DIY Not?

Ever the crafty gal, I geek over all manner of lifestyle design - from interiors to floral to party planning. While I always wanted to add DIY projects to MappCraft | Tiny Closet, Tons of Style®, I'm at my bandwidth in pretty much everything right now. So I decided to populate this new blog segment, MappCraft Project, with inspiring content from other crafty gals. 

Jillian Kirby's wonderful energy and quirky/creative personal style impressed me from her very first post in the MappCraft | Tiny Closet Survival Guide Facebook Group. After I peeped her DIY skills on her blog HeyJillianKirby.com I knew she would be the perfect person to launch MappCraft Project. 

And man did she deliver.

Take it away, Jillian.

DIY Copper Outfit Valet by Jillian Kirby

When Jenn mentioned she'd love a "home DIY project- maybe something closet related?" to share on her blog my brain went racing straight to this idea for two reasons:

1) Ever since I made custom hardware out of copper pipe and fittings for a dresser I was refinishing, I have been on the lookout for new projects to do with this beautiful and easy to work with metal.

2) I have been coveting clothes valets that I occasionally see in beautiful bedrooms on Pinterest, but my tiny bedroom, while beautiful, really doesn't have the floor or wall space for one.

When Jenn asked me to come up with a closet related DIY project, a lightbulb went off that combined my hankering for a new copper project to work on and my wish for a clothes valet! A copper clothes valet that could be mounted on the back of my closet door.  You could put this on your wall, or on the back of a bedroom or bathroom door.

MappCraft Project Checklist: DIY Copper Outfit Valet

Time: 35 minutes

Tools

• Drill with Screwdriver Bit or Impact Driver
• Copper Pipe Cutter
• Level (optional) 

Shopping List

• One 5' length of 1/2" copper pipe
• Two 45° copper cup x cup elbows (1/2")
• Three copper tube straps (1/2")
• Three copper pressure T's (1/2")
• Four copper tube caps (1/2")
• Gorilla brand Super Glue
• Six 1.5" long screws
• Wall anchors if affixing in drywall

DIY Copper Outfit Valet: Video Tutorial

DIY Copper Outfit Valet: Step by Step Instructions

Step 1) Cut your pipe into the following lengths:

• Two 15" pieces

• Two 9" pieces

• Two 2" pieces

• Two 1" pieces

• One 5" piece

The copper cutter sort of pops onto the pipe, and you rotate it until the pipe is cut all the way through. If you aren't feeling resistance, you are turning in the wrong direction. 

If you're following the math, the cut list totals 59", and the piece of copper pipe you bought is 60"- we are making the most of your materials while leaving a just a little wiggle room. Don't worry, these cuts definitely don't need to be exact at all for the piece to look great. If you are new to DIY projects, I want you to feel confident that this is a great project for you. 

Step 2) Lay out everything where you want it to go, then do a dry (no glue) run

Think about the angles the pieces will sit and the clearance you will need to close your closet, especially with the shoe rack. This is your chance to make sure you are 100% happy with the final product before you've made the commitment of gluing.   

Step 3) Glue the joints together

Add a thin bead of Gorilla glue all the way around the inside of the larger pieces, and then fit the pieces of pipe inside. You will only have about ten seconds to adjust the angle of each piece before the glue has dried. I like to work from the bottom of the piece up, so gravity is on your side as you add pieces.  

Step 4) Take your tube straps and use them to screw the valet in place

If you are hanging the valet on a sheetrock wall, you will need to either find a stud and screw directly into that, or use wall anchors to hold the valet securely.  This is where you can use the level to make sure the valet is exactly perpendicular to the floor. 

Step 5) Have fun creating outfits!

Start with your outfit base, add a layer, a pop of color, some jewelry, and maybe even a hat! If you need tips on how to get started I would seriously recommend checking out Jenn's Tiny Closet Essential Style Guide E-book, it really helped me cement my personal style, and get confident wearing a lot of looks I would have thought were too bold or too trendy for me until I learned how to style them like a pro from Jenn! 

DIY Copper Outfit Valet: Make it Your Own

You can customize your valet in a myriad ways:

1. Add more hooks for scarves or jewelry
2. Create longer arms to accommodate multiple outfits being hung up at once
3. Play around with the length of the whole piece depending on what kind of space you have available and how you want the outfits to hang

There are so many amazing projects you could create for your tiny closet with copper pipe. I would love to see any variations you come up with, or other projects this post inspires! If you're interested in more fun DIY projects head over to Hey Jillian!

Craft Gal? Know One? 

I hope you enjoyed the first MappCraft Project. Do you have a DIY idea to share? Tell me all about it and maybe yours will be our next feature.

Also, why don't you just join MappCraft | Tiny Closet, Tons of Style® Survival Guide FB group already? We have daily style challenges, outfit shares, live #OOTD videos and lots of capsule chatter and inspo. Plus everyone is so nice. 

If you love Jillian's DIY Copper Outfit Valet,  show her some love with a sweet click on the little heart below. And don't forget to check out her awesome blog Hey Jillian!