Decorative coat rack and hooks

Hands-on time: 2 to 3 hours.
Total time: Add drying time for the paint, and curing time for the silicon glue.
Skill: Moderate.
Cost estimate: $1.20 per decorative hook.

Materials & Tools

• Use a wooden plaque or slats, or transform anything else you have to create a coat-rack base (unpainted wooden plaques are available at craft and hardware stores)
• Acrylic or latex paint and paintbrush or small roller
• Painter's tape
• A square template, a ruler or measuring tape
• A pencil
• Varnish
• Large clear glass nuggets, also known as glass beads or half-marbles - 3 centimetres around (available at dollar stores, garden centres and where fish supplies are sold)
• Computer printouts of images of choice on quality laser paper
• Scissors
• Clear silicone glue
• Paper towels
• Metal hooks, with a flat edge band with two holes, 6 centimetres long (about $1 per hook, available in silver or gold)
• Flat-head screws
• A regular or powered screwdriver
• Computer and printer with laser paper (optional)

Spring is finally here, and it is time to change our coats. So, why not the coat rack as well? This fun project is not really about the style of the coat rack used or how it is finished or painted. This project is about creating your own original, personalized coat rack hooks.

Fancy decorative hooks can cost anywhere from $4, and if you are going to make a project that requires a lot of them, the costs can add up. So this project might save you some money.

To create the coat rack, use old wood slats and place them in the shape of a garden gate door. After sanding the surface of the wood, wipe it clean with a tack cloth. Using assorted terra-cotta and earth-tone acrylic colours, I painted pastel squares. Use painter's tape to mark the shapes, and then apply the paint with a small roller.

For a contemporary touch, you can add a silver foil band accent. I placed the accent along the centre of each wood slat. This gave the piece a bit of "flash" and broke up the vertical look of "garden gate" motif. To finish it off and to protect it against scuffs and scrapes, give the painted surface a topcoat of matt brush-on varnish.

Now you are ready to add that imaginative touch - the hooks! Once you have determined how many hooks you will need, make sure you have enough glass nuggets and screws for each one. To make the glass nugget images, print pictures from your computer or use images cut out of magazines. After choosing the images you want, place the glass nugget over the picture, and with a pencil trace around the nugget. When cutting out the image, make sure you cut it a little smaller than the traced line, this way it will fit perfectly under the glass nugget.

To stick the images to the glass nuggets, put a small amount of clear silicone glue or white glue at the back of each nugget and spread it over the surface. Now place the image over the glue with the image facing into the glass. Wipe off any excess glue and fingerprints with a paper towel. Repeat steps until you have enough decorative image nuggets for your project. Don't worry if they look milky from the glue, they will dry clear. Set aside to dry for a few hours.

After laying the coat rack flat on a workbench or table, place each hook in the desired spot. Attach each hook to the coat rack using a screwdriver and flat-head screws. Once that is done, apply silicone glue to the back of one of your glass nugget images. Place your image over a screw that holds the hook to the coat rack. The glass nuggets are the perfect size to cover the screw holes of each metal hook. Repeat until you have a glass image over each screw on the metal hooks. Leave the coat rack flat until the beads dry - about 12 hours.

Variations

• For the family that likes to be organized, family pictures can be used to create the decorative hooks. This can be fun and can identify which coat belongs to which family member.
• Also, a great idea is to embellish coat racks in children's bedrooms or playrooms; you can use images of cars, flowers or other images the children like.