You won't recognize your cast-off cupboard door in its new life with this DIY

Whether you live in an old house that’s short on closet space or a new home in need of some funk and character, this DIY cupboard door coat rack will fit the bill nicely. A run-of-the-mill cupboard door, a few low-cost hooks and a pretty wallpaper remnant spell a winner for the entryway.
Customize this project with different paint colors and hook styles. It would work beautifully in a front hall above an entry table or outside the house on a covered porch. Even the most mundane items – from dog leashes and raincoats, to tote bags and baseball hats – will become more interesting when set against the patterned paper that serves as this project’s pretty backdrop.
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Materials
- One unfinished stock cabinetry cupboard door with raised trim framing a rectangular space on the front of the door
- Soft cloth
- Pair of thin plastic gloves for hand protection
- Sheet of plastic to cover the work surface
- Jar of white chalk paint
- Jar of gray chalk paint
- Two small bowls
- Small fine art paintbrush
- Small wooden dowel or spoon
- Cutting mat
- Pencil
- Wallpaper remnant or sheet of contact paper
- Metal T-square
- Small X-Acto knife
- Wide paintbrush for painting walls
- Jar of Mod Podge
- Small foam or ink roller
- Tape measure
- Three metal mountable double hooks with two screws per hook
- Wood clamp
- Electric drill
- Phillips-head screwdriver
DIY Everywhere
Instructions
1. Place the cupboard door on the work surface and wipe away any stray dust with a soft cloth.
2. Place a sheet of plastic underneath it to protect the work surface.
3. Put on the plastic gloves.
4. Mix the two shades of chalk paint into one bowl using a small wooden dowel or a spoon.
5. Apply the paint to the front of the door and the sides, but don’t paint the center rectangular space on the front.
6. Remove the gloves. Allow the paint to dry.
7. Place the wallpaper remnant or contact paper on top of the cupboard door.
8. Mark the edges of the paper with the pencil to create a template for cutting so the paper fits within the door's unpainted rectangular area.
9. Place the paper on the cutting mat and use the pencil marks as guides for cutting and the T-square to ensure straight lines. Cut the rectangle from the paper with the X-Acto knife. The paper strip will fit into the rectangular space on the door front.
10. Squirt some Mod Podge into the other small bowl.
11. Give a quick wipe to the door's rectangular area with the cloth.
12. Paint Mod Podge onto the rectangular space with the larger paintbrush. Wipe away any excess with the cloth.
13. Place the strip of custom-cut paper on top of the Mod Podge. Wipe off any stray Mod Podge with the cloth again.
14. Go over the paper with the roller to flatten it completely and smooth any ripples.
15. Measure the length of the paper piece with the T-square.
16. Place a tape measure on top of the papered portion of the door and make a mark with the pencil at the 2-inch point from one of the short ends of the rectangle. Make another mark at the 2–inch point from the other short end.
17. Make a third mark with the pencil at the midpoint between the marked points on either end of the paper.
18. Place each coat hook where the pencil marks are. Make pencil dots at the holes on either side of each hook that are meant for the mounting screws.
19. Use the wood clamp to securely attach the cupboard door to the work surface.
20. Drill holes where the screw hole marks are for each of the hooks.
21. Wipe away the sawdust with the cloth.
22. Insert the screws through the hook holes and into the holes drilled into the door with the Phillips-head screwdriver.
23. The coat rack is now ready to be mounted on the wall.
Enjoy the convenience and stylish appeal of this one-of-a-kind coat rack.
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