• Build a metal-flanked wine rack to store bottles flush with the wall.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  If you're in the market for a new wine rack, consider building your own. The materials may cost much less than what you'd pay for a constructed one, and you can customize it to fit your needs and taste. When deciding on size, think about how many bottles you typically store at any one given time and go from there.
  
  

Save Some Space

• Forgo a boxy wine rack for one you can build on the wall. A vertical wine rack saves space and can give your room a decorative centerpiece at the same time. Purchase smaller, vertical bottle holders and stack them on reinforced slats. The slats are attached to a crossbeam on the wall and rest on a shelf below, adding extra stability and storage. You can have one panel for a skinny nook or fill an entire dining room wall. The size really depends on how much wine you need stored and what looks best to you.
  
  

Keep It Simple

• You can create a wine rack that doesn't cover up that great color on your wall or take up floor space. Steel rods are bolted onto a wall and spaced so they can hold wine bottles. A pair of rods holds one bottle, and several create a shelf for more bottles. Have fun with staggering your wine bottles along the wall. Create a pattern, space the bottles evenly or go for a completely random look. Your rack is almost invisible and bottles conveniently located.
  
  

Storing Bottles Flush

• For a wine rack that saves space but allows you to store bottles flush against the wall, build a rack with a metal flank. Appropriately sized holes are drilled where the bottle neck is inserted, supporting the whole bottle. A strong metal must be used, and holes must be correctly sized and placed for it to work properly. This style allows you to store bottles facing either direction.
  
  You can also use small acrylic platforms with part of the bottom cut out to cradle each bottle. The platforms are in a stacked pattern, attached to a vertical post that mounts on the wall. The wood gives a more natural feel than the contemporary metal. Add sconces on each side, and you can hang glass racks from them as well.
  
  

Make the Old New

• Repurpose other materials to make a wine rack. Mailing tubes make perfect compartments for single bottles. Glue a group of them together in a stacked pattern, and you only need to insert them into an open shelf or make a wooden frame for them. Your guests will enjoy the colorful bottle tops peeking out.
  
  Use cube storage and build a wine insert from two wooden slats. It creates a flexible option that allows you to move the rack to a different area when you'd like to change things up.