DIY: Make a Towel/Coat/Coffee Mug Holder

Beautiful Things - February 2020

This month, our D-I-Y diva helps a friend brighten up a bathroom with the addition of a super-simple hanging rack.

- Story and photos by Holly Lemoine-Raymond

Recently I had the opportunity to help a friend revitalize her bathroom on a shoestring budget. This is one of the projects we did to bring her bathroom back to life!
 
Easy Alert – this is a super quick and simple project!
 
You can use this project for your bathroom, hallway, or kitchen. I saw this wall hanger at World Market and thought about how wonderfully simple that would be to add a touch of rustic charm to any room!

Supply List:
 

• Stain (I like to use Espresso)
• Paint brush
• Saw
• Safety glasses
• Deck board or other piece of wood to restore (1X5, 1X4)​

Beautiful Things
is sponsored by

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• Drill with proper bits
• Screws to secure the wall hanger to the wall and hooks to the wood
• Hooks of your choice
• Wood pencil
• Tape measure
  (Remember, measure twice, cut once!)
• Screwdriver
• Sanding block

This wall rack on the World Market website was my inspiration for this month's project.

Step 1: Find the wood

Find the piece of wood you want to use. I started with two fence boards and chose the better of the two. The old fence board will give it the rustic look I really like and it’s FREE. Make sure you wipe the wood down with a damp rag. The piece(s) of wood I used were really dirty! If you are going to hang your towels or bathrobe on the hook, you’ll want to be sure to clean that wood really well! I mean, who wants dirty wood on their clean white, terrycloth robe?

Step 2: Cut the wood
 
Measure and cut your wood to size, remembering my DIY mantra:  Measure twice, cut once. The one I made is 1” x 6” and 24 inches long. When you cut your fence or deck board, make sure to cut the ends off flush – no dog ears allowed!
 

 
Step 3: Sanding and (optional) staining the wood
 
I did sand but did not stain my wood. If I were to stain the wood, I would use an Espresso stain. That’s my go-to stain color. I love the rich color it gives the wood. It’s usually a good complement to earth tones or soft gray. If staining, give it a few hours to dry. Drying time depends on the air temperature and humidity. A good test to see if it is dry is to touch the wood. If it feels tacky, let it sit a little longer, otherwise, you are ready for Step 4!

Step 4: Mount the hooks
 
To mount your hooks, you will want to measure to ensure they are evenly spaced. No one likes an unevenly spaced hook! I started one inch from the edge, spaced 5 inches apart, and had room for four (4) hooks.
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Step 5: Mount the wood to the wall
 
Once you’ve mounted your hooks, decide on your wall hanger’s location and fasten it to the wall.  Use a stud finder first to make sure you’ll be fastening it into solid wood to support the weight of the hanger.

 
Now that your wall hanger is mounted, it’s ready to use. Hang up a towel, your coat, or even a mug depending on the location. Super easy and inexpensive!
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Good luck!