Does this look familiar?
Do you, too, have two or three garments per peg, straining to remain in place? Have you ever done “the coat mash” to get juust one more jacket up there? (It works until someone walks by and brushes up against a sleeve, then–avalanche!)
Tell me I’m not the only one who hasn’t seen her backpack in six months even though it’s in there. Somewhere.
I decided it was past time for more pegs.
I measured the maximum wall space and cut a board about 4 inches wide to the length I wanted and sanded it smooth.
Then I measured in about 2 inches from each end and marked spots for pegs about 6 inches apart and about an inch from the top edge of the board.
I put another row of marks for pegs an inch from the bottom edge, also 6 inches apart, but staggered between the top peg row.
My store-bought shaker-style pegs have 1/2″ bases, so I drilled holes at the marks with a 7/16″ bit for a snug fit, glued the pegs and tapped them in with a mallet. Okay, I used a hammer, but you should use a mallet.
I rubbed it all down with linseed oil and mounted it on the wall with screws drilled into studs once it was dry. Paint would also be nice.
Much better.
I knew I had a backpack!
P.S.: The old rack works great remounted way down below the new rack for the tiny people to reach their own coats–even more space!
You are a genius! Of course, the more pegs you put there, the more stuff you can cram on them. That stupid filling to fit the space phenomenon!
We just had to add two more racks of hooks to our coat-hanging area. Four people plus winter in Montana = a million coats. We need to put one down low for the kids, but that project might have to wait a bit.
Oh if only I had a good spot for a rack in this house. I love hooks. Nothing easier…
Okay, are you spying on us? My eldest’s hook just broke the other day and she’s distraught. I didn’t want to replace it with something just as wimpy. Yours sounds perfect!
Great idea! I’m going to have to do this for us!
Hope you used really long screws! I did something similar, and eventually the entire thing pulled out of the studs. Big crash. Who knew that last ball cap was that freakin’ heavy?
Sigh.
I made 2 reeeeeal long ones – not too heavy, out of a couple of thin boards and a couple of dowels cut to peg lengths. I was looking for something for a bedroom with 3 boys and all those ball caps! Didn’t have to be too heavy. Made them the length(width) of the closet doors, then hung one over the other, high enough to be out of the way of closing the door. Some are harder to get to, but they are out of the way and off the floor.
LOL, wow, that actually made me think of my childhood! We hung our coats in the stairwell (we had a really small house). In the winter time, if you weren’t paying attention and brushed against it, you’d get the aforementioned coat avalanche.
Great idea!!! I saw on a web site somewhere, sorry to whoever it was, just can’t remember. They used old doorknobs for hooks, it was really pretty and different. I was looking at it thinking, dang, wish I had thought of that when I had a box full of old door knobs. : ) esp. the glass ones.
Jude–I saw that in Southern Living a few years ago and thought it was super cool. Kept meaning to accumulate my own box of those doorknobs but never did. The glass ones are gorgeous and the porcelain ones, too.