Embrace the Goddess Within: DIY Nature Clothing Hangers

Our Simple Abundance book has been talking a lot about our wardrobes for the past month. It's had us making sure to only surround ourselves with things we absolutely and authentically love, eventually getting us to clean out and simplify our closets. Well, I did...tried...and still wasn't getting a good vibe from my wardrobe. I had only my favorite, can't-live-without items hanging up, but something just wasn't working. I finally realized that it was the mismatching plastic hangers throwing me off! I'm not a fan of plastic anywhere else in my decorating, so why should my closet be any different?

I got to work fixing the problem the way I fix every aesthetic dilemma I face--by adding a touch of nature! I remembered a post I saw years ago on Free People's blog on painting sticks and turning them into clothing hangers.

So, I collected some hanger-sized sticks and got to work. I still have my Christmas tree, void of needles, since I just knew I would end up needing branches at some point (am I weird?). I sawed off some of that and found the rest in the park.

After sawing the sticks to the size I wanted, I baked them in a 250 degree oven for 30 minutes or so just in case they had any mites or other unwanted nasties (not sure if this temperature and cook time was right, so you might want to research it). Then, I painted them any old way I pleased.

I could have kept painting and painting since I love color so much, but I leaned on the simpler side and forced myself to leave them be. I drilled a hole all the way through the center of each stick with a drill bit smaller than the size of the wire I was using for the hooks. I shaped each hook out of 16 gauge wire. I think, going back, I would use a little bit thicker wire or even some premade hooks from the hardware store just to make them a bit more sturdy.

Lastly, I inserted each hook all the way through the drilled holes and bent the end of the wire so it wouldn't come out.