Simple DIY Peg Rack Tutorial

Today’s project is easier (and cheaper!) than you might think!   Some recycled wood, cheap wooden pegs and basic construction supplies create a perfect peg rack storage system for any space that is as functional as it is attractive!

Supplies needed to make your own DIY peg racks:

• Pegs
• Rails (Buy new wood or use recycled planks)
• Hot Glue or E-6000 Industrial Strength Adhesive
• 1/2 inch Drill Bit and Drill
• Spray Paint (or regular old paint, but spray is easier on the pegs)
• Nails, Hammer, Pencil and Rulers (or any straight edge you can measure with)
• Decorative Washi Tape (I used THIS DESIGN in yellow and grey)

Believe it or not, the most difficult aspect of this project is the measuring and keeping track of which “rail” is which!  If you are simply doing one rail with 4-6 pegs, your job is a little easier, but I wanted a whole WALL of peg rails and I wanted to use recycled wood, so my job was a little more difficult.  I decided to upcycle these slats of wood from the bottom of a bunk bed (the ones my boys completely collapsed right HERE — they aren’t monkeys or anything. 🙂  The wood pieces were sitting in the garage, in perfect condition, and I knew they were the perfect size for these rails I wanted to make, so I measured the wall space, organized smaller pieces and had my husband cut them to size.  If you are buying wood new, they will cut it down for you at the store.  Just make sure you know your measurements before going in!  Any kind of wood, any size larger than 2 by 2 will work for a peg rail!

Once you have the rails measured and cut, it is time to measure and mark where the pegs will go.  I decided to stagger my pegs on the different levels of railings, but spaced them all the same.  Imagine what you are hanging on the pegs eventually and space accordingly.  I am hanging little dresses from wooden hangers, so my spacing is wider than a rack where you would hang slim aprons, etc.

In the middle of each peg line, I measured and marked a hole dot directly in the center.  Skip this step and your pegs will look wonky once you get them drilled and into the rail!

Tired of measuring and marking and preparing??  Well, you are almost finished, but you need to make sure your rails are lettered by row and position, if you are working with multiple rails.  They WILL get mixed up and you will be so very disappointed when your end project doesn’t come together the way you saw it in your head, so make sure to measure, label, reorganize and DO IT AGAIN!

NOW comes the fun part!  Break out your drill and a 1/2 inch drill bit (the perfect size for these ConsumerCrafts pegs) and drill a hole all the way through your rail.  Put a little glue on the inside of the hole (NOT on the peg) and simply stick the peg in the hole.

Before painting, line those puppies up again in order to make sure all your pegs are spaced exactly.

Once you have finished painting, RE-LABEL your boards with letters and numbers before moving them.  Use a small piece of masking tape to write on or simply write on the back.  Double check your peg racks fit in the room, find the studs in your wall and nail directly into the studs through the rail.

Frustrated with the nail holes?   Cover the nail holes with covers or simply paint them your rail color!

I ended up painting the nail heads white to match the rails and then added a decorative washi tape stripe that covered them completely.  The tape goes on vertically in groups of 2 or 3 stripes and I placed these randomly along the rails (even where there were no holes to cover up) for a fun and practical design boost.

Last step?

Hang those pegs with pretty things and enjoy your peg rackl!!

Amy Renea

Hey y’all! I’m Amy Renea, a freelance photographer and writer based out of Hershey, PA. I spend my days chasing children and chickens around the back yard, sipping on dandelion tea and munching on sweet potato chips. Come visit the Nest for All Seasons to learn more about my food, photography, DIY designs and modern garden living! www.anestforallseasons.com