by Missy Allaire

This project has been in the works or should I say in my head for a very long time. Have you ever thought of something in the middle of the night that made such good sense that you had to make it a reality?  Well this is one of those cases. My husbands closet has needed a makeover for some time, and I finally started on it after the first of this year. Our closets are in the bathroom, he has his own and I have my own. I love having our own closets but his was becoming a catch-all for all things that did not need to be in the closet. I created this system to help him get ready in the morning and have everything at his fingertips instead of walking around looking for things that were just all over the place.

Here is what you will need to make this project:

  • Ultra light MDF molding (this is what we used – CHEAP) customized to your own measurements or an open stock frame will work fine too
  • Peg Board
  • Fabric (enough to cover your board)
  • Peg Board Hooks and baskets found in the hardware section of your lumber company
  • Screen Clips
  • Staple Gun
  • Craft Knife

Let me show you how I got started.  During my parents visit over the holidays, my Dad and I went to our local hardware store and purchased two strips of MDF crown molding for $3.50 each.  My Dad built the frame using the measurements of the wall in the closet.

The inside of each molding strip was routed with a 1/4″ rabbeting bit.  This is necessary to ensure that that the pegboard sets inside the frame.

Above is the frame in the process of being built.  The molding was cut to size, glued and stapled together.  We let this dry overnight before painting and installing the screen clips.  The screen clips are necessary to hold the pegboard in place after you install it.  This frame was less than $7.00 to build because of the MDF molding we used.

We waited to purchase the pegboard after the frame was built.  You will need to know the exact measurements.  Our local hardware store cut the pegboard to our exact measurements.

I covered the pegboard with a home décor fabric in a linen color.  I started by ironing the fabric and placing the pegboard face down.  I left a good 2″ margin of fabric on each side.  When I was ready to start stapling, I folded down 1″ and then another inch and then stapled.

The pegboard is now ready to be installed in the frame.  Using the screen clips that you have already installed, simply lock them into place.

When the pegboard has been installed, this is a good time to install the hardware on the back of the frame for hanging on the wall.  I used the heavy weight picture hangers and placed them a 1/4 of the way down on each side.  I marked my hole and then used a tiny drill to get my hole started and then screwed them in place.  Do the same for both sides.

Now is the time to start installing the hooks and baskets.  It is a good idea to have a visual of how you want the items organized before making holes in the fabric.  I started with the hooks for the ties.  I used a craft knife to pierce a hole where the first hooks would go as seen in the picture below.  I altered the rows of hooks to accommodate his ties.  These hooks come with the locking black strip.  The strips are very important to keep the hook in place at all times

When I finished installing the hooks at the top and installing the hardware on the back of the frame, I went ahead and hung my husbands ties and belts so I would know how much space I had to work with toward the bottom.  The pictures below show you the rest of the frame finished.  I used the same method to install the baskets as I did the hooks.

I am so happy that my vision of a closet organizer for my husband has finally come to fruition.

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About Missy: Missy is a stay at home mom who resides with her family in Keller. In her spare time, she enjoys crafting, sewing, decorating and scrapbooking. After numerous suggestions from her friends and family she decided to pursue her passion and created a blog called lookiewhatidid.blogspot.com. The blog is six months old and receives over 20,000 hits each month. Originally from Arkansas, she has made Texas her home for the last 14 years.