Closets are one of the biggest clutter magnets in any home. Yet how do you rein in the mess when your husband or dad has accumulated way too many ties. They fall off hangars and line the closet floor. They get tangled, and grabbing just one is a challenge. Before tossing those ties, consider building a tie rack. A tie rack is the perfect way for the man with an overabundance of ties to keep his closet organized. Not to worry, they are rather simple to make, and in a half an hour or so, your closet will look more orderly. Follow these steps to create that tie rack.
What You Will Need
- Wood panel
- Nails
- Hammer
- Ruler
- Saw
- Screws
- Screwdriver
- Safety googles
- Clamp/helping hand
Gather the Wood
Your first step would be to go to any home-improvement store for your wood and nails. There are many types of wood you can purchase but I would suggest either framing lumber or appearance lumber. Framing lumber is common while appearance lumber is more aesthetically pleasing, but both will get the job done.
Measure Up & Cut It Up
Planks come in fixed sizes, so your next step is to resize the plank of wood so that it is suitable for the available space in your closet. Before slicing anything, you’ll want to measure the space that your rack will go in. Then mark how much wood you’ll need.
Now it’s time to cut. Bring out your manual saw, or if you want to get fancy, break out the buzz saw. Make sure you’re being safe and attentive while using any of these dangerous devices. And after you’ve made your couple of clean cuts, put it away. Your wood is now prepped.
Nail It
I would measure out where your pegs are going to be as well. Mark off a half of an inch from either end of the piece of wood. This is where you will screw the rack onto the wall or door. Draw two parallel lines down the middle of it so that your pegs will be straight. And stagger your dots along the parallel lines.
Now you can nail it. Along the dots, take your hammer and tack the nails to the wood. Don’t nail them all the way in. It’s best to leave at least a half of an inch of the nail for your ties to hang on. Be careful and go slow with this process. Once everything is laid out, you can either apply a coat of paint to have it match your closet, or if you like the look of your wood, move on to the next step.
Put it Up!
Now that your tie rack is finished, it’s time to put it up so you can start using it. Clamp down your wood against the door, or if you don’t own a clamp, have someone hold the wood up for you. This will help the plank stay straight when you are applying it. Take your screwdriver and a couple screws and secure it to your surface.
And there you have it! Tie racks are a great organizational tool. They allow you to keep all of your ties in one place and to open up some space in your closet. They can also double as a holder for belts. And because they are handmade but still professional, they make great presents too.
