{DIY} Not Just a Hat Rack. Nevermind – it is a Hat Rack.

I always always put my boys in hats when we are outside.  I’ve been doing it since they were teensy babies as I wanted them to get used to it.  We all have fair skin and living in the south, it’s sun city here — so I wanted to be able to protect their little eyes and faces from the burning, searing Texas sun.

 Now when we leave the house, my two year old always since, “Wait!  I need my hat!  The sun will poke my eyes!”   And if we forget Baby D’s hat, he always reminds me to run in and grab it.  The result of this is that we have a. lot. of. hats.  It’s a weakness of mine — everytime I see a cute one that will fit (or will fit in the future) I buy it.  Some people buy shoes, I buy toddler baseball hats.  Or beanies.  Or newsboy hats.  Whatever, I like ’em all.

 I had previously just screwed a few robe hooks into each of their walls to hang up all the hats.  But the hats were multiplying and the hooks couldn’t accomodate all the hats and I would stack them on soooo carefully and not breathe near them and hope that they wouldn’t all fall down the first time my kids slammed the door.  They did fall. 

So I came up with this guy:

This is what I started with (I always always save old frames, no matter how ugly or odd-sized — and sure enough, one day a project comes along that is just begging for a weird looking side by side 10 x 13 frame):

How the magic happened:

{1} Spray paint red — I start to wilt if it’s been awhile since I spray painted anything

{2} Took out the cardboard backing, wrapped it in burlap and hot glued down the edges so it would stay tight

{3} I predrilled small holes and then screwed in some hooks by hand along the bottom of the frame

{4} Then I contacted Shelley at Wonderfully Wordy {also House of Smiths — amazing!} and got me some cute vinyl.  A few days later, it was on my doorstep and all I did was peel and stick.  So easy.

 

Now I have a cute, functional and personalized hat rack that hangs in my son’s room.  He loves it; I love it.   Oh, and I did the entire project in the time it took me to watch one recorded {that means no commercials!} episode of Keeping up with the Kardashians {don’t judge me}.

I’m solving the world’s problems {otherwise known as my pet peeves} one at a time.  What simple storage or organization tricks have you used in your home?

I am linking to these fun sites: Tatertots and Jello, Funky Junk Interiors, Finding Fabulous, The Shabby Chic Cottage, Just a Girl, Paisley Passions, 30 Days and The Shabby Nest.  

p.s. If you have never seen Shelley’s stuff, go browse over at Wonderfully Wordy.  I have ordered from her in the past as well, and she never disappoints!