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High Functioning Coat Hooks

High Functioning Coat Hooks
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  • PaintCanCoatHooks.jpg
  • PaintCanCoatHooks2.jpg
  • PaintCanCoatHooks3.jpg
  • PaintCanCoatHooks4.jpg
Back in Los Angeles, any old coat rack or a few hooks by the door would do. Most of us would just toss a jacket in the back of the car in the winter months. But here in Vermont we need a little more. Many of the vernacular farm houses I visit have at least a half dozen hooks per person lined up in their mud rooms. My wife and I each will have several different coats, jackets and vests in play all winter long. Add to that assorted scarves, hats and gloves, several of each for both of us, and your average coat rack doesn’t stand a chance. The bench by our door spent the whole winter covered in coats hats and gloves with the overflow often spreading to the back of the sofa in the living room.

Materials, for each hanger you'll need:
     One cleaned or refinished paint can.
     2 screws long enough to reach into wall studs.

Tools:
     Long handled screwdriver or screw gun with sufficient extensions to reach bottom of can.
     Punch or small drill
     Stud finder (optional)

Step one:   With the handle in a horizontal position, layout and make 2 small mounting holes at the top and bottom of the can within an inch or less of the edge.

Step two:   locate and mark stud position on wall for upper screw position.

Step three:   Screw through the upper hole of the can into the wall stud but not quite snug to the wall.

Step four:  Straighten the can and screw through the lower hole of the can into the wall stud snug to the wall.

Step five:  Snug up first screw.

Step six:  Hang, stuff, drape and regain control of your entry space!
41 comments
1-40 of 41next »
Nov 13, 2011. 3:48 AMiforhouses says:
This is a wonderfull DIY ideea. The hanger is too cool and original not to be tried.
i think inside of those buckets i will add some colored LED's....
Nov 1, 2011. 9:31 AMredecorator1 says:
What a brilliant idea!
My firm is Use What You Have Interiors, so you know I love this clever reuse of what was already there.
Thanks... I will share.

Lauri Ward
www.redecorate.com
Jul 28, 2011. 8:08 AMLes Créateliers says:
Hello Brian!
This instructable is absolutely wonderful! So I decided to feature it on my website! You can see the page here:

http://lescreateliers.com/Les_Createliers/Idees_Ideas/Entries/2011/7/27_Crochets_pour_manteauxCoat_hooks.html

If, for any reason, you do not wish to appear on my website, just let me know and I'll remove my post right away!

Cheers,

Marie-Eve
Jul 29, 2011. 7:03 AMLes Créateliers says:
I'm very sorry you had a bad experience here, we're not all like that fortunately! :)
Thanks for letting me repost!
Jun 10, 2011. 8:59 PMmyspirit says:
Brilliant! I love the dual-functionality, the cubby to stash a knit hat/gloves, and the place to gently hang the jacket.

BRILLIANT! I can't wait to do this in my hallway
May 29, 2011. 4:06 PMdaveteach says:
Thanks for the great idea. Thinking of installing in my classroom using the interior for gloves/hats, etc and affixing some sort of S-hook to the can handle for hanging the coats.
May 30, 2011. 12:20 AMArcticNemo says:
A further one-up for this would be acrylic "spills" dripping down from the bottom of the cans, with hooks molded like splashing paint. Wire reinforcement should leave them plenty tough. Great for a classroom or creative/fun environment.
Jun 1, 2011. 5:29 PMArcticNemo says:
A simpler plywood and paint build would be quicker and cheaper...but.
.. A template for the "spill": Plywood shape with radiused edge would do nicely, leave a hole for the paint can.
.. Create an organic shape for the hook, focused on looking like a splash or drip. This should be easy with clay or dough molded directly to the board.
.. Pour a silicone mold around the front of the spill template.
.. Time to mold: Create a stiff wire form, bent around the base of the can and into the body of the hook cavities.
.. With mold, can, and wire in place, pour resin.

I need to get tools and do this.
May 30, 2011. 7:20 AMdaveteach says:
I can picture this. Xlent. Thanks
May 31, 2011. 1:36 PMxlih says:
What is a 'vernacular' farm house?
May 31, 2011. 4:00 PMxlih says:
Cool! Thanks, this is good to know.
May 30, 2011. 8:35 PMJavin007 says:
LMAO! Did you see that this got featured on Consumerist?
http://consumerist.com/2011/05/why-paint-cans-beat-coat-hooks-at-their-own-job.html
May 30, 2011. 12:04 PMrleemans says:
This idea would work great in the shop too. I could hang my air lines from it, and put the air tools, connectors, blow nozzles and air chucks inside.
Thanks!
May 29, 2011. 6:36 PMJames Pronk says:
I am going to use 5 gallon paint pails for all the hats and mitts we have. It will be much better then not turning the heat on so you don't need to take anything off and hang it up
May 29, 2011. 2:37 PMecowaters says:
Brilliant. This is the answer for the places where I wanted to install shelves and hooks but doubted my ability to install shelves that would take weight. These will also be good for my summer sun hats. Now to figure out where to install them in my apartment. I might go to the thrift shop to look for attractive drillable canisters.
May 29, 2011. 6:40 PMhohum says:
ecowaters,

this is one great idea, as an offshoot to this idea, and I am not taking away from how good this idea is,

get a piece of 5/8 plywood, find the studs drill in some massive screw hooks, mount your cans, install some 'eye' plates and then hang the plywood/can to the screw hooks, that way, you could take your plywood can coat hook with you,

you can do thias.
May 29, 2011. 2:29 PMArghus says:
this surprized me quite a lot..

Good Idea
May 26, 2011. 7:34 PMfrogan says:
Nevermind, here they are for just a few bucks.
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=buy+empty+paint+can&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=7948570596667066890&sa=X&ei=bg3fTfXCDZC-sAO60dmSBw&ved=0CF4Q8wIwAQ
May 29, 2011. 2:08 PMboocat says:
I use those empty new paint cans to store candy away from mice!
May 29, 2011. 2:01 PMBtheBike says:
Very Smart re-use .
May 29, 2011. 1:22 PM9ale7 says:
new idea, great :)
May 29, 2011. 7:25 AMDraines22 says:
Seems like Coffee cans could be used for the same purpose.
May 29, 2011. 6:57 AMjessyratfink says:
These are awesome! What a great idea. :D
May 28, 2011. 8:28 PMgrannyjones says:
Empty paint cans at The Home Depot.
New and unused.
Gallon and quart sizes.
OK, not recycled--but quick!
May 26, 2011. 3:57 PMSyncubus says:
Great idea! I'd suggest pan-headed screws and washers to keep them from pulling through the relatively thin bottoms of the paint cans.
May 26, 2011. 7:33 PMfrogan says:
I suppose you could do this with anything similarly shaped that can affixed to a wall. But is there a way to buy an empty paint can?
May 26, 2011. 3:51 PMmacruadhi says:
Does the cost of paint thinner/remover make it worth it?
May 26, 2011. 6:11 PMez_aquarii says:
you can buy new, empty paint cans at the hardware store
May 26, 2011. 12:55 AMjohnsuri says:
nice!
May 25, 2011. 2:43 PMzazenergy says:
Very cute and inventive! Love it.
May 25, 2011. 1:26 PMCrLz says:
Great idea!
1-40 of 41next »

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Author:BrianJewett(Brian Jewett)