Project #4 DIY Dish Rack

My Own Dish Rack

Before I get started with instructions on my latest project, I have to share a few hilarious words.  I live with two of the best people in the world (come December 14th, I'll have the BEST roommate of course), my brother and best bud Luke.  My brother plays for the BYU Football team which is simply fantastic and my roommate Luke plays for the BYU co-ed dating team, some-what fantastic.  When friends for either roommate come over to our house, they almost always comment about the different crafts: dish-drying rack, grow box with fall foliage or the banan-A-frame. Comments from friend's of my brother are usually something like "uh, did your girlfriend make that?" to which I usually just make a mad dash to the bathroom.  Comments from Luke's lady friends are something like "Oh my gosh!!  Did you REALLY make those?!" . . . to which I make no reply.  The only comments I really care about are the ones from my fiancé, "That's great Taylor."  Just something to think about :) 

Getting Started

After working on my grow boxes (see below) I saw another project on Pinterest that I thought I would 'tailor' to my own needs.  Although dishes in our apartment are nothing as bad as other apartments I have been in (dishes so high that even poor fruit flies experience altitude sickness trying to fly to the top of the pile), we desperately needed a drying rack for our dishes.  

The materials for the dish rack were pretty basic, most of them I had already accumulated from past projects.

• Mod Podge 
• 3 ft dowels (I bought four dowels = plenty from Home Depot) 
• Box of 1 3/4 (4.45 cm 'Grip Right' nails also from Home Depot)
• Helmsman Water Repellant (two cans worked perfectly

Step One

If you have left over scrap wood from previous projects, use those.  If finding a new pallet and breaking it down, sanding your planks of wood and cutting them is required, then good for you.  I used the same wood from my other projects and found that two planks were plenty for the 1'x2' drying racks I made.  Before going on with the project, measure the length of the area you want to put your drying rack so it's a perfect fit. 

Step Two

After figuring out the dimensions for your drying rack, you'll need to drill holes through which your dowels will go in order to hold your dishes up right.  My first attempt at the drying rack left me with holes that were drilled in the center of the wood.  If you want your dishes to fall over then this is exactly what you should do, but if you want them to stand upright and positioned so they can really dry then drill holes about 1/2 inch from the top of your sides.   I drilled the holes with both planks on top of each other so that the dowels would line up perfectly and they did!  Small miracle :)   I drilled five holes from the back one inch apart and then I drilled an addition hole about .5 inches from the front so I could have a place for silverware etc.  

Step Three

After drilling your holes, you'll want to nail the box together.  I found it super helpful to nail one end piece to the side piece and then nail your two pieces together.  This probably makes no sense, but do whatever feels best ... as long it's legal.  Notice how there is no bottom?  I did this on purpose because I wanted to just have a towel under the box and not a piece of wood that could get moldy and gross.  

Step Four

When the box has been nailed together.  Coat each dowel with the Helmsman repellant.  This was an idea I had while watching water seep into the cement as a child in excruciating heat of St. George.  If you want your dishes to dry, and the dowels to keep from molding, then give them a good coat of the repellant.  When the dowels of been water-proofed, dip each end in Mod Podge and slide them through the holes, allowing time for the glue to dry.  

Step Five

When the repellant and Mod Podge have all dried, place your drying rack on top of a towel next to your sink!  It's just that easy!  

It would be a good idea to make sure you have the right size of drill for the dowels.  This will save you frustration when you attempt to put a dowel into a hole that is much to small.  I also found it helpful to wipe the box with some Pine Sol (on the outside of the box) to give it a nice scent and look after the box was dried.