When Ryan and I moved into our Brooklyn apartment, we were so thrilled about the large backyard and extra storage that we didn’t even realize it was missing a closet in the master bedroom. We just sort of made the assumption that there was one and took for granted that, in our previous apartments, closets in bedrooms are a standard – but not in New York. We went about looking at different Ikea closet storage systems and none of them fit the room. They were too bulky and modular and would make our bright and big room feel more constrained.
After some stressing, which is what I do best, Ryan suggested we build a DIY garment rack. I was hesitant at first, thinking it would look junky, but it really did seem like the best option. After all, Ryan and I would be sharing a closet for the first time, so it needed to be big.
The total cost of this project was around $80. The steel pipes are a little pricy. But it took no time to assemble.
DIY Garment Rack
What You’ll Need
I’ve linked to the amazon pages to help you get a better idea.
- 3 Galvanized Pipes ¾ in x 60 in, threaded at both ends
- 4 Galvanized Steel Nipples size ¾ in x 10 in
- 6 Galvanized Steel Elbows ¾ in, female
- 2 Galvanized Steel Tees ¾ in, female
Step By Step Instructions
Start by assembling the feet. You’ll need four of the elbows and four of nipples. Screw the elbows onto the 12” nipples, one elbow per pipe. Position the elbow so it’s facing down, to steady itself against the floor.
Once you’ve done this, connect two of the nipples with a Tee. You may have to adjust the way the elbow balances on the floor by re-screwing it a bit. Repeat this step with the other foot.
Put the feet to the side and start working on the frame of the garment rack. Start by screwing two elbows onto both sides of one of the 60 inch pipes. This will be the top of the rack.
Place the top part on the ground to prepare for the next part.
Screw the remaining two 60 inch pipes into the other side of the elbows on the top rack.
It’s easiest if you can get them to lean up against a wall.
While the rack is still upside down, screw on the feet that you created earlier.
Once both feet are on, turn the rack right-side up and make sure the feet are nice and balanced on the ground. You may have to re-screw them if it’s wobbly. Also, make any adjustments to the elbows that touch the floor.
Here’s what it looks like completely standing.
A note about those yellow stickers: I left them on for this tutorial so you can see which sizes I’m using during the process. But they’re a pain to get off! You need some Goo Gone, a paint scraper, and serious determination.
I really love how large this closet is. It’s definitely big enough to fit both of our clothes. It has plenty of space underneath it too!
This method is flexible with sizing. Ryan and I added an additional foot-long pipe on the sides so we could raise it over our dresser. We’ve actually put a dresser under there.
nice, you guys! I bet you could totally add casters to that if you ever needed it to be more mobile, and you could spray paint all kinds of crazy colors if you ever get sick of the gray. I love the open wardrobe thing, too. it’s inspiring!
do you know about how many clothing pieces fit comfortably on here?
It depends on how long of a top bar you have. This tutorial uses a 60 inch pipe. So assuming each piece of clothing takes about 1/4 to 1/2 an inch, I think you could likely get around 120 – 200 pieces. I use those huggable hangers, which are slimmer than normal hangers, so I can fit even more.
Hope that helps!
how sturdy is it?–i bought one from Bed bath and Beyond- and its wobbly.. so i was thinking about making something a bit more sturdy with some weight…:)
Oh yeah, it will be much more sturdy than the Bed Bath and Beyond piece. I would say the longer your pipes, like if you are doing a 6 ft long rack, it will get a little more wobbly, but mine is that long and I’ve never been afraid of it falling over or anything.
Was there a reason you used galvanized and not black steel outside of aesthetics?
It was definitely an aesthetic choice. I imagine any type of steel would work just fine.
How much did this end up costing total?
I bought all the material for $26 dollars (I work for a plumbing/hvac company) and installed it in no time. Made it to store all my clothes while I remodeled my walk-in closet. It’s sturdy! Love that I can take it apart and store it. Thanks
Awesome Mary! I’m so glad it worked for you. We’re going on 4 years strong with ours. We love it!
Thanks, Heidi! I am looking for portable, inexpensive, easy solution for a pop-up, one day sale I’m starting in my little town. If I can find somebody with plumbing/hardware connections like Mary Brown, above, this just might work… Thanks again! You’ve given me food for thought!
Heidi, I had the idea in my head but had no clue as to where and how to start. My closet rack fell off the wall 2 times. I have had it! So I went online; after looking at all kinds of closets that I could not afford to put in an apartment…on and behold I saw your closet rack that I was just playing around in my head. Off to the Hone Depot store tomorrow (Saturday) to get my supplies. I will give an update as to how it turns out. I have many dress suit and they are heavy for the average clothing racks…well if there are no studs to attach it too but sheet rock.
I hope it turned out amazing! I’m so glad you found a solution.