I love a good coat rack, and making an easy coat rack out of a cabinet door is even better. How about four cabinet door coat racks? You'll love how easy these projects are!
We had some beautiful weather last week, and I went to my cabinet door stash and grabbed several doors and got busy. It was really fun to do several projects in an assembly line sort of fashion.
I wish my stash currently looked this neat. This is a picture from the archive after I tidied my storage area. These days it is overflowing with finished projects that need to be sold. You've probably seen cabinet door chalkboards, and other easy cabinet door projects, but this might be my new favorite use for cabinet doors.
Materials (for large red project)
- Rectangular Cabinet Door
- 1x4 (cut to length for your cabinet door)
- thin plywood to give more thickness if your cabinet door is not thick enough for coat hook screws
- Coat Hooks
- D Rings
Supplies
- Sandpaper
- Wood Glue
- Paint (red and black)
- Wax (clear or back instead of black paint)
Tools
- Table Saw
- Compound Miter Saw (or have your board cut at your local lumber store)
- Drill (bits)
- Kreg Jig (bit and screws)
- Paint Sprayer (or paint brush)
This is a very simple coat rack project even for beginners if you have the right cabinet door. This door happens to be perfect for this project. One side of the door is beveled, and the other side has a blunt cut that will easily attach to a “shelf” board.
Measure and cut to length a 1x4
See how the cabinet door rests flush on the shelf board? With a beveled edge, it won’t do that. I used my Kreg Jig to drill some pocket holes across the back of the cabinet door. I prefer for the shelf to have a slight overhang on either side of the cabinet door. After cutting your shelf board, knock off the rough edges with your sandpaper.
Need more details on using a Kreg Jig? See my article How to use a Kreg Jig Pocket Hole System
If your cabinet door has a beveled edge
If you have a table saw, a beveled edge cabinet door will work after a quick “rip”.
See? I just needed to take a little off on the top!
Time to paint
Now it’s ready for the Finish Max treatment.
Can you believe I cranked out four cabinet door coat rack shelves quickly? I started painting them all upside down on their shelf, like the picture above with the finish max. I was able to get coverage in most of the places. Of course I used my DIY chalky paint primer mixed with Behr Beluga Semi-Gloss from Home Depot.
I set them on some scrap 2x2’s for their next coat of primer. The cabinet door that is almost naked is a little different. The shelf is made from a piece of crown molding instead of a 1x4. It wouldn’t rest upside down on it’s shelf.
If your cabinet door is too thin for hooks
After I finished painting the cabinet doors, I realized that several of them were too thin to accept the screws that were needed to hold the coat rack hooks. I ripped some small pieces of underlayment to size and glued them in place with Gorilla Wood glue.
NOTE: you can see how the pocket holes and screws attach the cabinet doors to the shelves.
Add color
Next step…. painting. Ever since I made my first cabinet door coat rack last year, I have loved this look of this dry brushed red paint technique. I dry brushed a tiny bit of Reclaim paint on the cabinet door. I won it several months ago, but this was my first time using it. You can see that dry brushing the bright red paint over the black chalky paint gives the cabinet door a great aged look.
After the paint dried I sealed all the coat racks with some Valspar Wax. It’s not typical wax, but reminds me more of a decoupage type medium. It was easy to work with, and there was no buffing!
I gathered all of my coat rack hooks so I could decide what I wanted on each of my new cabinet door coat racks. All of those in the front in the baggies are hooks I’ve purchased from D. Lawless Hardware. Honestly I believe they have the best prices online.
Install d rings and hooks
I always forget to show how I hang my projects. I buy my d rings online, so much cheaper by the 100 count instead of buying them in small packages at the store. Aren’t you LOVING this color? Maybe it’s just me—I can’t seem to do enough red projects lately.
The hooks from D.Lawless.com come with some monster screws that are too long for the cabinet doors even with the extra underlayment I added. I have a package of screws I picked up from Joey’s booth at the Peddler’s Mall. They are inexpensive, and they have lasted a long, long time. To remedy the fact that they are silver, I used a little bit of black craft paint to touch them up.
Red Cabinet Door Coat Rack
This is the smaller cabinet door coat rack shelf with the piece of crown molding for the shelf. Since it’s smaller, I used different hooks. I also purchased these from D. Lawless Hardware.
Here are the four finished cabinet door coat racks with shelves. The bottom left is dry brushed with the same oops purple I used for the screen door memo board, bottom right is dry brushed with Naval from Heirloom Traditions Chalk Type paint.
Both red coat racks are dry brushed with Reclaim Beyond Paint in Poppy.
I didn’t bother staging all of these, but they would be very useful in any room in the house, including the kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and more!
Do you have a favorite color?
gail
related content Cabinet Door into a Chalkboard
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Gail Wilson is the author and mastermind behind My Repurposed Life. She is obsessed with finding potential in unexpected places and believes that with a little hard work and imagination, any old thing can be made useful again, including herself!
Gail reinvented herself during a midlife crisis and has found purpose again. She hopes you will find new ideas for old things and pick up a few tools along the way.
Jennie
I’m starting a cabinet door chalk board. The firnish is an odd looking white washed medium oak. It’s a factory done finish. How fine should I sand them down? The paint I chose is a really deep red, I’m not really into distressed edges, but would like to try some wax on it do you have a brand I should try?
Thanks for your help.
Gail Wilson
Jennie
Sanding is a personal preference. You want to at least take the shine off. I prefer using my own diy chalky paint. I'm painting today using satin paint mixed with plaster of paris for the first coat. Satin without plaster of paris for the second coat and Semi-gloss as the final top coat (for a dresser and chest). As far as the chalkboard portion, a light sanding is all you need because the chalkboard paint is very flat.
I am also working on a chalkboard today. I use rustoleum chalkboard paint. Today's application was done with a small foam roller. It's looking fabulous.
I still LOVE making chalkboards! This one is out of an old door.
good luck, have fun!
gail
ps if the cabinet door has ANY grease and/or grime on it, it is a MUST to remove it with a degreaser.
Albert
I am in love with the 4 cabinets door coat racks
Kathy
I love your projects! I don't have a crafty bone in my body, my sister got those genes. Baking is my thing. Do you sell your things? If so, do you take orders? I have been on the hunt for a coat rack for my laundry room. These would definitely fit the bill.
gail@myrepurposedlife.com
Kathy
I do sell most of my items. I made a bunch of this kind of coat rack out of cabinet doors so I could make a dent in my cabinet door stash. They are fun to make. I don't generally ship my items, but I'm up to that if I have something you'd like.
gail
Kathy
I just had my laundry room renovated. The cabinets in there are white shaker style. I was thinking of a white shaker coat rack with satin nickel hooks, without the shelf. Tell me, if I found a white shaker cabinet door, would I need to do any prep work to it? Or would I just have to screw on the hooks? What are the dimensions of your large cabinet door? If it doesn't involve any sawing or glueing, I might be able to do it 🙂
gail@myrepurposedlife.com
I'm sorry, I don't know the size, as it has been sold.
You could do the door with just the hooks added to it, with no extra work. You could put the hooks on the bottom of the door and do a vinyl saying in the middle of the door like I did with these coffee signs. https://www.myrepurposedlife.com/2015/10/easy-cabinet-door-projects.html
Kathy
I want to hang coats on mine. What do you think of screwing the cabinet door directly into the wall with molly bolts? I love the idea of a vinyl saying. It's going in my laundry room so it would say something about laundry.
Lori
Sweet!
Sharon @ Elizabeth & Co.
Not only do I love this and all of your projects Gail, but I know how much time and effort it takes to photograph and write detailed tutorials. You are not only talented, but one of the hardest working bloggers out there. Just want you to know that you are appreciated! Featured you at Be Inspired this morning. Thanks so much for sharing!
gail@myrepurposedlife.com
Sharon,
You make me smile. Only another blogger can truly appreciate what we go through. Thank you so very much for your very sweet comment, and I'm beyond thrilled to be featured!!!
gail
Joan
Your hooks turned out fantastic but I most appreciate the tip on where to get the d Hooks. Noticed the use of the Kreg jig, my boys got me one for my birthday right after you said I had to have one, and I didn't even ask. Now, I just have to figure out how to use it.
gail@myrepurposedlife.com
Joan,
The kreg is really easy. I don't remember if I've done any videos. But you can probably find them on youtube.
The thing to remember is to have the jig and the bit (collar) set to the proper depth. With that, you can't go wrong. Just find some junky wood, or an easy project and go for it. You will LOVE it.
D rings are so expensive by the 10's. I got my order of 100 today, and I'm so glad that they are such a great deal.
enjoy that kreg jig!
I think this is a good post for beginners. https://www.myrepurposedlife.com/2010/09/using-kreg-jig-jr.html
gail
Patricia
I seem to remember sometime earlier in the year, I was going to make a Christmas gift a month for the family gifts this year! Now... Sept 2, I see these AWESOME COAT HOOKS... and say... WHERE HAS THE TIME GONE?
I love these. I've been using the kreg jig jr. We bought a few years ago, on all the campering we've been doing-- and now, I believe I could make some of these gorgeous shelves!
You did an excellent job. I like that you painted the screws to match the hook.
Remember, in a pinch, an oil base sharpie works too!
gail@myrepurposedlife.com
A sharpie is a great suggestion Patricia. I always have black paint on hand.... can rarely find a sharpie with any decent ink in it around this place!!! I think they have legs and walk away.
gail
Betsy
Great idea to make so many at one time. Love the shelf you added and both colors too. Thanks, Gail for sharing at Vintage Inspiration Party.
Pili
Wow, what a fantastic idea, they look great!! I have plenty of cabinet door so maybe I can try...
Thanks for sharing!
Hugs,
Pili
Julie @ follow your heart woodworking
I like the blue (naval) but like them all really, the red is lovely but wouldn't go with anything in my house.
Patty
Beautiful! I'm partial to anything in the blue family.
Margot C
These are so cool and so certainly doable. I wish that I had a table saw though.
Rose
I LOVE doing fun things with old cupboard doors.
And I'm so glad you shared this project, because I have been looking for a better way to hang them, and I love those d-rings. I'm definitely going to order some of those!!!
chris aka monkey
i have a small cabinet door sitting in my bedroom waiting for my lazy butt to do something with, and i am glad i didn't do it up until i saw this, i would have put the shelf on the bottom but it looks way better on the top, and i wouldn't have thought to do dark paint first but i will now and the red over it is just plum gorgeous thanks gail pinned xx
gail@myrepurposedlife.com
so happy to inspire you Chris. I hate when I do a project and THEN see it done differently, wishing I could go back in time. It's happened often. I love priming with black and doing the washes over it. It totally gives the BEST red color ever (in my opinion) 🙂
gail
Mindi
You know I love your cabinet door coat racks! I love your dry brush technique, it is really beautiful Gail!
Donna Marie
I like the blue--but would take all four!!!
Jeanie @ create&babble
Ooo, I love these, especially the red! I can picture it with stockings hanging from the hooks for the Holidays! I always see a ton of cabinet doors at the Re-Store and I couldn't think of what to make with them - this is a great idea! Pinning!
cassie @ primitive & proper
looks great- love the rustic finish! when i clicked over from bloglovin i got a message that said this feed has moved. just heads up. 🙂
Christina in FL
Brilliant! I love the red, though I am still hung up on blues... which really aren't my favorite color. lol I have to get a FinishMax!! Thank you for the inspiration!
gail@myrepurposedlife.com
Funny.... blue has always been my favorite color. Though I love the blue, the red is still my favorite. 🙂
you would LOVE a finish max!
gail