How to Repurpose a Headboard into a Coat Rack

Repurposed Entryway Coat Rack

I have this secret addiction to collecting twin headboard and footboards.  I know weird right?  I was inspired several years ago when I saw what some people had done with headboards and footboards and haven't been able to stop since.  I have a pile of them in my garage that I get for either super cheap, or FREE on junk day in our town.  The sky is the limit with what you can do with them and the cool part is they are already all put together to start with!  All we have to do is make a few changes. 

This particular headboard and footboard that I got were from our annual junk day in town.  This means I got them for FREE!  Best price ever.  I just wasn't sure what I could do with them because they are shaped different than most of the styles I work with.  So they have been sitting  in my garage since April.

Here is what I started with, two of these exactly the same.

Then last month, I was at Ross Dress for Less when I saw these beauties.  Now hooks of this size would usually run $12-15 each in this part of the country.  They were only $3.99!  Yep, score!  They inspired me to make a coat rack with them and this headboard/footboard set came immediately in mind. 

 I went home and told Steve my idea and he said, "You only bought 3?  Go get 3 more and do the footboard too!"  Well you don't have to twist my arm to go back to Ross or take on another project!

First things first, the frame was too much.  I needed to cut off part of it so it had a balanced look to it as a coat rack.

I just used a circular saw for this.  It didn't need to be perfect and I could sand off any rough edges.  If you don't yet own one of these, they are super easy to use and you can use them for almost any project.  Here is a link to one on Amazon that you can check out. I've had it for many many years and highly recommend having one in every household!

Amazon Link to Circular Saw - Click Here
 

So now I had the piece I wanted to work with.  I wanted to paint it white and lightly distress it to give it a shabby chic or farmhouse sort of look to it so the wood finish didn't need to be perfect.  I  just used my orbit sander and gave it a quick sanding to remove any top coats.  I also sanded all the corners really well to round out any rough edges.  You can check out the link to an orbit sander below too.  I had a different kind before just a few months ago and this one has changed my whole world.  It has made every project that much easier.  On my old one I always had to stop and replace the sanding strip or it would come lose.  I wish I had bought one of these a long time ago.

Amazon Link to Orbit Sander - Click Here

My favorite part is painting!  Not because I like painting, but because I like to see the results.  And when the beautiful paint goes on you get a visual of what it's going to look like!  This part...this moment for me is THE moment in a project.  All the sudden I can't wait to get it done and don't even want to stop to go to the bathroom until it's finished.

Then we watch the paint dry....

and you really do have to make sure it's dry.  I can't even count how many times I've tried to jump the gun and finish up a project with wet paint.  It just ruins it and ends up taking longer than if I had just waited for the paint to dry.

I used some 100 grit sandpaper and distressed by hand. I focused on thhe corners where something would naturally wear if it were genuinly worn.

Now it was time to move on to the installation of the hooks.  Because this was going to be a coat rack, I wanted to make sure it was SUPER sturdy to hold heavy purses (well mine is) and wet winter coats.  So I decided to take off the metal hook and screw the wood rounds directly into the wood (Steve gave me this idea).  After they were measured, spaced and installed how I wanted them, I reattached the metal hooks over the top of the screws so that you couldn't see them.  I also removed the hardware that came attached to the back of the rounds so they would sit flush against the wood.

Once everything was installed, I had this beautiful finished product!  Seriously, no fancy building involved or needed.  Just repurposing an old bed into something that can be enjoyed and used again in the home.

Here's a close of up the distressing I did.  Not too much, just enough.

I actually love how these turned out so much, that I traded out my old simple coat rack and kept one of these for myself!  Although I sold the other one, I'm thinking I should start making two of everything?

Here was my entryway coat rack BEFORE....

And now the AFTER!

I'll be sharing that entry table makeover coming soon too!  That didn't look like that when I got it and was headed for the junk yard!  I got it from a friend for FREE too!

Have any questions about this repurposed project or any others you are thinking about taking on?  Do you love this as much as I do?