Pot racks are not just functional, but have become part of the interior decorator’s tool chest. They make a statement hanging against a wall or above your stove. They also remind you to scrub the bottoms of your pots.
The problem is, pot racks are often expensive and scary to install, and you need to find one that fits perfectly in the space you have for it. But instead of overpaying one, you can actually DIY it for next to nothing with little more than some copper pipes and a power drill. This isn’t a project that requires soldering skills—if you’ve mastered Tinker Toys, you’ve got this.
How to plan out your pot rack
First, measure the space where you want your pot rack to hang, remembering to center it in your available area—you don’t want the pipe to extend all the way to the wall, or you won’t be able to hang pots off of it. You do, however, want to anchor into studs, so finding them is important if you have heavy pots.
Once you have it measured out, decide if you just need a small square/rectangle, or a larger rack that will require a center support (or two!)—if the rack is four feet or larger, it should have a support. Create a sketch of your rack, including measurements. This will tell you how much copper pipe you’ll need. Pipe comes in eight foot lengths, so you’ll need to cut it down from there.
The sketch will also help you figure out what fittings you need—these are the connectors that join your sections of pipe together. You’ll need elbows and tees, or, in rare cases, you might need a cross.
Once you’ve got that all figured out, it’s time to learn about van hangers.
To suspend copper pipe from the ceiling, there is a special fitting, called a van hanger or bell hanger, that perfectly cups the pipe and holds it two inches from the ceiling. It even has a decorative cap, so it will look finished. You’ll need a hanger every 18 inches or so. The final step is to get some copper S-hooks to hang from the rack to hold your pots.
How to assemble your pot rack
You can often get copper pipe cut at the store, but you can also do it at home with this nifty little cutter. You clamp it on the pipe and twist it around until the end snaps off. It’s deeply satisfying.
Lay out all the cut parts on the floor in the shape of the finished rack. Attach them using your fittings, making sure the pipe is secure in the fittings. Now its time to install the hangers. Ideally you will be hanging your rack from studs, but that’s not always possible, in which case you’ll need to use anchors to support the rack (you may also need to add additional van hangers to spread out the load). It’s best to talk to someone at the hardware store about what your ceiling is made of your ceiling so they can advise you on what will work best.
How to hang your pot rack
Here’s where it’s helpful to have a friend. First, install the top half of the hangers. Next, have one person hold the rack in place, nestled in the top half of the hangers, while the other secures the rack with the bottom half of the hangers. If you are working solo, you can attach one end of the rack and leave it hanging down vertically (not horizontally); then you can just lift up the opposite end and secure it before moving on to the sides.
Finally, add your S-hooks and start hanging your pots. As the copper ages, it might patina slightly, but generally holds up well. I installed mine 13 years ago, and the hardest part was finding the right hangers.