The small landing at the bottom of our staircase had slowly turned into a dumping ground for purses, jackets and hats. To clear the clutter, Jeff and I built a simple DIY peg rail organizer that moves everyday entryway items off the floor and onto sturdy wooden pegs.
Below I share the step-by-step tutorial for this wooden wall hook idea, created as part of a group “Make It Challenge” with several other DIY bloggers.
We all used the same basic material—wood—to create approachable projects anyone can make, inspired by the NBC show Making It. Read on for the full instructions and photos.
Before getting into the construction details, here’s a quick look at the other wood projects made for the challenge. There are lots of clever ideas worth checking out.
Ctrl Curate | Wood Plant Hooks
Blissmakes | Mirror Shelf
Design Fixation | Triangular Wood Wall Hooks
Spatial Dwelling | Wood Toys DIY
Paper and Stitch (that’s me) | DIY Peg Rail Organizer
Why Don’t You Make Me | Dowel Bench
Delineate Your Dwelling | Wood Cutout Frame
The Beauty Dojo | Plant Stands
All of these were made from wood and each brings a different style and function to a home—perfect for inspiration if you want to try something new.
Here’s how to make the peg rail organizer I built.
Materials Needed
- 1 dowel rod (the example uses a 1-inch diameter)
- 1 piece of 1×4 lumber, cut to length
- Power drill and a spade bit matching the dowel diameter
- Power saw or handsaw
- Wood glue
- Sandpaper or a power sander
- Level
- Strong tape (painter’s tape works well)
- Screws suitable for your wall type
How to Make a DIY Peg Rail Organizer
1. Cut the 1×4 and the dowel rod to your desired lengths. For the version shown here, the rail is 36 inches long and 3.5 inches wide, and each peg is 3.5 inches long. I made five pegs, but you can adjust the number to suit your space.
2. Mark equal spacing for the pegs along the face of the 1×4 using a pencil. Measure carefully so the pegs sit evenly and look balanced when installed.
3. With a spade bit the same diameter as your dowel and a power drill, bore shallow holes at each marked point. Don’t drill all the way through—leave a bit of wood at the back of each hole to act as a stop and a clean visual surface. Sand any rough edges inside the holes so the pegs fit smoothly.
4. Position the board on the wall and fasten it through a few of the peg holes into the wall studs if possible. We used three screws for a 5-peg rail because it provided plenty of stability. Make sure the board is level before tightening all the screws.
5. Apply wood glue to the end of each dowel and insert them into the predrilled holes. Use tape to hold each peg in place while the glue cures—about 24 hours. The tape keeps the pegs positioned square and prevents them from sliding as the adhesive sets.
Quick note
Standard wood glue creates a very strong bond. If you anticipate removing the rail later or want the option to unscrew it from the wall, consider using a less permanent adhesive to attach the dowels. That will make disassembly easier but will slightly reduce load capacity—choose based on how much weight you plan to hang.
That’s all there is to it. Once the glue cures, your peg rail is ready to hold coats, bags, scarves and more—clearing floor space and organizing the entryway in a clean, simple way.
Want to join the challenge? Share your wood projects on Instagram with the hashtag #makeitchallenge—I’d love to see what you create.
Have you ever made a wall hook organizer like this? Would you give this DIY a try?