Home Improvement Skills & Specialties Carpentry & Woodworking Building Furniture

How to Make a Clothing Rack

Kamron Sanders

Updated on 08/10/22

Reviewed by

Deane Biermeier

Fact checked by

Emily Estep

Black DIY clothing rack with sweaters and blouses organized on hangers — The Spruce / Adrienne Legault

Project Overview

Total Time: 30 mins - 1 hr
Yield: 1 clothing rack

Skill Level: Beginner
Estimated Cost: $150 to $200

If you live in an older home or a space such as a studio apartment or loft, you know that closet space can sometimes be nonexistent. Oftentimes, corners or unused bedrooms can become makeshift closets. When that happens, a rolling clothing rack is a lifesaver.

A heavy-duty, well-built garment rack that looks good in your home's interior is hard to come by, and if you do eventually find one, it will cost a pretty penny. So, why not build your own? While you're at it, throw some casters on it so it can roll out of sight when you want to hide it.

This DIY clothing rack takes less than 30 minutes to assemble and is strong enough to hold anything you want to put on it (heavy winter coats included). Best of all, black-iron pipe construction gives this clothing rack a gorgeous industrial look that fits into any interior.

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Before You Begin

Before buying supplies, determine how big or small your specific clothing rack needs to be. The 4-foot width and 6-foot height of this clothing rack can be adjusted to fit in your space. Simply lengthen or shorten the sides and top and bottom pipe sections, but plan on the same fittings. Additionally, the 5-inch nipples could be swapped for longer ones, which would give the clothing rack more stability if you were storing heavier items.

If you can't decide on size, keep in mind that you can easily increase the size of this clothing rack at a later date by adding some pipe and fittings.

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Equipment / Tools

Pipe wrench
Channel locks
Nitrile gloves
Rags

Materials

2 4-foot, 1/2-inch threaded both ends black iron pipe
2 6-foot, 1/2-inch threaded both ends black iron pipe
6 1/2-inch black iron pipe elbows
4 1/2-inch black iron pipe tees
2 2-inch black iron pipe nipples
2 3-inch black iron pipe nipples
4 5-inch black iron pipe nipples
2 1/2-inch black iron pipe unions
4 3/4-inch expandable stem casters
Acetone
Paste finishing wax

How to Build a Clothing Rack

Follow these steps to assemble a rolling garment rack made from pre-threaded black iron pipe.

Assemble Base

Assembling the garment rack from the bottom up will be the quickest and easiest method. Start by screwing a 5-inch nipple into opposing sides of a tee, then screwing a 3-inch nipple into the top of the tee. Repeat with the second tee and remaining nipples.

The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Screw Elbows Into Place

At the end of each 5-inch nipple, screw an elbow in place until it faces opposite the direction of the top of the tee.

The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Connect Bottom Sides

At the exposed end of each 3-inch nipple, screw another tee into place. Connect the two bottom sides by screwing a 4-foot section of pipe into the end of each tee. Screw a 2-inch nipple and one half of a union fitting in the remaining open end of the tee. The end result should be a base that sits on four feet with two open union halves facing upward. Adjust each elbow until they each face the floor.

Tip

To ensure each fitting faces the exact direction necessary, use a pipe wrench or channel locks to tighten as needed.

The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Install Casters

Tighten the nut on the expansion stem casters until the rubber gasket tightly fits into the end of each elbow and slide into place. Set completed lower section aside.

The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Assemble Top Section

Screw the remaining elbows into the ends of the remaining 4-foot section of pipe, and screw the 6-foot sections of pipe into the other side of the elbows. Screw the other half of the union fittings into the lower ends of the 6-foot pipe.

expansion stem casters
Connect Sections

Set the top half of the clothes rack onto the bottom half and tighten unions together.

The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Clean With Acetone

In a well-ventilated area, wipe down the entirety of the clothing rack with acetone to remove any oily residue from the pipe.

Warning

Acetone can cause skin irritation. Wear gloves for protection.

The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Seal With Wax

Wipe on and buff out paste finishing wax to seal the pipe and protect your clothing from rust and oil stains.

The Spruce / Adrienne Legault

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How to Increase the Size of Your Clothing Rack

Follow these steps to increase the size of your black iron clothing rack.

Remove Top Half From Bottom Half

Unscrew union fittings on each side to separate the top half from the bottom half. Unscrew one side of each 4-foot section of pipe and place the removed side of both halves on the ground (this will be much easier with a helping hand).

The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Install Tees and Union

Screw a tee into the end of each 4-foot pipe, facing the bottom tee upward and top downward. In the top of the lower section tee add a 2-inch nipple and one half of a union. Screw the other half of the union into one end of another 6-foot pipe, and screw the other end of the pipe into the bottom of the top tee.

The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Add Section and Reassemble

At the end of each tee, add another 4-foot pipe section. Reassemble the removed sides of clothing rack at the other end of the new 4-foot sections.

The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Reconnect Top and Bottom Halves

Set top half of clothes rack onto bottom half and tighten unions together.

The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Clean and Wax

Clean the new section with acetone and follow up with paste finishing wax.

The Spruce / Adrienne Legault

How Often to Reapply Wax

There is no set interval for reapplying wax to black iron pipe. Simply pay attention to the pipe to ensure it isn't rusting or leaving residue on your clothing. Furthermore, consult the instructions on your specific paste wax for reapplication.

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