Decorative Coat Racks

There's absolutely no reason to go buy one of those cheap, low quality coat racks found at the local big box store. You can make your own at home, with very limited tools and it will be custom designed to match your style and your decor! The design possibilities are almost unlimited! You can choose from all sorts of materials and hooks! So follow along, and I'll show you how!

If your home is a rustic home, you might choose a nice cedar board and stain it, or just seal it with some spray lacquer. If your home is more modern you could choose some PVC sheeting that doesn't require any painting at all and comes in some very cool colors. I've even seen someone use leftover granite from a kitchen counter install (though that does require some expensive cutting tools).

In my case I decided to use some 1/2" MDF that I just had laying around the shop. The great thing about MDF is that it is super easy to get a very smooth paint finish on. It doesn't tear out on the router, and its just all around easy to work with.

I measured mine out to roughly 3" tall sections and cut them out on the table saw.

The options for decorative edges are many! You could add trim molding, or route it out with any number of router bit options available. Of course, you can also choose no decorative edge at all and leave the wood bare. That works great for rustic styles.

Since I was using MDF, and since my home already had some similar effects on other trim, I went for a 3/16" round-over with a slight step. This makes for a super clean finish and is very easy to do on the router ((router table or not).

If you thought there were lots of options for the edge, then get ready to pick out your hooks! There are literally thousands of style available. But it doesn't end there! You can also buy cabinet knobs and pulls and use them as hooks. I've seen someone (KipKay) use old award trophies as hooks. Let your imagination run wild and pick what suits your style and decor! Cabinet knobs look great on a cedar plank, for example.

I wanted to use my coat racks for hanging things other than coats. I use oil rubbed bronze hangers I bought at a local home improvement center. I placed them 3 1/2" on center, leaving a 2" edge overhang. This worked great because my wife wanted to us these for belts, scarves, and necklaces.

Take the number of hooks you need, add the overhang you desire and multiply it together. That determines the length of the board you need. Then just attach all of the hooks to the board. I used an adjustable square to make sure every hook liked up.

The final step is to hang it on the wall. Just pick the place you want to hang it (entry hall, closet, etc). You'll need to drill a couple of holes in the coat rack. I suggest drilling them a little loose and using a counter-sing bit to make them flush when you're finished, but that's purely optional.

You're going to need to use a stud finder and locate some studs. In most homes they are 16" apart, but in many older homes they could be 24". If a stud is not available, use a good solid drywall anchor and screw into that.

It helps to use a level and make sure the coat rack is even from side to side before driving the screws into place.

And that's all there is to this project! It's super easy and simple to make! Well if you liked this Instructable, perhaps you'll like some of my other projects. Be sure to check out my website at TheGeekPub.com and my YouTube channel over at YouTube.com/c/TheGeekPub!