Braided coat hangers craft project.

This clever and colorful hanger project was kindly contributed by designer Kate Plourde. For questions regarding this project please email Kate directly.

These hangers are lovely. I do not know where to find the fabric I used to use years ago. Now I use old pantyhose and tights; I cut off the legs and keep them. You can use little girls' tights (the leg part that is) for baby hangers. Use really cheap hangers. Take two and tape together with masking tape.

Take 2 legs of pantyhose (preferably two colors, but not necessary). Put the hanger between your legs with the hook facing your feet. Put both strands of nylon together and find the mid-point. Wrap the mid point on the tip of the hook of the hanger. Notice you have two strands on each side of the hanger. You should always have two strands on each side. Hold the hanger with your left hand... use your index finger to assist your right hand and start with the pattern below. This is the hardest part of this. Once you have the holding technique down, you can do one hanger in less than 15 minutes :-)

Starting with the top right strand, move it behind the hook (the hanger) and squeeze it between the two left strands and then bring it on top of the hanger and move it to the right... it will now be the bottom right strand. Now hold the hanger in your right hand. Take the top left strand and go behind the hanger and squeeze it between the two right strands and then move it on top of the hanger and to the left ... it will now be the bottom left strand. Repeat this all the way around the hanger. When you get to the curves, it is easier to push the braid back and continue on the straight part of the hanger a few times then stretch it over the curves. It works better this way. When you get back to the hook, keep going up the neck of the hook and then tie a knot and make a nice bow.

You can change the pattern at the beginning of the project. When starting, just make sure the two strands on the right are one color and the two strands on the left the other color. This will make a checkerboard type pattern.

This is the end result. The fabric in this picture is no longer available ... at least I don't think so. I have searched and searched and done hundreds of internet searches and could not find it. The fabric came in balls (like yarn) and were nylon (very much like pantyhose). Since I have not been able to find it, I've used different colored pantyhose and tights but the colors are very limited. Depending on the size of the legs (the length), sometimes two legs have to be tied together in a very tight knot so the knot does not show through when you are braiding.