Happy Monday! Today I’m sharing how to make a rustic looking towel rack using the pallet wood I showed you how to disassemble last week! I’m really excited about this one- I love the way it turned out. Before I made this, we were hanging our towels over the shower curtain rod (seriously). So not fun. This is my last DIY Video with Shaw TV for a few weeks while we prepare some more for you. That’s right. We’re doing more! So thank you for all the positive feedback and convincing them to have me back. You guys rock :)
You’ll Need:
- Pallet Wood
- 60 Grit Sandpaper
- Saw (circular saw, chop saw, hand saw all work)
- Stain, a rag to apply, and gloves
- Clear Coat
- Power Drill and 1 Inch Screws (or longer, depending how thick your wood is)
- Hooks
Decide how big you want your towel rack to be (I used washi tape to mark it out on our wall) and cut your pieces to length. You can use a circular saw, chop saw, or hand saw for this. You’ll also want to cut two pieces of backing that will be two inches shorter than your towel rack is wide. Then, give your pieces a light sanding to get rid of all the really rough spots, but not so much that you lose the rustic quality of the wood.
Now give it a coat of stain and then a coat of clear coat. I didn’t take pictures of these steps, but I’m sure you are super smart and can figure it out ;) Once it’s all dry, try laying out the pieces of your towel rack to get the look you like. Then you can flip it over and start screwing it together.
Screw through the backing, the screws will just get into the pallet pieces enough to hold them in place, but not all the way through so you don’t see the screws. Oh, and you won’t see this last shot in the video… I’m super prepared and didn’t realize my backing pieces were the tiniest bit thicker than the rest of the pallet wood. So mid filming we had to stop and sort through my bucket of miscellaneous screws to find some that were a quarter inch longer. Embarrassing, right? Anyways… next step.
You’re pretty much assembled… now just for the hooks! I used antique hooks (I love ’em!) and since they’re cast with the screws in them, I drilled pilot holes before hand screwing my hooks in. If I had standard hooks, I would have just screwed them in with a drill.
So that’s it, guys! I hope you like it as much as I do. If you want you could paint something on the top half- or add a picture frame or something clever like that. I planned on painting ‘squeaky clean’ on mine, but I decided I loved it without. What do you guys think!? Would you paint a saying on it, or leave it as is?
Oh, and if you missed the rest in the video series check them out here! DIY Confetti Wreath / DIY Driftwood Garland / How I Disassemble a Pallet
Erin
Lovely! Where did you find those hooks?
Colleen Pastoor
From the Pritchard Antique store… have you been? We’ll have to take you!
Erin
I have never been. I will put it on my “next time” list.
Kara
I love this! I think if I were every to live in a house with no ensuite bathroom, I’d definitely use something like this with multiple hooks instead of towel rods. (Also: Why is it that they only ever hold 2 towels, max? Ridiculous.)
Colleen Pastoor
We’re trying to make life work without an ensuite (that’s the only thing this house is missing) so more hooks were a must!
Theresa @DearCreatives
I need two of these at my house! Love how easy it looks to make. Pinning for later. Found you through a hop stop by anytime.
Colleen Pastoor
Thanks so much Theresa! If you do make them, I’d love to see photos!
Jenny
This will look amazing in my bathroom! I would love for you to share a project on my Meet Up Monday Blog Party!
http://jennymaire.blogspot.com/
Colleen Pastoor
Thanks so much Jenny (I hope they do!) I’ll head over and check it out :)
Jenn @ My Fabuless Life
I swear everything you touch turns to AMAZING!! So, so in love with this!!
Colleen Pastoor
Aw, thanks so much Jenn! You make my day :)
Katherines Corner
It looks terrific it gives a wonderful rustic vibe. Love it. Hugs!
Colleen Pastoor
Thanks Katherines! I have a whole rustic industrial idea for our bathroom when we FINALLY get around to doing it… so this is the first :)
linda
Sweet! I like the towel rack without any extras. Linda
Colleen Pastoor
Thanks Linda! Me too, I’m so glad I decided against painting it!
Breanna
I love this so much!! I think I need one :) Thanks for linking up to Your Designs This Time :)
Colleen Pastoor
Thanks so much Breanna (I’m so excited you’re here!)
jennifer prod
this look so, so great colleen! and your tv presence is awesome – you’re a natural!
Colleen Pastoor
Ah thanks girl! I’m pretty happy with it, we did the four I’ve got up in one day. I’m hoping our next go I’ll be able to work out some of my awkward :)
Sarah @ Pretty Simple Ideas
I love beautiful AND practical and this is just that. Thanks for sharing!
Colleen Pastoor
Thanks so much Sarah! That’s the winning combo :)
Megan
I love the way this turned out! It’s so practical, and I like the simple rustic look! Love these little videos too!
Colleen Pastoor
Thanks so much Megan! We’re loving how practical it is for sure :)
Katie @ Upcycled Treasures
LOVE this! That wood and those antique hooks are the perfect combo. Pinned!
Colleen Pastoor
Thanks so much Katie! Those hooks make it I think :)
daina guild
Great idea for using in our home gym.
Laura Irion // Avery Street Design
We’ve already discussed how much you amaze me (are you scared I’m stalking you yet?!) so I won’t go on about this…but it’s awesome. xo! Laura
Colleen Pastoor
Haha! You’re so sweet Laura, I really appreciate all your support! I love your style too- we were made to be blog friends ;)
Jessica
So, how did you hang it on the wall?
Colleen Pastoor
I used large screws (2 and rested the backing board on them. The screw heads are large enough that they tuck behind the edge and keep it sturdy. Another option would have been to nail in hanging hardware :)
Lindsay
Hello i jad to make one after seeing this. Was curious what you used to hang it on the wall? Thank you in advance for tips :)
Colleen Pastoor
I think I spotted that on Instagram but CANNOT find the post anymore! Can you hashtag #lemonthistle or send me your username so I can track it down?
I sunk screws straight into studs, they have large heads and the backing rests right on top, it’s darn sturdy even with littles pulling towels off it several times a day.
ROSEMARY
I absolutely love this DIY towel rack project! Using pallet wood to create functional and stylish home decor is such a brilliant idea. Not only does it add a rustic charm to your bathroom, but it’s also an eco-friendly way to repurpose materials.