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The first half of this post was published way back in March, so to avoid making you click back and forth, I'm just re-posting it, along with the finished product.
A couple months ago, Donnie and I started work on our coat rack. I wanted to make one from scratch for two reasons. One, I need to save money, since everything I do this year for the house is coming out of a tiny pocket-change-sized budget. And two, our entryway is long and skinny, so I wanted a rack that really fit the space. How hard could it be?
It turns out, not hard at all!
At the hardware store, I bought three pieces of lumber, making sure they were each nice and straight.
1 - 1x6
1 - 1x2
1 - small piece of decorative molding
7 - sturdy hooks
wood screws
I bought 6-ft pieces, so the only thing that needed to be cut was the thin piece of molding. Easily done with a handsaw.
With Donnie's help, I glued and nailed the 1x2 to the top edge of the 1x6, forming a shallow ledge. We used a lot of glue, and lots of clamps to keep things in place:
We also glued the trim right under the ledge formed by the 1x2. The trim won't have any stress from hanging objects, so there was no point in trying to nail such a tiny piece.
Donnie's tip: You can't use too much glue. And you can't have too many clamps. (Clearly!)
Make sure you wipe up any excess glue drips before it dries!
I filled the nail holes with wood filler, sanded down the rough spots, and started painting.
The paint is just the basic, un-mixed bright white by Behr.
I wondered if the trim would even show under the ledge when everything was painted, but I think it offers a nice, subtle detail.
I thought about distressing the corners a little with sandpaper, but since this coat rack is about to be used several times a day by six people, I think it will get all the authentic distressing it needs.
Next step: add some cool, chunky hooks, and hang it up!
I found these classic-looking black hooks at Hobby Lobby. They are so cheap and pretty, that I've been seeing them all over the place. Search hooks on pinterest, and you're sure to see them. I bought 7 of them for about $2.50 (maybe $3.50?) each.
Getting the hooks onto the rack with perfect, even spacing is a little tricky, but here's what I did. Start with the two outer hooks. Measure 2 inches from each end and attach those hooks first. Then, measure the distance between the two outer hooks, divide it in half, and place the center hook at this measurement. Lastly, measure the distance between the center and outer hooks to determine the spacing for the rest of the hooks. I think ours were around 11" apart, but be sure to measure and place them visually before screwing them in.
Donnie screwed the rack right into the studs, and then I filled the holes and repainted over them.
We love the rack. It has been up for a few weeks, and it has already proved to be hard-working and critical. I don't know how I lived with that tiny one for so long! Making the rack only cost $25-30. Imagine what a 6-ft rack would cost at Home Goods!
Here's the progress on the entryway so far:
Still on the list are: hang some mirrors above the hooks, replace the bench with something longer, and find something else to hold the umbrellas. Not too bad.
Here are some other project posts you might want to check out while you wait:
Entryway Inspiration
