Don’t Give Up on Old Ideas: How a Forged Magazine Rack Became a Kitchen Organizer

Old ideas don’t always fail, they often just wait for the right context. This is the story of how a hand-forged magazine rack, pulled from the pages of an old blacksmithing magazine, found new life years later as a practical and durable kitchen organizer. It’s a reminder that good design doesn’t always have to expire, it can be adapted.

Don’t Give Up on Old Stuff

I have a multitude of projects that come about from old, or incomplete ideas. Many of my tools are quite old themselves, repurposed, modified, or simply given a little TLC before being put back to work. Scraps, half-finished pieces, and forgotten projects tend to pile up in a shop, but also have to capacity to spark new ideas.

That mindset has followed me through my entire blacksmithing journey. Old steel, old jigs, old plans. None of it is wasted if you’re willing to look at it differently and consider what else it could become.

A Magazine Rack from a Different Era

Many years ago, I was given a project idea from an old magazine. Ironically, the project itself was designed to hold magazines: a forged magazine rack. A relic of a bygone era. Back then, physical magazines were everywhere. Fundraising meant knocking on doors and selling subscriptions. Today, not so much.

When I first started my blacksmithing journey, my mentor pulled out that magazine and suggested we build it. The design wasn’t extravagant—simple scrolls welded to a basic frame—but it was both functional and elegant in its own way. I spent hours building jigs, forging parts, and learning how everything fit together. It probably took a couple of afternoons; I don’t remember the timeline as clearly as I remember the feeling of completing the project.

It wasn’t perfect. The forging was rough. The welds could have been better. But it was something I had made from scratch. It was functional, honest, and handmade by me. At the time, that was more than enough.

When a Product Doesn’t Sell

Later, when I started forging in front of the public and needed items to sell, I added the magazine rack to my sales table. Why not? I had the jigs. I had the design. I even had access to a welder thanks to a high school shop teacher who was happy to let me work in the shop after school, as long as I respected the equipment and cleaned up when I was done. So, I made a couple magazine racks, excited to have a cool, unique item to sell.

It didn’t take long for the reality to set in.

I maybe sold one magazine rack. The other rack followed me from show to show, only to be packed back up again at the end of the day. Eventually, I got tired of hauling it around. I didn’t have the heart to scrap it, so it went into storage—pulled out every so often, stirring memories of early forging days before being tucked away again.

Years later, after buying our first house and setting up a proper shop, I stumbled across it once more while unpacking old crates. I was tired of moving it every few years and seriously considered sending it to the scrap yard.

Before I did, I asked my wife Abby if she could use it.

A New Purpose in the Kitchen

Abby studied the rack for a moment. We don’t really have magazines, but she immediately saw something else.

“I could use this to hold my cutting boards.”

She cleaned it up, set it on the counter, and loaded it with boards. It looked good—but more importantly, it worked. Storing cutting boards vertically allows air to circulate on all sides, helping them dry evenly and reducing the chance of warping. The solid steel frame held the weight easily without tipping or flexing.

She suggested listing it online, just to see what would happen. I was skeptical. I remembered how little interest it had drawn at craft shows and didn’t think I could sell it for what it was worth.

Within a month, one sold. Then another. They weren’t exactly flying off the shelves, but the message was clear…this design had finally found its place.

Today, what started as a magazine rack has become one of our featured kitchen organizers. It’s sturdy, understated, and versatile—perfect for cutting boards, bakeware, kitchen towels, and more.

Final Thoughts

This piece is a reminder that if you take the time to look at things differently, old ideas can find new purpose. Good designs, and craftsmanship shouldn’t go out of style, instead they can be adapted and fit into our modern era.

Sometimes, the best products aren’t invented at all. They’re rediscovered.