DIY Thread Rack for your Sewing Space

While working on my office makeover earlier this year I tried to find a simple thread rack to attach to my pegboard of sewing and craft supplies. I was shocked to find that none of my local shops carried them and shipping one to Canada would have been ridiculously expensive. What’s a girl to do? DIY on of course!

This DIY thread rack took me a couple of hours and cost about $10.

Materials

• One 4′ piece of  ¼” x 2” hobby board
• 2-3 ¼” dowels
• One length of 11/16” Quarter Round
• Power Drill with ¼” and 3/16″ bits
• Wood Glue
• 12 small screws
• Spray Paint (optional)

 

 

Cut back Pieces & Quarter Round

Cut your 1/4″ hobby board into two 20 1/4″ pieces, these will be the back pieces for your thread rack. For your rows, cut the quarter round into six 12″ pieces.

 

 

Cut Dowels & Drill Holes in Quarter Round

Cut your dowels into 1.75″ pegs. I used 26 pegs in my thread rack, but the number of pegs you’ll need and their spacing will depend on width of your rack and how many spools of thread you want to store on each row. Once you’ve figured out your spacing, use the 1/4″ drill bit to drill holes in the quarter round for each peg. I tried to stop a little short of the end of my quarter round, but in some cases I went right through – not a big deal either way.

 

 

Dab a bit of wood glue on end of each peg and insert into the holes. Be sure to wipe away any excess glue that might escape.

I found the following spacing measurements worked best for my (mostly Gutermann brand) thread:

• Small spools (110 yards) leave 0.5” from ends with 1” between pegs (or 12 across)
• Medium spools (274-547 yards) leave 0.75” from ends with 1.5” between pegs (or 8 across)
• Large spools (1094 yards) leave 1” from ends with 2” between pegs (or 6 across)

Attach Quarter Round to Back Pieces

Line your two back pieces up together and mark out the placement of your rows of quarter round. I recommend having at least 2 1/4″ above your first row and 1/2″ below your last row. Spread out your remaining rows with 3 1/4″ – 3 3/4″ between them.

 

 

Pre-drill holes through your back pieces and partway into your quarter round to prevent splitting and then screw them together from the back.

 

Paint & Hang

Once your thread rack is assembled you can paint it or leave it unfinished and hang it right away! I gave mine a quick coat of some Rust-oleum Heirloom White spray paint and attached it to my pegboard using 3M velcro tabs (these things are honestly the best).

 

Enjoy!