You guys! I finally feel like a real, actual, legit handmade shop owner.
Not because I hit a certain number of sales with Janery, not because I have a certain amount of cash rolling in. . but because I can finally start cutting and producing the same items over and over again, thanks to my brand new Fabric Bolt Rack!
That means these guys finally have a home:
It’s not pretty yet – I still need to paint her and add some handles to the sides – but she’s functional, and with the holidays upon us, that’s all that matters.
Seriously though, I’m really excited about this. It was getting frustrating to not have a way to store larger quantities of fabric. As a result I was buying smaller amounts, and then only being able to make one or two of each item at a time. 
UPDATE: My business became busier and I had some family illnesses that kept me from writing detailed plans on how to build this, and now I have a thriving business and a toddler running around. I fear I will never be able to write a detailed tutorial, but here is the basic idea of how I built it:
I basically built a wood box that was 5 feet wide. I used 10″ wide pine boards from Home Depot, and cut each board down to 5 feet. I screwed them all together to create the box.
I bought 5′ metal pipe rods at Home Depot that were about 1″ wide. I then added wider boards on each end of the bottom (crosswise, like making a T, for stability) and put rolling feet (casters) also from Home Depot on the bottom. I did 8 casters – 4 on each end. I cut some scrap boards at angles and put them across each corner on the back of the rack to stabilize the box. To hold the metal pipes, I attached closet rod holders. They are little plastic cups that attach to either end of the closet and the pipe slips into them. If you ask at Home Depot they will help you find them.
I know this is a short version, but hope it helps!
12 Comments
Holy jealousy!
I just want to roll around in all that fabric and pet it. 😉
Can’t wait to see what else you’ve done – want to come to IL and makeover my sewing room next? Haha
But seriously, that looks great. The Janery sweat shop looks ready for Christmas 😉
That’s a good looking rack! Congrats!
awesome, well done. this would also be great in a smaller version for wrapping paper! love it!
What did you use to hold each length of conduit in the wood? Special fitting?
Hi Susan! I used the little plastic “closet pole sockets” like these http://www.homedepot.com/p/Closet-Pro-1-3-8-in-White-Plastic-Closet-Pole-Sockets-2-Pack-RP-0037-25/202183194
And the bolts are on metal pipes. Hope this helps! I do plan to do a real tutorial later this month or early April at worst.
Hi Jane –
I have a drapery workroom and just built a new room in my basement. Have you had a chance to put together that tutorial on building this fabric rack? It’s just what I need to organize bolts of fabric and drapery linings.
I look forward to hearing back from you. Thanks.
Denise
Hi Denise,
Thanks so much for sharing! And thank you for the reminder – I haven’t, because I totally forgot! I will put that together in the next two weeks. Hope that’s ok!
Howdy again – like you have nothing better to do! I’m ready to get going. Any progress on documenting your fabric rack build? If not, I’ll have a go at it myself!
Thank you.
Denise – Oh gosh! I’m so sorry! There has been a lot of family drama so I haven’t had a lot of time for the blog. Here’s the short version: I measured all my fabric bolts and then decided it would be best to keep the rack 5′ wide. I bought 5′ metal pipe rods at Home Depot that were about 1″ wide. I then cut 4 10″x1″ to 5’and screwed them together to create a box. I then added wider boards on each end of the bottom (for stability) and put rolling feet (casters) also from Home Depot on the bottom. I did 8 rollers – 4 on each end. To hold the metal pipes, I attached closet rod holders. They are little cups that attach to either end of the closet and the pipe slips into them. If you ask at Home Depot they will help you find them.
I know this is a short version, but hope it helps!
[…] a bonus, when I need to cut fabric from a bolt on my DIY bolt rack, I no longer have to roll the rack into the studio. I simply remove the white vinyl from the wall […]
Waiting for the promised plans on this build! It’s amazing and I need them ASAP!
Hi Karen,
I’ve had a lot of changes in my life since I used to blog about projects, so unfortunately I probably won’t be able to write a detailed tutorial. However, here’s what I have shared with others and I hope it helps.
I basically built a wood box that was 5 feet wide. I used 10″ wide pine boards from Home Depot, and cut each board down to 5 feet. I screwed them all together to create the box.
I bought 5′ metal pipe rods at Home Depot that were about 1″ wide. I then added wider boards on each end of the bottom (crosswise, like making a T, for stability) and put rolling feet (casters) also from Home Depot on the bottom. I did 8 casters – 4 on each end. I cut some scrap boards at angles and put them across each corner on the back of the rack to stabilize the box. To hold the metal pipes, I attached closet rod holders. They are little plastic cups that attach to either end of the closet and the pipe slips into them. If you ask at Home Depot they will help you find them.
I know this is a short version, but hope it helps!