accessory hanger

Okay, so how is this only $2.00?  I’m so glad you asked!  This scarf hanger is made from two essential items: shower curtain hooks and a pants hanger.  The shower curtain hooks came from my local Dollar Tree, at $1.00 for a pack of 12, and the pants hanger was purchased from Ikea, which cost $.59.  I already had the paint and glue on hand for this project, but even if you add that in, you can certainly make this under $10.00.  So, let’s get started!

For this DIY you’ll need:

• 10 shower curtain hooks (the circular, plastic kind)
• 1 pants hanger
• Acrylic paint (optional)
• Sponge brush
• Painter’s tape
• E-6000 glue or a Gorilla glue that dries clear
• Super glue
• Wax paper

First, paint your hanger.  You can opt to keep the original color, but I wanted a metallic finish so I’m using Martha Stewart’s Multi-Surface acrylic paint.  It is metallic, in the color “rose gold.”  To do this, tear off a sheet of wax paper that’s larger than your hanger and place it underneath, as to not get paint on your surface.  Also, tape off the hook part, just in case you splash paint on it by accident.  I seem to do this all the time!  Use the sponge brush to paint the wooden part on the top and sides.  Leave the bottom as-is.  You can also paint the shower hooks first if you want, too.  My suggestion would be to use spray paint, as an easier method.  Painting each shower hook with a brush would take too long and the paint job would appear uneven.

Acrylic paint dries fast, so you should be ready to attach the hooks in no time.  Again, with the wax paper underneath your project, lay out the hooks in a triangular shape underneath the hanger to get the positioning correct.  The underside of the hanger has two sides.  You’ll glue the hooks to the bottom side of the hanger, not directly in the middle.  This will allow you to open and close the hanger when you are finished.

Using the E-6000 glue, begin gluing the top hooks to the underside of the hanger.  As a guide, I drew little black dots on the hanger to help me place the hooks directly in the center.  But that’s really optional- I’m just a bit of a perfectionist!  Apply a generous amount of glue, as you will need this very secure to hold the heavy scarves.

As you get to the second, third, and so-on hooks, you’ll need to add a bead of glue to the sides.  Add the glue WHEREVER the hooks touch.  It is CRUCIAL to make sure that you keep the hooks tight together so they dry together.  It’s no fun to have gaps in your hooks at the end.  You risk it falling apart, or just looking a bit wonky.  I will say, this was not the fun part of this project.  Trying to keep them tight together was a bit of a hassle.  But I got the hang of it! (No pun intended)

Build up the hooks to create the “v” or triangular shape.  Four at the top, three on the next row, two on the next, and one at the tip.  Let the hanger sit and dry there for an hour before moving to the next step.

After the glue has had an hour to begin drying, reinforce the seams with super glue.  The hanger will NOT be dry here, so do not attempt to pick it up!  It will be very tacky but not secure yet.  Try picking it up after about 5-6 hours to make sure the glue isn’t cemented to the wax paper.  Chances are, it won’t be.  See those beads of glue on the wax paper in the photo above?  Wax paper is perfect for resisting the tackiness of glue.  E-6000 glue completely cures in 24 hours, but you probably will be able to pick it up after 5 or 6 hours.  And it will dry clear.

Turn the hanger over and glue on the opposite side where the hooks touch to reinforce it more.  Apply the E-6000 glue in the cracks first, and then when that dries a bit, reinforce it again with the super glue.  Essentially, you’re just doing the same steps you did when it was flipped on the opposite side.  You will need to let this side dry for the same amount of time. Hey, there’s no such thing as “over-reinforcing.”  It should feel very solid and secure when you are completely done.

This is the completed look.  It’s simple and minimal.  It doesn’t look like too much without the scarves hung on it, but I love it!  Again, I didn’t paint the hooks, because I didn’t feel like it needed paint, plus I was afraid it would get paint on my scarves. 🙂

I also like the versatility of using a pants hanger rather than a standard hanger.  With this, you can use the clamp in the back to hang more delicate scarves.  You know, the ones you don’t want scrunched up with the others.

I hope you guys liked this dose of DIY.  Leave a comment below and share this project with your friends!