Build a Folding Garment Rack

Build This Knockoff Folding Garment Rack (Inspired by Anthropologie)

While surfing the Anthropologie site, I found the fantastic Westen folding garment rack… I really needed a garment rack for our newly rebuilt laundry room and this one was the perfect choice! The DIY furniture plans to build a folding garment rack are very close in style to the original, including the fabric shelf below (which keep the legs from splaying out too far) and costs far less to build than buy. Basic sewing skills (sewing a straight line) are required, though the fabric shelf could be hemmed with quality fabric glue and even stapled to the lower stretchers. This DIY clothes dryer rack, literally, only took a few hours to build, and can be made using a drill and a hand saw (no fancy tools required = win!).

Materials:

• 1-1/2″ screws (<– affiliate link!)
• 3″ screws
• 3/16″ drill bit (<– affiliate link!)
• 1/8″ drill bit
• Finishing supplies (I stained and sealed mine)
• 1 yd. fabric for lower shelf (Canvas or Cotton Duck)

Lumber:

• 4 – 1×2 at 8′
• 1 – 1″ dowel at 3′ or 4′

Cut List:

• 4 – 1×2 at 67″ – Legs
• 2 – 1×2 at 25″ – Stretchers
• 2 – 1×2 at 26-1/2″ – Stretchers
• 1 – 1″ dowel at 25″ – Center Stretcher
• Fabric – 26″ wide x 34″ long

Notes About the Project:

• To create the rounded edges on the legs, I cut a short 45°bevel in each end then stacked the legs together and sanded them as one piece.
• I stacked all of the leg pieces together and marked the position for the center stretcher (where the pieces cross in an “X”), as well as the upper and lower stretchers, then pre-drilled the holes in all of the pieces at once.
• All of the pieces should be finished prior to assembly and before adding the fabric shelf.
• As mentioned above, the fabric can be stapled onto the lower stretchers rather than sewing the wide hems. The hems on the long edges of the fabric can be glued to make this a “no-sew” project.
• As a fancier option, the entire folding rack can be made using oak (I used pine)!
• If using pine or spruce and staining the folding rack, I suggest using a pre-stain conditioner to allow the wood to absorb the stain more evenly.

Step One

Cut all of the pieces from the 1x2s, and cut the dowel to length. Sand each of the pieces, including the dowel, using 120 grit, followed by 220 grit and wipe the dust away.

Step Two

Stack all of the boards together and clamp the stack. Measure 30″ down from one end and make a mark at the center of the width of the boards. Drill a hole through all four pieces using a drill and the 3/16″ drill bit.

Mark the holes for the upper stretchers at 1/2″ and 1″ from the top of the boards. Also mark the holes for the lower stretchers at 6″ and 6-3/4″ up from the bottom of the boards. Pre-drill the holes through all four boards with a drill and a 1/8″ drill bit.

Drill a pilot hole in each end of the dowel rod with the drill and 1/8″ drill bit.

Stain and seal (or paint) the boards as desired.

Step Three

Assemble the frames using 1-1/2″ screws as follows:

One frame will consist of two legs and two 25″ long pieces, and the other frame will consist of two legs and two 26-1/2″ pieces.

Secure the stretchers to the legs through the pre-drilled holes in the top and lower edges of the legs. Glue is not necessary!

Place the narrower frame in the wider frame and align the center stretcher holes. Secure the dowel in between using a 3″ screw through the larger holes in the legs into the ends of the dowel.

Step Four:

To create the fabric shelf:

Either sew or glue a 1/2″ hem in the long edges of the fabric. If stapling the fabric to the frame, lay the fabric over the lower stretchers and staple to the back side of the stretchers which will be the side that faces each other.

If sewing the fabric, fold the raw edges under by 1/2″, then fold again by 3″ and sew a straight line close to the edge of the first fold. Remove the screws from one side of the lower stretchers on each frame and slide the stretcher through the hem. Replace the screws.

If the frame seems off balance or wobbly (mine did!), it will be straightened out once garments are hung on it. The garments on hangers add a bit of weight and make the frame super solid! The garment rack can be folded with the fabric wrapped around the lower stretchers for storage.

Have questions about the DIY furniture plans to build a folding garment rack? Leave a comment below!

Want a shorter garment rack to build? Try this easy to build folding clothes rack!