first.

Be sure to wipe off any glue squeeze out!!

And wipe the glue off your mallet too.

Repeat Down the Whole Side

Repeat this process until you have dowels inserted into one side of your frame.

Then if you like, you can just flip the frame over and do the other side.

Build Second Frame

It’s super important that you have the rails on both frames lined up and even.

This is how I did it.

I built my second frame right beside the first one.

I used a 2×4 to ensure my ends were even.

And then clamped them together.

And I used a carpenter’s square to line up the rails.

The reason I didn’t build the second frame on top of the first one was that I was concerned that any glue runoff would stick the two frames together.

So, build it however you think is best, but I didn’t want to take that chance.

Sand, Sand, Sand

Once you have all of your dowels in and the glue has fully cured, you’ll want to give the frames a light sanding to remove any remaining glue residue.

Stain or Paint

Now it’s time to add the finish to the frames.

I chose to try a nice gel stain on this piece.

It’s super thick and won’t run like a water based stain.

And it goes on easy with a foam brush.

Plus, it’s super forgiving for how much you put on and wipe off compared to water based stains too.

Plus, a gel stain has a natural sheen to it. There is no way for them to make it in a matte finish. It will be at least a satin sheen finish.

If you do use a gel or other oil based stain, be sure to take proper precautions with brush and rag disposal, as they can self-ignite if not left out to dry flat first.

And I really like these little triangle standoffs for doing stain jobs too!!

Prepare Frames to Add Shelf Boards

I tore down a bunch of pallets and this was the perfect piece to use all of that spare wood on for a real rustic look.

Because the pieces were not all the same width, on some shelves there is no spacing and on others there are.

Again, that adds to the rustic charm of the piece, I think.

This is how I did it.

I clamped down one of the frames on its side to the edge of my workbench.

This is specifically why I built my workbench to have a lip edge on all sides.

Then I put a 2×4 at the end to help me keep both frame bottoms even.

I cut a couple of scrap wood pieces that were the interior width between the frame pieces.

Note, that’s 3” shorter than the width of the shelf boards that will go to the outside edges of the rails.

Then I clamped the 2 frames together and checked square.

And I used my carpenter’s square to ensure that the rails of both sides were square.

Brad Nail Shelf Boards

I started at the bottom of the tower.

And I laid the first shelf board on the bottom and used clamps to hold it into place.

I love this Ryobi brad nailer!!!!

I used 1” brad nails.

Now, the nailer will be at a slight angle.

But I had no trouble getting the nails to be flush with the top of the board.

Once I had the bottom board, then I clamped the top board into place.

And once that was nailed in, then I clamped the middle board so that I could evenly space between the two other boards.

Stand Up the Frame

Once you get about half way up the frame with the shelving boards, the whole piece should be stable enough to stand on its own.

That made it a lot easier for me to finish adding the rest of the shelving boards.

Load Your Tower Rack with Shoes

And there you have it!

Now you have a wonderful tower rack to store your shoes and it looks good doing it too!

And the dark frame with the light shelf boards is a great look as well.