Chalk Painted Kitchen Dishtowel Rack

Way back in August of last year, Ed and I helped our oldest move into an apartment close to the medical school she is attending. The previous tenants had just moved out.  The place was not clean yet, so I took it upon myself to at least start cleaning the kitchen until the cleaning company came, so we could start moving my daughter’s stuff in.  While cleaning under the sink, I found a big spray bottle of Isopropyl rubbing alcohol.  I had never seen a spray bottle of it before and found it odd that they left it. I soon found out why from the landlord.

When you live in a rental – no holes can be made in the walls.  To the rescue – Command Brand Damage Free Hanging products which require cleaning the wall surface first with the alcohol.

That bottle sure came in handy. When we hit Walmart later in the day for all the little things we needed to get the apartment set up, we also purchased lots of picture hanging strips, hooks, and clips to get everything successfully hung on the walls without making any holes.

When Command Brand asked me to create a few projects for them, I knew that my daughter could use a decorative towel rack in her kitchen.  She has a turquoise  scheme going. You may remember the post I wrote about painting an old dresser and table and chairs for her.  I used the color to create a one-of-a-kind chalk painted towel rack that could be hung on her kitchen wall using her stash of the Damage-Free Hanging strips.

supplies needed:

• Decorative pine board
• 3 decorative molding accent pieces
• Chalk paint (in your choice of color)
• Clear paste wax
• Dark paste wax
• Soft cloth
• Small bristle paintbrush
• Wood glue
• Sandpaper
• Paintbrush
• Isopropyl rubbing alcohol
• Command™ Brand Medium and Large Picture Hanging Strips
• Command™ Brand Terrace Hooks

Note: Follow all Command™ Brand package instructions for proper surface cleaning and prep, adhesive strip placement and recommended weight claims; for example one Command™ Brand Terrace Hook holds a maximum weight of 3 pounds.

1. Select a space in your kitchen for a decorative dishtowel rack, such as on the kitchen island or the side of counter.

2. Use wood glue to attach decorative molding pieces to a pine board, and let dry. Be sure to leave enough space in between each piece to adhere a Command™ Brand Terrace Hook.

3. Paint the board with two coats of chalk paint. Let the first coat dry thoroughly before applying the second coat.

4. When the board is completely dry, rub sandpaper over all the edges of the board and molding pieces to create a distressed look.

5. Apply a coat of clear wax, and rub it into the surface of the painted board. Let dry for about 15 minutes, then buff with soft cloth.

Use a small paintbrush to remove wax from the detailed parts in the decorative accent molding pieces. Note: Do not apply wax where hooks will be placed as this can affect adhesion.

6. Repeat the process with the dark wax to give the board an aged, worn look—also known as “patina.” Note: Do not apply wax where hooks will be placed as this can affect adhesion.

7. Attach the Command™ Brand Terrace Hooks to the front of the board. First clean the area in between the decorative accent molding pieces with isopropyl rubbing alcohol, wipe gently and let dry.

8. Then remove the red liner from the adhesive strip and press to the Command™ Brand Terrace Hook firmly. Remove the black liner from the adhesive strip and press the hook to the board for 30 seconds. For maximum holding strength, slide the hook up and off the board and press the base to the board firmly for 30 seconds.

9. Repeat for the additional hooks. Slide the hooks back on their bases and wait one hour before hanging dishtowels.

10. Adhere two sets of Command™ Brand Picture Hanging Strips to the back of the board to hang the piece to the wall or cabinet.

To make a set, place two strips together until you hear them snap. Remove one green liner from the Command™ Brand Picture Hanging Strips and attach to the back of the board. Remove the other green liner and press the board into place on the wall or cabinet for 30 seconds.

Note: 2 medium sets of Picture Hanging Strips can hold 6 lbs. 2 large sets can hold 8 lbs. Ensure that the weight of your board and the items hanging on it do not exceed the maximum weight for your strips.

11. Remove the board by slowly pulling it from the bottom and towards you. Wait one hour to re-mount, pressing the fasteners together until they click.

Hang your dishtowels.  I looked for colorful towels to coordinate with the turquoise rack. You can also make your own embellished towels to match your style.

To give them a style of their own, I simply sewed a few pieces of ribbon along the bottom edge.

I took these photos of the rack in my kitchen, but I removed it so I could send it to my daughter this week as a little surprise gift. I like to make sure they get goodies in the mail every once in a while.  No fun going to an empty or only junk or bill filled mail box every day, right?

If you would like to learn more about Command™ Brand products and see more ideas on how you can use Command Picture Hanging Strips and Damage-Free products in your home you can visit their web site – Command.com. Follow them on Twitter @CommandBrand,  Facebook

I am working with Command Brand from 3M to share projects I created in my home. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.