Add more hooks to quickly and easily hang outerwear and free up some closet space by making a simple and functional wall-mounted coat rack. All you need to make your next creation is the right tools and know-how. Follow this guide to make your DIY coat hanger.
Step 1: Cut Wood to Size
Cut a piece of lumber to use as your coat rack’s base. You can use a piece of scrap board or purchase one specifically for the project. These instructions will describe using a 1” x 6” board cut at a length appropriate for your purposes and the size of the wall—a length of at least 24” to 36” should suffice in most applications.
Cut the wood using a handsaw to your desired length. Sand the rough-cut edge with a piece of fine-grit sandpaper or a sanding sponge to smooth it out.
Step 2: Drill Holes for Hooks
Drill pilot holes for the hooks’ hardware. But first use a tape measure to determine equidistant points at which to attach the hooks to the board. This will also determine how many hooks to buy, depending on how long your finished rack will be. Be sure that each hook location is centered on the board. Mark each hook’s location on the board with a pencil. Now use a cordless drill to make pilot holes for the corresponding hook screws. Be sure that the holes are slightly smaller in diameter than the hook screws.
Step 3: Paint or Stain the Wood
Choose how you want your rack to look—painted or stained. Next, you’ll need a workspace. If you don’t have a workbench at which to work, cover your kitchen table with newspaper or plastic sheeting. Cover the floor around the table with a drop cloth to protect it.
To paint the rack, use a paintbrush to apply a coat of True Value EasyCare Ultra Premium Interior Paint in the color and finish of your choice. Let the paint dry completely for the amount of time recommended on the paint can label.
If you’re staining the rack, use a high-quality interior stain. Apply the stain with a cloth or medium-sized paintbrush and allow it to penetrate the wood. Coat once for a light stain. Apply additional coats for a darker color. Wipe off excess stain with a clean cloth and allow the piece to dry completely. Lightly sand between coats with fine-grit sandpaper.
Step 4: Attach the Hooks
Attach the coat hooks to the rack base using a cordless screwdriver to drive the supplied screws into the pilot holes you drilled in Step 2.
Step 5: Mount the Rack
Install your rack on the wall. Though it may depend on where you plan on mounting the rack, you should try to install it by drilling it into wall studs. Use a stud finder to locate the wall studs. Mark their locations by drawing a vertical line for each with a pencil and a level. You just need the lines long enough so that you can see the mark when placing the rack against the wall to install it. Drill a 2” or 3” wood screw through the rack into each wall stud.
If drilling into studs is not possible, you will need to use wall anchors. Make pilot holes by drilling into the drywall for each anchor at a slightly smaller diameter than the size of the anchors. Then use a hammer to drive the plastic anchors into the hole. Use your cordless drill to drive appropriately sized screws partially through the rack. Line up the tips of the screws with the anchors and then drive them in the rest of the way.
Step 6: Attach Shelves and Rods
Measure shelves to make sure that they will fit between the shelving standards. Cut to fit and sand if they are too wide. Paint or stain the shelves and allow them to dry. Put shelf clips into the standards (count the holes in the standard as guides so the clips are at the same height). Put in the shelves.
Attach combination brackets to the wall studs using 1″ screws. Use the lines you marked earlier on the wall as guides. Put a rod into the combination bracket and attach the shelf to the bracket, using 1″ screws. Repeat this for the other shelf and rod.
Congrats! You’ve built your own DIY coat hanger and created a practical and attractive addition to the place where you hang your hat.
Project Shopping List
Here’s what you’ll need to complete this project successfully.
