Building a Tie Hanger

A tie hanger is a useful contraption to have in your home if you own any quantity of ties. Ties will tend to look better, be less wrinkled and be generally easier to organize and select if they're hanging on a specialized tie hanger. These pieces of furniture are small and can be included in any closet, making it easy to hang up your ties and keep them organized in one place. Hanging your ties on a hanger will also extend their lifetimes. Read on for a brief guide on how to build your own tie hanger at home with minimal experience and equipment necessary.

Tools and Materials:

• Thin, flat wood shake (approximately 18 inches long by 3 to 4 inches high by 1 inch deep is generally ideal)
• Wooden tie pegs (approximately 40)
• 1-inch screws with small 1/4-inch screw heads
• Drill with matching 1/4-inch bit and countersink bit
• Acrylic primer or protector mixture
• Paintbrush

Step 1 -- Prepare the Shake

Before you attempt to install the shake that will serve as the basis of your tie hanger, you should prepare the piece of wood that you'll use. Use a paintbrush to treat the wood with the acrylic primer or protector mixture. Allow it plenty of time to dry. Reapply a second coat of acrylic, if you wish. By treating the wood before you install the shake in your room or closet, you'll be working to extend the lifetime of the tie hanger before you even construct it. You can also treat the wooden tie pegs with the acrylic primer or protector mixture, as this will unify the appearance of the tie hanger later on.

Step 2 -- Drill for the Pegs

Use the drill to drill 1/8-inch holes for each one of the pegs. It generally works best to put the pegs about 2 inches apart from each other. Decide first on how to organize the pegs. Many people find that two rows of offset pegs allow them to keep a tie hanger a manageable size without crowding the ties too close together.

Countersink the back portion of the tie hanger as well. This will allow you to insert the pegs from the back of the shake.

Step 3 -- Insert the Pegs

Screw each peg into the tie hanger shake by pushing it in gently from the rear portion of the shake. You can accomplish this by gently pushing the peg in and screwing in one direction slightly as you do. Be careful that the pegs don't break as you do this. Remove any broken pegs and throw them out. Check each peg to be sure that it is securely in place and not loose.

Step 4 -- Hang the Tie Hanger

Finally, drill holes in the corners of the tie hanger and attach the hanger to the wall where you'd like to keep it by fixing it with screws. Check to be sure that the hanger is perfectly level before you drill into the wall or the hanger itself.