Easy DIY Dowel Coat Rack

Looking to have a coat rack in your home, but the ones that you find online don't fit your minimal home aesthetic? Here's how you can make your very own coat rack without having to compromise aesthetics for functionality. With its modern and streamlined silhouette, make this dowel coat rack an awesome addition to an entryway, or even as an extra vertical storage hack for a small living space. It's the perfect piece to show off your hats and bags and make them easy to grab as you head out the door!

While the dream is to have an infinite amount of space in our living spaces, some of us don’t have the luxury of having tons of space to work with. Which is why we’re always looking for the next space-saving project that can help maximize the space in our living room while also making sure that we’re making it a piece that elevates our home decor. This dowel hat rack is exactly that; it looks awesome on its own and it’s a great place to store your purse, hats, and even a go-to jacket or sweater as you go out the door

Step 1: Start with 4 dowel rods that are of equal length. Ours were 6 ft tall and 1 inch in diameter. We cut them ourselves at the local hardware store, but you can usually get someone to cut them for you if you’re not comfortable cutting it yourself.

Step 2: Use painters tape to tape off the bottom foot of the wooden rod. Then, use a brush to coat the rods in whatever color acrylic paint you choose! We painted two white and two pink to give the coat rack a modern, feminine, color-blocked look. Be sure to go right up to, but not over, the tape on the bottom of the dowel.

Step 3: When the paint has dried, carefully peel back and remove the tape from the dowel. We put our raw wood side facing up, but you could easily flip it around for a different look!

Step 4: Gather all 4 dowels tightly together. Double knot one end of your leather cord around the rods and wrap the remainder of the cord around the rods until you’re left with about 1.5 ft of cord. Double knot again, then trim and tuck the end into the wrapped leather. Use the last bit of cord to cut 3-5 equal pieces and create a tassel. (If you need a refresher, you can check out our macrame curtain tutorial, or our tassel garland how-to!).

Step 5: Last but not least, simply open up the bottom of the dowels to create a teepee-like structure that makes the perfect hat rack!

We love how chic this looks next to our entryway space. Show us how yours looks by tagging us on Instagram and use #bemakeful.

Materials
  • 4 wooden dowel rods 1-inch diameter, 6 ft long
  • acrylic paint
  • painters tape
  • paint brush
  • leather cord available at craft or fabric stores