Super Easy Coat Rack

While shopping at one of my fave stores, Cost Plus World Market, I fell in love with a coat rack. It had 7 hooks and above each hook was a chalkboard with a day of the week written under it. It was such a clever idea, but for around $35 I knew I could make something similar that was just as cute. So I got to work brainstorming and hammering out all the details, and of course, figuring out how to keep the cost down. As much as I loved the idea of having a hook for each day of the week, I really didn't want to make something that big. I also wanted to make sure the chalkboards were framed out, but didn't wanna have to do the work of making a frame for each one, which is where I got the idea to use these picture frames from Ikea.

I bought 2 packs and used 5 of the 6 frames. They aren't top of the line quality, but they do the job, and really, who can beat $4 for 6 frames! So after doing the math and giving myself a headache (boy, do I hate math!), I figured that if I bought a 4' piece of pine, which cost $4 or $5, everything would be spaced slightly over 2 inches apart (yay, no cutting wood!).

The only thing that needed to be cut was the 1/8 inch plywood for the chalkboard paint. And the best thing about it is that you can use the glass, or in this case plastic, that comes with the picture frames as a template for the size you need.

Next, I primed and painted the pieces with chalkboard paint.

This is not a neccessary step, but if you would like to be able to remove the chalkboard, you can cut a notch on the top of the frames. It doesn't have to look pretty since no one will see it =)

After it's stained, you need to figure out how you want to attach the frames. I wanted to use black nails to match the chalkboards and the black hooks I got, but unfortunately, they didn't have black nails at Home Depot so I went with #14 (don't know what that number stands for) carpet tacks. I originally wanted to hammer them into the corners, but someone saved me from my lack of common sense and pointed out that that would split the wood...so, onto Plan B - hammering in the sides. This was probably the biggest pain of the project because since the frames are fairly cheap quality and are thin, I had to drill holes into the wood prior to gettin' the nails in (this is where that 6th frame comes in handy for practice!). I measured where I wanted the frames, put some Elmer's glue on the back, then hammered away. If you don't make a notch on your frames, make sure you put the chalkboard in the frame before attaching them. Sounds silly and pretty obvious, but I could so see myself doing that!
Now, after the frames are attached, you just need to measure where you want your hooks and screw them in. I got my hooks at Lowe's. Each pack of 2 was a little more than $2. I just LOVE how my coat rack turned out and it was (pretty) simple to make.

Here are some pics of the (almost) finished product. I just need to do a coat of poly and buy some chalk to write our names.

If this isn't your style, you can easily modify it to your taste. For example, you could do beadboard on the back with a whitewash for a beachy look, or do primary colors for a playroom, or use diamond plate for an industrial look.

Another way to change the look is to put pictures of your family members in the frames, instead of writing their name on chalkboard (this is where those notches come in handy 'cause you don't wanna be stuck with a 20 year old picture of someone!).

*UPDATE* Remember how I said you could use the plastic that comes with the frames as a template to cut the plywood? Well, I ended up painting the plastic with chalkboard paint to get a smoother finish. I haven't written on it yet, but it seems like it will hold up well. Aaaand if you use the plastic instead of cutting the wood, this is a no-wood-cutting project! Woohoo!!