World Market Towel Rack Hack

I recently was searching the web for a new towel rack. You see when we moved in to our new home our guest bathroom had only one towel rack and it hung over the toilette!…Now call me crazy but I don’t want my bath towel hanging up over the toilette and I wouldn’t expect my guests would either. So I took it down along with the matching one in our master bath, my good intentions were to hang them both up behind the guest bathroom door to create a double towel rack.
 

My good intentions were dashed however when I stupidly threw out the hardware! Did you know you cant buy replacement hardware…nope they make you buy a whole new towel rack! So I said “NO WAY!”
I began searching knowing that I wanted hooks, this way I could allow multiple guests to hang towels. I found a great one online at World Market. It was lightly farmhouse but slightly funky and fun! However it was too long for my small wall space. So I decided, like always, I could just make one!
Supplies:
One $2 3”x5” fence board from Lowes
Wooden Letters from Michaels (use the thickest ones you can find as you have to drill dowels into them)
One skinny Dowel cut into 3/4 “ pieces (make sure its width does not exceed that of your letter width. I used 10 pieces depending on what your spelling out you may need more or less)
$5 hooks (mine are from Ace Hardware, similar here)
left over spray paint or paint color of choice (mine was left over so it was free.)
If desired antiquing glaze for aged look. (I used Valspar but there are many types available)
Drill bits
Electric Drill
Hand saw
Wood Glue

Directions:
1) Lay fence board and letters on a flat surface and lay out letters as though they were sitting on top of board, making sure to space them how you wish them to be in the finished product. Make small marks on the bottom of the letters and on the face of the board with pencil. These marks will guide you on where  to drill your holes. Mark fence board to the right length with a pencil.
2) Cut fence board to desired length- I used my miter saw for this but you can have the people at Lowes cut it for you.
3) Cut dowel to 3/4” – I did this by hand with a small hand saw
4) Using the marks on the bottom of the letters use a small drill bit (about the same size as your dowel or a touch bigger) drill holes in the bottom of the letters. Make sure not to go too deep.
5) Using the same drill bit, drill matching holes in the top of the board where you marked the lines earlier. This will match up with your letter dowels once they are in place and will be where the letters will sit.
6) Going one hole at a time fill each hole with a generous amount of wood glue and stick 1/2 of a 3/4” cut dowel piece in the hole. Wipe excess glue away and hold for 30 seconds to make sure it is firmly in place. If need be give a very gentle hammering but be careful not to break the letters (I broke 2 and had to glue them back together!) Note there should still be 1/2 of the dowel sticking out of the bottom of the letter. This will be what attaches the letter to the top of the board.
7) Once all the dowels are in place on the letters and the glue is dried, start on the board. Same idea, going one at a time fill the holes in the top of the board firmly push the dowels sticking out of the letters down into each hole so the dowels disappear into the top of the board. Be very careful doing this the letters can and will break if your too hard on them.
8) After the glue is dried spray paint the whole piece your desired color.
9) If using antiquing glaze wait for piece to dry and dab on lightly whipping quickly after application for desired look.
10) Place hooks in desired location and mark the holes with a pencil.
11) Drill shallow pilot holes for hook screws.
12) Attach hooks

TADA! I hope yours turned out just like you wanted, I know mine did! Aslo I am sorry for the lack of pictures with the tutorial but I feel the directions should be pretty clear. If you need any help feel free to ask and I’ll do what I can to assist you.
Creatively Yours,
Christina Marie