DIY: Quirky coat hook

AvatarCaxton magazines staff
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Give damaged and worm eaten books a happy ending by transforming them into a quirky coat hook. Upcycling pro Sacha Olivier shows you how

 

DIY quirky coat hook 

BEFORE GETTING STARTED:

  • Double check that the books you’ll be using have no collectable value.
  • This is the one case when you should judge books by their covers: select those in colours that will complement each other and the room where you’ll be hanging the resulting coat hook. Also consider the subject of the books, for instance a coat hook made from a stack of old cookbooks would make a witty addition to a kitchen where it would come in handy for hanging up aprons.
  • Pile the three books you’ll be using to make your coat hook on top of each other and measure the height of the resulting stack. Take this information with you to the hardware store and select chipboard screws that are just shorter than this measurement.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

Three old hardcover books of varying sizes, a ruler, two C-clamps, chipboard screws (in the size you need according to the height of the book stack and short chipboard screws), a drill, a picture frame hanging plate, a screwdriver and a decorative coat hook.

ASSEMBLING YOUR COAT HOOK:

  • Arrange your books on top of each other with the largest one at the bottom and the smallest one on top. I opted to turn the middle book at an angle for added interest, but you could also create a more evenly spaced stack.
  • Using the C-clamps, clamp the books together to stop them from moving around when you screw them together.
  • Turn the stack upside down so largest book is now on top.
  • Drill holes through the middle of the stack of books and insert the screws; these screws should go into the smallest book, but must not protrude through its front cover. (I used 4–6 screws in total.)
  • Using a screwdriver and some of the shorter screws, attach the picture frame hanging plate to the middle of the largest book. This plate will allow you to hang up your coat hook as you would any other artwork.
  • Turn the stack of books over so the smallest book is now on top. Using a screwdriver and some of the shorter screws, attach the coat hook in the middle of its front cover.
  • Remove the clamps and hang up your completed coat hook.