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Kids' Coat Tree[8/4 · 4ft · 5-Pack]
One pack. One build. All 5 boards used. • Makes 1 kids' coat tree
Shop Black Walnut 8/4 · 4ft Pack Shop All Speciesselect 4' Lengths / 4-6"
How it goes together
Black Walnut
Hard Maple
Cherry
White Oak
Red Oak
Ash
Hickory
Ambrosia Maple
Sapele*
Padauk*
Purpleheart*
*Exotic — not available for shipment to US customers.
A freestanding coat tree with the pegs down at kid height, so backpacks and jackets end up on the hooks instead of the floor. The thick post is two 8/4 boards glued face to face. It stands on a heavy doubled X base, with four knee braces and a big lag screw holding it upright. Six dowel pegs, angled up, hold coats, bags and hats.
Quick Build — for experienced woodworkers
| Part | Qty | From | S4S size | S2S size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Post halves | 2 | Boards 1–2 | 47" × 4" × 1¾" | 47" × 3½" × 1¾" |
| Feet | 4 | Boards 3 and 5, two each | 22" × 4" × 1¾" | 22" × 3½" × 1¾" |
| Knee braces | 4 | Board 4 | 10" × 4" × 1¾", ends 45° | 10" × 3½" × 1¾", ends 45° |
| Pegs (hardware) | 6 | 1" hardwood dowel, 36" long | 5" × 1" dia. | 5" × 1" dia. |
Post: boards 1–2 face-glued, 47" long.
Base: two half-lapped X's (feet 22", laps half the thickness deep), stacked arm over arm and glued on the arms only, plus 2 × #8 × 3" screws per arm.
Post to base: one ⅜" × 5" lag screw up through the centre, 1" counterbore 1½" deep. No glue (end grain).
Braces: four 10" braces, 45° ends, 2 pocket screws per end. No glue.
Pegs: six 1" dowels × 5", glued 1½" deep in holes drilled 10° up. Front pegs at 30" and 40", side pegs 2" higher.
Finished size: 50½" tall on a 22" × 22" X base. Post 4" × 3½" (S4S) or 3½" square (S2S). Pegs stand out about 3½".
Before You Start
Shopping List
- 1 lumber pack — 8/4 · 4ft (S4S or S2S)
- 1 hardwood dowel, 1" × 36" (6 pegs)
- 1 × ⅜" × 5" lag screw with a flat washer
- 8 × #8 × 3" flat-head wood screws
- 16 × 2½" coarse-thread pocket screws
- Furniture anti-tip strap or cable
- 4 felt pads
- Wood glue (Titebond II or III)
- Sandpaper 120 / 180 / 220
- Finish: wipe-on oil, hardwax oil or water-based poly
Tools
- Saw for crosscuts (mitre saw or circular saw with a speed square) — set to 45°
- Pocket-hole jig
- Drill/driver, countersink bit, pilot bits, 1" Forstner bit, ⅜" and ¼" bits
- Socket wrench for the lag screw
- Chisel and mallet
- Scrap block for a 10° drill guide
- 6–8 bar clamps, 6" or longer
- Random-orbit sander or sanding block
- S2S only: jointer, straight-line rip jig or hand plane
S4S or S2S? S4S boards arrive flat and square on all four sides — cut and build. S2S boards have rough edges you straighten first. No jointer? Choose S4S.
Our sizing assumptions: ⅛" per saw cut · S4S boards 1¾" × 4", ¼" to square an end · S2S boards trimmed ½" each end and ¼" off each rough edge (3½" clean); we plan S2S at 1¾" thick · sizes drawn for the narrowest board in the pack. Wider boards give you a bigger offcut or a wider part — never a shortage.
Step-by-Step
S4S Lumber Pack
Surfaced 4 sides — no jointing
- 1 Plan and crosscut. Boards 1 and 2 glue up into the post. Boards 3 and 5 make four 22" feet, board 4 the four braces. Square the ends of boards 1 and 2 and cut them to 47". Cut two 22" feet from board 3 and two from board 5, and four 10" brace blanks from board 4, all with a stop block.
- 2 Glue up the post. Face-glue boards 1 and 2 into a 4" × 3½" post, long grain to long grain. Keep the ends flush and clamp every 6". Leave it overnight, then scrape and sand the seam flush. Chamfer the top ¼" all round.
- 3 Cut the half-laps. Pair the feet: two from board 3 make the upper X, two from board 5 the lower X. Mark the centre of each foot and a 4"-wide notch across it, ⅞" deep. Cut the notch sides, saw kerfs every ¼" between them, knock out the waste and pare the bottom flat with a chisel. Each pair should cross flush, top and bottom.
- 4 Double the base. Lay the lower X on the bench and set the upper X on it, arm over arm, so every arm's grain lines up with the arm below. Glue the four arms only — keep glue 1" back from the centre square, where the grain crosses. Clamp, then add two pre-drilled #8 × 3" screws up through each lower arm. The base is now 3½" thick.
- 5 Lag the post on. At the centre of the base, drill a 1" counterbore 1½" deep from below, then a ⅜" hole through. Stand the post on the base, centred and square, and drill a ¼" pilot 3½" deep into its end through the hole. Drive a ⅜" × 5" lag screw with a washer. No glue: this is end grain, so the lag and the braces carry it.
- 6 Cut and fit the braces. Cut both ends of each brace blank at 45°, sloping opposite ways, so it keeps its 10" long edge. Set one brace on each arm, centred on it, long edge out, one end flat on the base and the other flat on the post. Drill two pocket holes at each end on the side face, then drive 2½" coarse-thread pocket screws into the post and the foot. Screws only — no glue on these angled end-grain joints.
- 7 Drill the peg holes. Make a 10° drill guide from scrap. Drill 1" holes 1½" deep, angled up: on the front face at 30" and 40" from the floor, and on each side face 2" higher, at 32" and 42". Keep the back face clear.
- 8 Glue in the pegs. Cut six 5" pegs from the dowel and round the outer ends. Glue them in. The peg's long grain glues to the side of the hole, so this joint is strong.
- 9 Finish and set it up. Ease every edge, sand 120 → 180 → 220, and wipe on 2–3 coats of oil or water-based poly. Add felt pads under the four arm ends. Screw a furniture anti-tip strap from the back of the post to a stud.
S2S Lumber Pack
Surfaced 2 sides — straighten edges first
- 1 Prep the boards. Trim ½" off each end to remove any end checks. Joint one edge straight, then rip the other edge parallel (¼" off each rough edge is our planning allowance). S2S boards finish 1¾" thick, so screws and some sizes change — use the sizes in this column.
- 2 Plan and crosscut. Boards 1 and 2 glue up into the post. Boards 3 and 5 make four 22" feet, board 4 the four braces. Square the ends of boards 1 and 2 and cut them to 47". Cut two 22" feet from board 3 and two from board 5, and four 10" brace blanks from board 4, all with a stop block.
- 3 Glue up the post. Face-glue boards 1 and 2 into a 3½" × 3½" post, long grain to long grain. Keep the ends flush and clamp every 6". Leave it overnight, then scrape and sand the seam flush. Chamfer the top ¼" all round.
- 4 Cut the half-laps. Pair the feet: two from board 3 make the upper X, two from board 5 the lower X. Mark the centre of each foot and a 3½"-wide notch across it, ⅞" deep. Cut the notch sides, saw kerfs every ¼" between them, knock out the waste and pare the bottom flat with a chisel. Each pair should cross flush, top and bottom.
- 5 Double the base. Lay the lower X on the bench and set the upper X on it, arm over arm, so every arm's grain lines up with the arm below. Glue the four arms only — keep glue 1" back from the centre square, where the grain crosses. Clamp, then add two pre-drilled #8 × 3" screws up through each lower arm. The base is now 3½" thick.
- 6 Lag the post on. At the centre of the base, drill a 1" counterbore 1½" deep from below, then a ⅜" hole through. Stand the post on the base, centred and square, and drill a ¼" pilot 3½" deep into its end through the hole. Drive a ⅜" × 5" lag screw with a washer. No glue: this is end grain, so the lag and the braces carry it.
- 7 Cut and fit the braces. Cut both ends of each brace blank at 45°, sloping opposite ways, so it keeps its 10" long edge. Set one brace on each arm, centred on it, long edge out, one end flat on the base and the other flat on the post. Drill two pocket holes at each end on the side face, then drive 2½" coarse-thread pocket screws into the post and the foot. Screws only — no glue on these angled end-grain joints.
- 8 Drill the peg holes. Make a 10° drill guide from scrap. Drill 1" holes 1½" deep, angled up: on the front face at 30" and 40" from the floor, and on each side face 2" higher, at 32" and 42". Keep the back face clear.
- 9 Glue in the pegs. Cut six 5" pegs from the dowel and round the outer ends. Glue them in. The peg's long grain glues to the side of the hole, so this joint is strong.
- 10 Finish and set it up. Ease every edge, sand 120 → 180 → 220, and wipe on 2–3 coats of oil or water-based poly. Add felt pads under the four arm ends. Screw a furniture anti-tip strap from the back of the post to a stud.
Why a doubled base? A tall, narrow tree tips if the base is light. Two X's stacked make a base 3½" thick and much heavier, which keeps the weight low where it counts.
Why glue the arms but not the centre? Each arm sits on an arm that runs the same way, so the glue joint is long grain to long grain. In the centre square the grain crosses, and glue there would fight the seasons, so it stays dry.
Why a lag screw and braces? The post meets the base with its end grain, which glue can't hold. The lag clamps the post down, and the four braces stop it from rocking. Together they keep it rigid.
Why pre-drill? Maple, oak and hickory split if you drive a screw without a pilot hole. Pre-drill every screw and countersink so the heads sit flush.
Make It Yours
- Name pegs: paint each child's peg a different colour, or burn their initials into the end.
- Grown-up height: add a third ring of pegs near the top, at 46", for adult coats.
- Top shelf: screw a small square of 8/4 offcut to the top of the post for a hat or a plant.
Safety and Care
- Wear eye and hearing protection. Use a push stick for every rip under 4" wide.
- Tip-over: a freestanding tree with heavy bags on one side can tip if a child pulls or climbs on it. Fit the anti-tip strap to a wall stud, hang bags on both sides, and keep the total load to about 20 lb.
- Round the peg ends and the post corners well — they sit at a child's head height.
- Pre-drill every screw — hardwoods split without a pilot hole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not for S4S boards — they arrive flat and square on all four sides. S2S boards need their edges straightened: a jointer, a table saw with a straight-line jig, or a hand plane all work. No jointer? Choose the S4S pack.
About 20 lb in total: coats, a backpack and a hat or two. Spread the load around the post. For heavier school bags, strap it to the wall.
Yes, the post is a full 50½" tall. Add a third set of pegs near the top for adult coats, and strap it to the wall when it carries more weight.
With small kids, yes. The base is heavy and wide, but a child swinging on a peg or a heavy bag on one side can still pull a tall tree over. The strap is cheap and takes five minutes.
Planned offcuts only: about 3" off the end of boards 3 and 5, about 7" off board 4, and a few slivers off the post boards. All 5 boards go into the tree.
No. The post uses the full 47" of a 4ft board. A 2ft 8/4 pack suits our chunky coat rack in a short wall version instead.
