Liz’s DIY: Personalized Rope Hanger

Celebrating the Everyday, Liz's DIY  //  

I am super excited today… not only because we have taken over Bucknell University‘s Career Center’s twitter feed (@BisonINCareers) to share a Day In the Life of being an entrepreneur and photographer!!  (Wahoo!!… be sure to check it out and get a glimpse behind the scenes of all of the craziness over here!  ;) )…. but I am also super excited because I get to share not one, but TWO DIY projects with you today!!  Both of these projects were made especially for Kaylene and Matt’s special day!

This first project is the personalized hanger my cousin Jenna and I made for Kaylene!  Jenna and I had been chatting about a special gift for Kaylene and the idea of a personalized hanger came up!  There are TONS of super cute wire personalized hangers on Etsy, but we wanted it to be extra special.  I had seen a super cute DIY project that included rope words… so I figured why not make it into a hanger?!  Jenna was up for the adventure and we made up the steps as we went along!  ;)  We are happy to say that we are pretty excited about the results!  This Mrs. Francis twine hanger fit perfectly with Kaylene and Matt’s rustic wedding decor and it was the perfect way to add a special touch to their wedding day!

Here are the details and step-by-step process Jenna and I used to make Kaylene’s personalized wedding hanger!  It was actually pretty easy… but it is definitely messy! ;)

SUPPLIES WE USED:

    • 1 Wooden hanger (from a photographer’s perspective, the notches on the ends are super helpful to keep the dress hanging!  ;) )
    • 2 Eye Hooks
    • 1/2 Cup Corn Starch (Check the back of your cupboards for this one… Ours expired in 2008… lol, but it is perfect for crafting!)
    • Rope or Jute
    • 4 oz. Elmer’s Glue
    • 1/2 cup warm water
    • Parchment Paper
    • Pencil

You will see a trend in all of my DIY posts… they always seem to include the help of other people!  ;)  Crafting is more fun with friends!

PROJECT INSTRUCTIONS:

Step 1:  Screw the eye hooks into the bottom of the hanger.  I just used my hands (no tool required).  It does take some patience to get it started, but once you make a hole it gets much easier.  Screw it in far enough that the hook feels secure.

Step 2:  Lay out enough parchment paper to cover the length of the hanger.  Place the hanger onto the parchment paper.  Use a pencil to draw the name/word that you want to hang from your hanger.  For us, we wrote Mrs. Francis.  It was helpful to write it out as if it was one continuous word (as it will show when you use the twine to actually make it).  We used lowercase cursive letters to make it look best. Please note: you are using a pencil for a reason!  ;)  Don’t be afraid to erase and start over if you need to!  Once you have your name/word written, place your hanger to the side.

Step 3:  Mix the cornstarch, water, and glue into a medium sized bowl.  Mix until the mixture is no longer clumpy.

Step 4:  Unravel the rope/jute and begin to run it through the cornstarch mixture.  The rope/jute should be completely submerged and covered.  However, be sure to leave about 2 feet un-dipped at each end of the word to make it easier to tie around the eye hook.  (We learned this the hard way!)

Step 5:  This is where it starts to get messy.  Squeeze off any excess cornstarch mixture and begin to use the rope/jute to trace the name/word you drew onto the parchment paper.  Feel free to use some force to create creases and folds.  Be patient and hold the rope/jute into place when needed.

If the letters begin to look funky or illegible, feel free to go back and tweak it!  You have several minutes until it begins to hold firm.  It worked best for us to complete the name and then go back and tweak it to make it perfect.  You can add extra cornstarch mixture to specific spots where it needs a little extra stability.

Like I said… it gets messy, so don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty!  ;)

Step 6: Once the name/word looks good to you, leave it to dry for at least 12 hours.  And yes, it does take that long!  Believe me, I started to doubt that it was going to stay in its shape, but the next day it was good to go!!  Once it is dry and firm, clean up the word by removing any flaky pieces of the dried mixture.  If you have any flimsy areas that need extra support, feel free to use hot glue to make it stand firm.

String the extra rope/jute at the beginning and end of the word through the eye hook and tie a knot to hold it in place!  Then Voila! Done!  ;)  How cute would this be to make for all of the bridesmaids in your wedding?!?… or of course for a Bride-to-Be in your life!

Below is the finished Mrs. Francis hanger in action on Kaylene and Matt’s wedding day!  ;)  Cute right?!?  Check out more photos from their amazing rustic PA wedding here.

Let me know if you have any questions at all!  I am more than happy to help if I can!  ;)  I would love to hear if you can think of any other fun uses for this! Have fun and don’t forget to check back in later today for another super fun and rustic DIY project!