Coat Racks - Make Your Own Using Old Pallets

Making coat racks out of wooden pallets is a true reflection of your originality and creativity.
Coat Racks - Make Your Own Using Old Pallets

Last update: 17 November, 2019

Try your hand at making artisan products for your home decor! You could make your own coat racks out of old pallets and fill your home with creative, one-of-a-kind innovative pieces.

Pallets are highly versatile and provide a different aesthetic alternative to what most of us are used to. When you repurpose them to change their function they become useful resources to help you in any decor plans you might have.

As for coat hangers, these don’t always have to be the typical stand-alone perch ones with hooks to hang things on. There are many other creative styles to give a more relaxed and fun personality. They’ll for sure draw the attention of any guests you invite into your home.

Why use wooden pallets for coat racks?

A wooden coat rack.

Everyone knows that the common use for pallets is as a base for heavy materials, as, for example, in the field of construction. They’re usually made of wood so they offer a unique resistance thanks to their structure with reinforced planks. Once they’re no longer used for that purpose then you can use pallets for other functions different from their original use, and make them an aesthetic-decorative item. In other words, you can completely change them.

Additionally, you can easily work with the wood they’re made from as it’s easy to cut and handle. At least it’s a lot easier than other raw materials such as steel or plastic. So, the popularity of wooden pallets is due to the many things you can do with them.

Coat racks made with pallets

A coat rack.

 

Actually, you can make a coat rack out of an entire pallet without having to modify it. There are several ways to do so, but in this case, you’ll save a lot of time by not having to cut it into smaller pieces.

  • Just take a pallet, clean it, and remove any surface impurities. Then sand it and varnish it.
  • Attach some metal hooks anywhere you want them so you can hang coats, umbrellas, keys or other things. What matters is that these are well anchored so they won’t move or come off when you hang things on them.
  • Also, you must hang the pallet itself with some hooks or just screw it directly onto the wall. You should reinforce it at various points to efficiently support its weight.

Get creative and add some decorative motifs.

Half a pallet

Another wooden coat rack.

Another really interesting idea would be to cut a pallet in half or in a quarter. Because it’s made of wood you can easily make the cut with any saw. However, make sure the cut is straight and well-executed.

  • You can attach a metal hook to each plank, in a symmetrical and equidistant manner. But, another way to do this would be to use fewer hooks and set them apart, so you can see the overall pallet better, even if it has things hanging from it.
  • Also, you should varnish it or paint it to give it a more finished touch.

Coat racks and shelves on one pallet

A coat rack with shelves.
A pallet has a lot of options to play with – it’s just a matter of using your imagination as follows:
  • Cut the pallet in half and make a shelf with one of the halves.
  • Ideally, you could glue the planks on the top and make some shelves. Or make a few cubby holes for ornaments, utensils and other trinkets.
  • You can place the hooks on the bottom to use them as a coat rack. Also, you can attach some horseshoes to getting a more traditional country feeling.
  • Aged and distressed wood are the best for this type of furniture. It’ll give you a more attractive and innovative aesthetic.

You might divide it into two parts, but these are still a part of the same piece of furniture.

Color finish on wood

A hat and a purse hanging from a perch.

There are two possibilities for re-working pallets. One is to leave the wood as it is, without adding any finish so it has an original and typical pallet appearance.

  • Another solution is to sand the wood and then paint it. If you’re opting for this then you’re probably wondering what the most convenient shades are. If you want to achieve a natural and traditional look, then give the wood a dark brown coat or leave it as it is and just varnish it. This darkens it a bit.
  • Also, if you’re going to place the coat rack in a children’s room, then you can paint it with light or pastel tones such as blue, pink, yellow, white, etc.
  • Or, if you want to achieve a greater color attraction then paint it red. You can distress it or just cover it entirely with this color for a more intense look.
  • You could also use a more neutral tone and add some geometric, animal, or plant motifs.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this article.