Categories: DIY Projects-Published On: January 27, 2021-

How to DIY a giant wooden pegboard

How to DIY a giant pegboard

How to DIY a giant wooden pegboard

Creating this giant wooden pegboard was so much fun (even though it’s pretty chilly outside!). This DIY is completely customizable, you pick the overall size, the size of pegs, the size and number of shelves, paint/stain, etc. Once you decide on how you want the final product to look, then you can get busy and it’s so easy with a few helpful tools. I’m going to show and tell you how to DIY a giant wooden pegboard, for any space in the home, but be aware that Home Depot can cut the plywood for you or you can borrow/rent tools if you want.

How to DIY a giant wooden pegboard
How to DIY a giant wooden pegboard – use quarters to help visualize the holes before drilling.

Quinn’s bedroom is small, it’s the smallest in the house and while I wish she had more space, I don’t feel too badly because she can stretch and play in the bonus area upstairs too. A small bedroom can be a challenge, but with the room’s tall ceiling I am able to use some of the vertical space in the room. This giant wooden pegboard serves as a place to decorate and showcase some of her mementoes and favorite things, but it’s also a place to organize some of her art supplies and trinkets. Both of our daughters are very artistic and creative, but Quinn will draw pictures for hours and make up stories about what she draws, so I wanted a creative space for her to imagine and get crafty. Quinn is the kid that will notice something out and go right to it to engage. I will place puzzles, coloring pages, and books around the house in little nooks and undoubtedly I’ll find her there soon enough engaging. So, I’m hoping this desk space and giant pegboard will be another spot for her to explore.


How to DIY a giant wooden pegboard – tools

I used four power tools to create this giant wooden pegboard, but I will share alternative methods in case you don’t have or want to use all of these tools. Here are the steps I took to create this DIY giant wooden pegboard – it’s so simple and fun!

This site contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your consideration in using my links!


How to DIY a giant wooden pegboard
143 holes were drilled!

How to DIY a giant wooden pegboard – tutorial

  1. Measure and mark your peg holes. I used clamps to hold down my measuring tape, and then a ruler to make sure it was even and straight. My marks were four inches apart. If you know ahead of time what the final pegboard size will be and how far apart your pegs will be, you can have Home Depot cut your plywood. I used a hardwood plywood with a smooth finish. The hardwood is heavy and a bit more spendy, but the quality feels so much nicer for this project.
  2. Use a Drillmate drill guide and Forstner bit to drill perfectly round and straight pegs. My Forstner bit is one inch, so I also got one inch dowels for the pegs. There are three inches of space between each hole. I used a dust pan and brush to clean the shavings out of my way.
  3. Use a circular saw to trim the pegboard down to size. I have a 2.5 inch perimeter around my entire rectangular pegboard. I ended up just trimming down two sides. My pegboards is 47″ x 55″.
  4. Use a circular saw to cut the shelves. My shelves are seven inches deep and vary in length. Depending on what you want to use the shelving for will depend on how deep and long you make them.
  5. Next, sand down the rough edges of the entire board and shelves. I made sure to really get a smooth edge with no slivers around the edges. The front and back sides were pretty smooth already, but it doesn’t hurt to run the sander over them as well. I hooked up my shop vacuum to the sander to minimize the dust.
  6. Use a mitre saw to cut your one inch dowel. I cut each peg to be 6.75″ long. I wanted enough support for the shelves, but I didn’t want the peg to be right on the edge of the shelf – this is just a preference. Be sure to use a sanding sponge to sand any rough edges. If you’re going to paint or stain your pegboard, now is the time. Be sure to follow the instructions for allowing paint to fully cure.
  7. Use a rubber mallet to hammer in the pegs. My plywood is 3/4 inch thick, so once my pegs were hammered flush to the back of the board, they stick out six inches. That leaves each shelf with a one inch overhang.
  8. With the pegs in place and the shelves set, I took one extra step to secure my shelving. I used two EMT two hole straps for each shelf. The metal strap has a one inch opening to fit perfectly around my pegs. I used half inch screws to attach each strap after marking the holes. I also measured to make sure the straps would be lined up with each other. These straps can be found in the electrical department at The Home Depot.
  9. Once it’s all ready, it’s time to install the giant wooden pegboard to the wall. First, center, level, and mark the French Cleat picture hanger for the back of the pegboard. I installed the board cleat below the second row of holes. The French Cleat kit comes with a level and I used the small screws to attach one half of the cleat to the pegboard.
  10. To install the wall half of the French Cleat correctly, I measured the height of the desk and added it to the length between the bottom of the pegboard to the cleat, then I added an inch. I didn’t want the pegboard to be touching the desk, but I didn’t want it too far away either. I also set the pegboard on the ground so that I could visually line up the edges of the French Cleat on the pegboard with the other half for the wall. I checked for wall studs to try to get at least two of the longer screws into studs. The built in level helps so much to make sure it’s level. Mark the holes and then attach it to the wall.

    This French Cleat picture hanger holds up to 200 lbs. – this is such a great way to secure this DIY wooden pegboard and keep it as flush to the wall as possible.

For privacy reasons YouTube needs your permission to be loaded. For more details, please see our Privacy Policy.
I Accept

How to DIY a giant wooden pegboard
These inexpensive straps were used to prevent the shelve from sliding off.

As you know, this giant DIY wooden pegboard is in my daughter’s room, but it’s such a great concept for any space: kitchen pantry, garage, laundry room, craft room, office, or even at the end of the hallway to create a statement bookshelf system. I love the natural look of the wood, but you can also paint or stain your wooden pegboard – the sky is the limit in making this project fit your style and space. To style this beauty, I’m going to add some framed images of birds and butterflies, some faux plants, some of Quinn’s keepsakes, and then supplies for her to get crafty. I loved creating this for her room, and I think it will grow well with her and her needs. Let me know what you think down below in the comments. I’d also love it if you’d pin any one of the images in this post – Pinterest is such a great place to provide inspiration to others!

How to DIY a giant wooden pegboard

This post will be updated with more photos of this giant DIY pegboard styled and decorated!


You may also enjoy:



POSTED IN:  DIY Projects

Let's be friends!

Search

Subscribe

Get the latest posts, discounts, and design inspiration right to your inbox.

I will only send you the good stuff, no spam. *

Watch my tutorials

YouTube