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When we first purchased our house, the master bedroom closet had one double hook mounted to the drywall. We commenced to hanging items on it like belts, purses, hats, and whatever else would fit on it. It wasn’t a great solution but not something I gave much thought to. However, the hook has gradually worked its way loose from the wall over the years and we have gone on using it without fixing it.
The time had come to update it to something a little better. There are lots of options out there that you can purchase but I decided to build a solution out of some scrap wood and hooks. This simple project can be done by anyone with only a few tools and supplies. It looks great and sits sturdy on the wall-mounted into the studs so that it will not pull loose from the drywall over time.
Now, instead of having one small hook in our closet, we have multiple hooks that are sturdy and ready to hold whatever we want to hang on them.
The only tools you’ll need for this project are the following:
- Piece of wood (I used a spare piece of pine that measured 15″ x 4″. You can cut yours to whatever size suits your needs)
- Garment Hooks (I used 3 double hooks – purchased from Lowe’s)
- Screws – Long enough to screw into studs (I used 2 1/2 inch screws)
- Saw to cut the piece of wood (I used a circular saw and miter saw. You may not need this if you already have a piece of wood with your preferred dimensions.)
- Router + bit (Optional – you can either route or just sand the edges)
- Stud Finder
- Sandpaper
- Paint or some kind of finish
Step 1 – Cut The Wood To Proper Dimensions
I used a piece of scrap wood that was sitting in my garage for this project. I did have to square it up by cutting it and used a combination of circular saw and miter saw to accomplish this. I settled on the size of 15″ x 4″ because that’s what I was left with after squaring up the wood. You may need different measurements for your application.
Once the wood was cut to the dimensions I wanted, I used a router and a 5/32″ Roman Ogee router bit to pretty up the edges. You don’t have to do this but it does give it a more finished look. You can sand the edges nicely to make it look great as well. There is no right or wrong when DIYing something like this. Just do it the way you like and whatever works best for your space.
Once done with the routing, sand it nicely to remove any rough edges or splinters. I used 160 grit, to begin with, and then finished with 320 grit.
Step 2 – Drill Holes For Mounting Screws
Now is a good time to measure and drill holes for the screws that will hold the entire piece to the wall. It’s good to get this over with before you finish the wood with paint, stain, or other finish. I placed my holes underneath where two of my hooks will go so that these screws will remain unseen. However, yours may not line up this way and you can simply place them wherever works best. The size of bit you use will be determined by the size of screws you are using.
I found the studs with a stud finder and determined exactly where my screws would need to go. Once this was determined, I was able to mark them on the wood and drill my holes. For mine, I made sure they were positioned to be underneath the hooks on each side. This took some finagling to figure out but it wasn’t too difficult.
You don’t have to hide your screws under the hooks. It’s no big deal if the screws are seen. It’s just something I did to make the piece extremely sturdy but give it a clean look.
It’s also a good time to line up the hooks how you want them and mark where the mounting holes will go. You can use something sharp to mark the wood. I used an awl to pierce small holes.
Step 3 – Apply The Finish
Now that the hard work of cutting, routing, sanding and drilling holes are done, it’s time to put a finish on it. It would look great natural so you may not even want a finish on it. However, if you are going to leave it natural, I would recommend at least applying a protective polyurethane to it.
There is no right or wrong here so just have fun with it and make it look unique.
I painted mine and roughed it up a little so it wouldn’t look so new. I prefer a vintage, antique, roughed-up look on most of the things I build so I followed this trend with this piece.
The only thing left to do after the finish is applied, is to install the hooks.
Step 4 – Install Garment Hooks
At this point, you have a finished piece of wood that is ready for some hooks. It’s up to you to choose how many hooks you need for your personal needs. I installed 3 double hooks in mine and just spaced them out evenly across the width of the board. The hooks should come with screws and once they are screwed into the board, you’ll have a few sturdy places to hang belts, ties, purses, bathrobes, and other items.
If you have drilled the holes to be hidden underneath a couple of hooks, you’ll want to leave these hooks off for now.
Step 5 – Mount it to The Wall
Now that it’s all put together, you can simply screw it to the wall using the holes you created earlier. If you have lined it up correctly, you should have two studs available to hang it on. If not, you may have to use anchors to get it to hold in the wall.
Conclusion
This makes a much better solution than what I had before this. The one hook I had available before was not very impressive and after a while of hanging and removing items from it, the anchor held less and less. These tend to become loose over time. You can fix them but this new solution will give you more mounting strength and more hooks to be able to mount items.
Now, instead of having only two rickety hooks to hang items, I have six sturdy ones. I also have something hanging on the wall in the closet that looks good.
This has helped me to neaten up my closet a bit. I now have a more substantial area to hang my belt and for my wife to hang her items. I utilized wood that I already had lying around the garage and cheap hooks that I purchased locally. You should be able to find similar hooks at any hardware store.
If your closet is like mine was with a terrible hanging solution, this little project is just what you need. It’s fairly simple and you can go as simple or as intricate as you want. It’s a cheap fix that will look great in your closet.
