I bought a trunk last year through an online auction (when we all were in shutdown). It was in worse shape than I thought. I wasn't able to salvage it and make it a trunk again. I used the lid in an Upcycled project last January, you can see it here.
I still had the base floating around in storage so I decided to create two projects from the base.
After cleaning the entire piece, I sliced off about three inches off of the front...
and back of the base.
This gave me two pieces that I could transform into coat racks.
I needed to add a little more structure to the top edge to finish it off and also to have something to attach the hooks for hanging.
I pulled a couple of pieces from my stash of scrap wood. I had actually pulled them prior to cutting the base and made the slice to accommodate the piece of wood I had selected for the top edge.
I cut the scrap wood to the appropriate length and nailed it to the top of the "slice." Fortunately, this wood was aged as well and worked really well with the rest of the piece. I did this for both the slices from the base. I put a clear coat of polyurethane all over the piece. I used Varathane Crystal Clear polyurethane in an exterior satin finish.
The front part of the base still had the wheels so I decided to leave them on. I really liked the way they looked with the overall piece.
I purchased hooks from Hobby Lobby. I used two different types for the front and back "slices." I predrilled holes and used bolts to thread through the hook and the wood, securing with nuts on the back of the piece. I wanted to ensure these would withstand the weight of anything coats or clothing that would be hanging on the hooks. I painted the screws to match the color of the hooks.
This one is the front of the trunk. I selected these hooks because I thought they complemented the metal detail nicely. This is the one that still has the wheels on the bottom.
This is the back of the trunk base. Not as much detail so I selected these hooks that have a slot to add names for each person in the family. I also left the rusty hinge on the upper right corner. I thought it balanced out the chunk of wood missing from the top edge on the left.
I really love how both pieces turned out. These are perfect for an entryway, bedroom or a mud room—anyplace you need a little something to hang your hat.
I staged it with a table I recently completed as well. You can see that post here.
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Below are some links to products I used in this project. Disclaimer: Junk is My Life is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
This project was featured by several of my fellow bloggers. If you get a chance, check out their sites!
Thank you to all of these bloggers for featuring my project!
Below is an image to pin to Pinterest if you would like to save this idea!
