How to DIY A Stunning European Cottage Pot Rack

One of my favorite DIY’s in our home is our cottage pot rack. It’s the most beautiful way to display our copper collection.

Disclosure: There are some affiliate links below, but these are products I recommend. I won’t put anything on this page that I haven’t verified and/or personally used.

Why DIY a Pot Rack?

A Pot Rack Can Become the Focal Point

In my first post about this DIY pot rack, I told you that it accidentally became the focal point of the space.

It was a happy accident.

I had no idea that it would become more than a nice storage solution.

But I’m so glad that it turned out the way it did.

It’s not a huge project.

Honestly, it’s one of the most simple DIY’s we’ve done.

But it packs a punch when I display our copper collection, stainless steel, and cast iron pots and pans.

A Pot Rack Adds Storage

Storing the pots and pans like this has been a game-changer for me.

I used to despise getting them out to cook.

Inevitably, the one I needed was going to be in the back of the cabinet or at the bottom of the pile.

Que loud crashing noises.

Ugh.

We tried multiple different storage solutions to ease these issues, but none of them lasted.

They were all either too cumbersome to maintain, or they simply didn’t work.

Then, the wall rack!

It’s the best way I’ve stored my pots and pans.

It’s never a mess trying to get the pan I need and most of the time I can get it without making a sound.

I remember the days of the sleeping baby at naptime.

My oldest would wake up to the smallest noises.

I literally went nutty trying to get her to nap during the day.

I would avoid using pots and pans during naptime because I knew the crashing pots would wake her up.

Why didn’t I come up with this solution back then?!

Pot Rack Adds Old-World Charm

I absolutely love the functionality, and the way the wall rack steals the show in this space.

But, my favorite part of our wall rack is the old-world European cottage charm.

I love the simpler things in life.

In fact, sometimes I think that I was born at the wrong time.

Don’t get me wrong, I love indoor plumbing.

But I’m drawn to the slower, simpler, and cozier things from times & cultures long ago.

The story.

The history.

It’s more of a feeling and less something you can put into words.

If you’re looking for more European cottage inspiration check this out!

How Do You Make A Homemade Pot Rack?

DIY Pot Rack: Supplies

wood
circular saw
sandpaper/steel wool
primer
paint
drill
screws
countersink drill bit
hooks

DIY Pot Rack Instructions

Making the Rack

Step 1.
The first thing I did was select the wood I wanted.

I found some wood in the woodpile and lucky for me, this wood hadn’t been claimed for any other projects!

Step 2.
As you can see, the wood I selected was pretty rough.

I cleaned off the big chunks of dirt with some steel wool, then I started sanding the rough edges a little.

I didn’t want to sand them off completely, but I did want it to be splinter-free.

Step 3.
Now that it was cleaned up, I measured it and cut it to the appropriate length.

To do this, I used the circular saw with the wood set up on a couple of sawhorses.

I sanded the freshly cut portions of the wood to make sure it wasn’t rough.

Step 4.
The next step was to prime & paint the wood.

The girls love to help us with projects.

So whenever we’re able, we try to involve them.

(It makes the projects more meaningful and creates memories before the projects are even finished.)

How Do You Hang A Pot on the Wall?

Step 5.
After the wood was ready to go, we measured and marked where we wanted the hooks to be.

The hooks we used have screws on the backside.

We received these beautiful vintage hooks from my husband’s family.

They are so good at finding awesome vintage pieces!!

(I thought it would be best to drill little holes to twist the hooks into, and I still believe it was the proper course of action. However, my husband decided to just twist them in and it turned out okay haha.)

Step 6.
Because we planned on hanging pots and pans on this rack we wanted to make sure we screwed them into studs and not just anchors in the drywall.

My husband and I held the rack up on the wall where we planned to hang it.

Then using a stud finder, we found where the studs were and marked them on the racks.

Step 7.
This mark was where we screwed the rack to the wall.

But to prevent seeing the screw heads after the rack was installed we drilled it with a countersink drill bit first.

Then we filled over the screw head with putty, and painted it!

That’s it!

It’s seriously that simple!

If you’re looking to add character to your home and also create some storage I absolutely recommend a pot rack.

You can do pots and pans in the kitchen, coats, and bags in an entryway, or towels, and robes in the bathroom.

I’m currently dreaming of putting one in the basement for all my gardening things.

The possibilities are endless.

For more European cottage inspiration check out these DIY projects!

Built-in Bookcase

Repair a beautiful antique

Turn a vintage rug or piece of fabric into wall decor

DIY open shelf brackets

Pin for Later!

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Also, make sure you follow along on Pinterest to check out all the other Fall decor ideas I’ve been pinning for this year!

Have a great week! XoXo

Open Your Doors,
Aliya

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