How to Hang a Coat Rack

Co-authored by Kevin Schlosser

Last Updated: April 19, 2024 References

When you don’t have a coat closet, a coat rack can be a real lifesaver. Instead of tossing your coat over the back of a chair or somewhere else in the way when you come in from a cold day, you can hang it up neatly near the door to keep your entryway and furniture clutter free. You don’t have to be a DIY expert to put up a coat rack, either. Just take a look at these answers to some of the most common questions about hanging coat racks to get started!

Question 1 of 8:

How high should you mount a coat rack?

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A good height for coat racks is 5 ft (1.5 m). However, you can hang a coat rack lower if you want it to be more easily reachable for people of all heights, such as kids. Just make sure it’s still high enough to keep your longest coats and jackets from touching the ground. ^{[1]
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- For example, in public places, coat racks are often 4 ft (1.2 m) high.

Question 2 of 8:

Where do you hang a coat rack?

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On a wall near a door. An entryway wall near your front door is a great place! Or, hang a coat rack on a wall in your bedroom near the door, which could be a good option if you share your home and want to keep all your coats in your room. ^{[2]
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- If you don’t want to hang a coat rack on a wall, get some over-the-door hooks and slide them over the top edge of your bedroom door. This is a super simple way to add some hooks for hanging coats to your room!

Question 3 of 8:

How do you hang a heavy coat rack on the wall?

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1
Start by marking the location of the rack’s screw holes on the wall. Measure the distance between the 2 holes on the coat rack using a tape measure. Measure the same distance apart on your wall where you want to hang the coat rack and make a small pencil mark at each end of the tape measure. ^{[3]
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- Screw the rack into wall studs if possible. Check whether there are studs behind the wall with a stud finder. Turn it on and move it over the wall where you’re hanging the coat rack. When it beeps, there is a stud behind the drywall there.
- Use a level to make sure the tape measure is horizontally level across your wall before you make the marks. Otherwise, your coat rack is going to be crooked! ^{[5]
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- Another way to mark the holes is to hold the coat rack against the wall where you want it, check that it’s level, then push a screw firmly through each screw hole into the wall to make small indentations where the screws go.
Bob Villa, Home Improvement Expert

First find the wall studs and mark them lightly in pencil. Position the rack with an inch of clearance above it for slipping coats on and off. Measure and mark where to drill pilot holes into the studs. If there are no studs, use hollow wall anchors that can handle the weight. Take time to measure twice and level it before drilling. A well-installed coat rack keeps things organized and makes a great impression by the door.
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Drill holes where the screws will go before you hang the coat rack. Choose a drill bit that’s slightly smaller in diameter than the coat rack’s mounting screws and attach it to an electric drill. Carefully drill straight into the wall where each mark you made for the screw holes is. ^{[6]
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- After you drill the first hole, line up the coat rack’s first hole with it and double-check that the second hole still lines up with your second mark.
If the screw holes have studs behind them, screw the coat rack directly into the studs. If the wall is just drywall, push drywall anchors into the holes first, then screw the coat rack into the anchors. ^{[7]
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Question 4 of 8:

How do you attach a coat hook to drywall?

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Select drywall fasteners that are slightly bigger than the coat hook’s mounting screws and a drill bit that’s about the same size as the drywall fasteners. Hold the hook against the wall and make 2 marks where the mounting holes are. Drill a hole through the wall at each mark and push the drywall fasteners into the holes. Screw the hook into the drywall fastener with the mounting screw. ^{[8]
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Question 5 of 8:

How do you hang a coat rack without screws?

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Use double-sided adhesive strips. Stick 2-3 double-sided adhesive strips at regular intervals on the backside of the coat rack. ^{[9]
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- For example, use heavy-duty 3M Command Strips for this.
- Keep in mind that this might not work if your coat rack is really heavy or if you use weak adhesive strips. Adhesive strip packaging usually states how much weight is recommended for the strips.

Question 6 of 8:

Can Command Hooks hold coats?

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Yes, they can. Even the least heavy-duty Command Hooks can hold at least 7.5 lb (3.4 kg). Most coats don’t weigh more than that, so you can go ahead and stick Command Hooks to your wall or another surface, such as the back of a door, to use as coat hooks! ^{[11]
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- Get brushed nickel Command Hooks for classier coat hooks.

Question 7 of 8:

How far should coat hooks be apart?

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This leaves plenty of room to hang bulky coats or bags from the hooks. Whether you’re hanging several individual coat hooks on a wall or making your own coat rack, make sure to space the hooks evenly. ^{[12]
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Question 8 of 8:

How do you make a hanging coat rack?

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One idea is to make a hanging coat rack out of wooden hangers. Cut 1 wooden arm of each coat hanger off, just to 1 side of the hook. Screw the hangers to a wooden board with the cut sides flat against the board and the remaining arms facing upwards, so the hooks are facing downwards. Mount the board on any wall, just as you would a store-bought coat rack. ^{[13]
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- Feel free to turn the coat hangers in different directions to give your DIY coat rack a funky artistic look!
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Another idea is to use a curtain rod and clip rings. Fasten the curtain rod’s mounting brackets to your wall wherever you want your coat rack to be. Slide some clip rings over the rod and place it into the mounting brackets on the wall. Then, clip your coats to the rings whenever you want to hang them up! ^{[14]
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- As an alternative to clip rings, hang S-shaped hardware hooks over the curtain rod and use them like regular coat hooks.

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How to Hang a Coat Rack

Steps

How high should you mount a coat rack?

Where do you hang a coat rack?

How do you hang a heavy coat rack on the wall?

How do you attach a coat hook to drywall?

How do you hang a coat rack without screws?

Can Command Hooks hold coats?

How far should coat hooks be apart?

How do you make a hanging coat rack?

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