Every home needs a coat rack, but I love old books, and wanted to find a way to to find a way to incorporate them into useful decor and not just a stack of dust collectors, so I turned the into a coat rack, so you can literally hang on every word! 🙂
If your a new visitor – WELCOME!
I’m Angie, the author behind the old stuff here at Knick of Time and owner of the Knick of Time online market.
You can see all my Repurposed Vintage projects HERE and view the progress of our farm-country home remodel HERE
Let’s get started!
I sorted through all my old books and selected colors that compliment each other, but you could also choose books to match your decor, or paint the covers of books, as I did HERE.
Old Books Coat Rack Supplies:
~Old books,
~Scrap wood board
~Coat hooks
~Screws & screwdriver
~E6000 glue.
I had everything I needed already, so this project didn’t cost me anything.
I attached the 4 largest books to the wood board (cut to correct length) with 2 long screws in each book. It helps to have an assistant stand on the books to keep them pressed flat while the screws are driven in. Make sure the backs of the books are facing the board. I used screws long enough to go through the board and most of the way through the book, without coming through the front cover.
I flipped it over and put 2 more screws through the front of each book, so the books can’t pull apart and are firmly attached to the board.
Now, it’s time to add the small books. Your coat rack will only be as sturdy as the books the hooks are attached to, so I first glued the back covers of the small books to the larger books underneath them.
Next, inside the front cover of the small books I used a small piece of plumber’s tape (a flexible metal strip with holes in it), and long screws to securely attach the small book to the larger book. Again, have a helper press down on the book to keep the screw from “grabbing” the pages.
The only thing left to do is attach the hooks to the books. Again, I used fairly long screws because it pulls the cover of the top book securely in place so the covers won’t shift with weight hanging on the hooks.
I used D-ring hangers added to the back base board to hang my coat rack, but you could also drill a hole into the wood and add a keyhole hanger over the hole. Books are heavy, so make sure you either locate studs in your wall to hang it on, or use anchor screw inserts in the wall. Start to finish, this project took about an hour.
This post contains an affiliate link for a product I used.
If you like this project, you may also like these projects! Click HERE to see them all!
Donna @ Funky Junk Interiors has assembled a team of junkers (including myself) to pin some of THE best projects from around the internet, on a new junk-theme Pinterest board. We’ve been busy pinning, not only our own creations, but hundreds more that we believe are unique and creative. She also challenged each of us to come up with a new junk-inspired creation for this fun, junky event.
Now, are you ready to see all the amazing projects created by our team of junkers? Click on their names to visit each project (remember to link up your own project below first)!
{PIN now & MAKE later!}
In addition to our own projects, our team has been busy pinning some of the best “junk” creations from around the junk-lovin’ world, which you can VIEW HERE. Be sure to click “follow”, so you don’t miss new additions to the board, which are added every day.
Now, it’s YOUR turn to link up your junk projects! Our team will each select some of our favorites to add to the Junkers United pinboard.
I have a set of encyclopedias I “thought” we got rid of years ago. I discovered them hiding in Brawns messy garage. Guess he couldn’t bring himself to throw books away, so I’ll show him what he can do with some of them.
I love Bliss’s idea! I love the coat rack. Never in a million years would I think to do that. Definitely pinning. Love the party theme. Good thing I had something old and junky today!
You are a girl after my own heart–old books are the best! I have done old book hooks, but none this cool and wonderful.
Cool coat rack – I will probably use this idea somehow somewhere. There is some seriously junky great projects here. Way to go, girls!
Oh my goodness… coolest hooks I ever did see! I LOVE the old patina of those books and their jewel tone colours. Totally genius way to emphasize our love for junk and have it productive as well! I really REALLY need this in my life! 🙂
Love your “junk” project, Angie! Fabulous.
Oh wow! Your hook rack is neat!
Okay Angie, this is one of my favorite little projects you have done! Too cool!
Great book rack! I have become a junk addict, thanks to your inspiration!
Thanks for hosting girls, I do love myself a junky party…oh wait that didn’t come out right…LOL
Christine from Little Brags
You did it again with another fabulous project. Love all the colorful books and those big chunky hooks.
Oh my! I just commented to Becky over at Beyond the Picket Fence that I’m an English major and love anything with old books. Now I’m in love all over again here! What a fantastic project Angie!
Wow Angie! what a unique way of using old books! I also love and use old books for home decor and my craft booth display. I would have to use books that I wasn’t so attached to for this project. TFS! I shared a project on your link party and will definitely check out the Pinterest board.
Angie- That is a really, really cute idea. I love it and what a great use of old books! xo Diana
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What I meant to say was that I love your book hooks and they would be a great match with the runner at Becky’s! Great idea Angie! LOL
Thank you for a great party! Angie, that book hook project is fabulous!!! ~Ann
Tarnished Royalty
I LOVE your book idea, Angie. I LOVE your whole blog and your great ideas! This junkin party is going to be fun. Can’t wait to take time to look at all the great projects, but then I know that I will want to make everything! Thanks for hosting.
Laura
So VERY cool Angie! I LOVE old book projects…now they can be out and enjoyed instead of in a dusty pile somewhere 🙂
That’s an awesome idea, I have a lot of books and a crummy bookshelf that needs a major revamp. A bit off the topic but please do an inspiration board for the bedroom, with 1000 thread count flat sheet and all that jazz. I just recently moved to a new home and I’m super excited about decorating but I don’t know where to start! Thank you!
Angie, this is such an awesome project…you are SO creative!!
Love your book rack for hanging, so cute. I saw a single book being used with a dowel for hanging small objects. Love your idea, and love old books.
Thanks for hosting, linking up, and newest follower and pinterest too! Glad to have found you!
That is one awesome book rack! Thanks for the party!
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this. Well done!
This is sooo cool! I love the way it turned out and would LOVE to link to your how-to if you didn’t mind.
Thank you so much for linking up to Redoux! I am sharing at my party today. Starts at 9:00 a.m. PST.
well I am truly loving this! I saw your feature on someday crafts and had to come over and show you some comment luv!
This is awesome, Angie! I love it and actually came over from Creating with the Stars after seeing it mentioned in another of your posts. Good luck!! And I’m going to be here all day (night) checking out so many of these fantastic links!
Debbie 🙂
Loving this project. We do a lot of upcycling at my studio and I am posting this on my business page to show our community. It’s darling!
Funny story: I’m not saying I “recommend” this… but I ordered the woven window shade before we decided to re-case the window. Do you see where this is going? Yup. It was too big. Well, we decided we didn’t have anything to lose since it was custom ordered, and we rolled it up super tight, tied it up (several inches in from the ends), and shortened it with the chop saw. And it worked!