Introduction: Wooden Ukulele Wall Hanger

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About: Jack of all, master of none, but better than one.

It's been so long since I've written an Instructable so cheers to being back!

As you can see I have a lot of things on my wall. Some of them I've bought, some of them I've made, all together they make my desk/workspace a place I love spending time. In my quest to add to the wall I noticed a spot that was perfectly fit for my ukulele and as makers do I got to work designing a ukulele wall hanger. This is an easy and quick project for the weekend, enjoy!

Supplies

Materials:

  • 3/4 in. wood at least 7in. long (I used red oak from home depot)
  • 1&1/4 in. wood screws
  • Hanger Template (pdf included)
  • Wood glue
  • Sandpaper (60, 80, 100,150, 220, 400)
  • Stain of your choice
  • 2 plastic drywall mounts

Tools:

  • Jigsaw or scroll saw
  • Drill
  • 3/8in Spade bit
  • Clamp
  • Dremel/Rotary Tool
  • Files
  • Sander

Step 1: Sketch and Design

The hanger is designed to fit a soprano ukulele, in total it's 3in long and 2 3/4in wide, but also to fit in the space I wanted it so know that you can make it to fit the feel of your space as well. I designed the template in InDesign and have included it as a pdf for your convenience.

Attachments

Step 2: Mark the Cuts

So to start I printed, cut out, traced the template onto a piece of 3/4in thick red oak wood. I then marked the back piece to be 3 1/2in by 2 1/2in

Step 3: Cut the Pieces

A scroll saw is probably better suited to cut out the hanger part but I don't have one and so instead used a jigsaw. One thing that helped me was drilling holes (bigger than the blade of the saw) where the direction changed to allow me room to readjust the direction I was cutting.

Step 4: Shape the Hanger

Using the jigsaw gave me a rough shape but it needed to be cleaned up so I used some files and my Dremel to get it looking right. I also opted to give it rounded edges because I like how they look but of course you can also do straight edges.

Step 5: Drill Mounting Holes

My initial plan was to attach the hanger to the back piece with a screw but eventually decided to use wood glue instead. It's up to you if you want to attach via screw.

Otherwise drill two pilot holes 1/2in. centered from the top and bottom of the backing piece. Then grab your 3/8 spade bit and drill the mounting holes

DISCLAIMER: I forgot to do this before attaching the hanger to the backing piece so I did it after but make sure to do it before so you don't have to re-sand.

Step 6: Sand

I chose to sand with grits 60, 80, 100, 150, 220, and 400. I hand sanded the hanger piece just because it was easier, but used an electric sander for the back piece.

Step 7: Attach the Pieces Together

If you opt for the screw attachment go ahead and do that now. I used some wood glue, initially using some painters tape to hold it in place while I got the clamp on and in the right place. Now let it set for a day.

Step 8: Touch-up Sanding and Stain

Same story here as before, I used the grit 60, 80, 150, 220, and 400 to get rid of the excess glue and do some touch ups. Then I gave a nice coat of Polyurethane finish and let it dry for 24 hours. I put a screw back into the original hole that I drilled to hold it while I was staining. Remember to use gloves while staining, you don't want chemicals on your skin. Your skin is a permeable membrane and these chemicals will be absorbed through the skin.

Step 9: Drywall Mounting

If your attaching this to a stud than this isn't necessary, but if not grab two plastic drywall anchors and drill the holes to fit them. I started by doing one hole, attaching the mount via that one hole and then drilling the other screw through the mount and into the drywall so I knew exactly where the screw anchor needed to go. Then I took the hanger back off and installed the second anchor.

Step 10: Install and Enjoy!

Once the stain has dried all you have to do is screw it into the mount and you're good to go. I put both screws in and poking through so I could easily put them in the mounts without scratching the wall. Now all there's left to do is enjoy! :)

I thought about using some eva foam as padding on the hanger but I didn't like the look of it so opted not to use it but if you want to take that extra precaution with your instrument you can.