So, I’ve been meaning to organize my garage a bit better, and one thing that’s been bugging me is how to store our life vests. They’re bulky and just end up in a pile in the corner. I saw some fancy life vest hangers online, but they were kinda pricey. I thought, “Hey, I can probably make something myself.”
I started looking around the house for materials. I remembered we had some thick, rugged plastic pieces left over from an old project, I thought those would be perfect to make the main part of the hanger. Then, I needed something strong to hold the weight of the vests, especially when they’re wet. I found some strong cable in my toolbox, the kind you use for securing heavy stuff. It seemed like it would do the job.
Making the Hangers
First, I cut the plastic into the shape I wanted. I made sure it was wide enough to support the shoulders of the life vests without them slipping off. After that, I drilled a couple of holes in the plastic to thread the cable through. It wasn’t too tough, just had to make sure the holes were big enough for the cable but not too big that the cable would slip out.
Then, I took the cable and looped it through the holes I made. I made sure the loop was big enough to hang on the hooks I already had in the garage. I secured the ends of the cable with some strong knots. I pulled on them a few times to make sure they were secure. They were rock solid. These things can hold wet, heavy vests without a problem. I made a few of these hangers, one for each life vest we have.
- Cut the rugged plastic pieces to size.
- Drilled holes in the plastic for the cable.
- Threaded the strong cable through the holes.
- Tied secure knots to form a loop.
Hanging them up was the easiest part. I just put them on the existing hooks in my garage. Now, each life vest has its own hanger. They look so much neater, and they can dry properly when they’re wet. No more musty smells! These hangers are super sturdy, and they do a great job of keeping the vests in shape. I saw some people talking about neoprene and nylon vests online, and I think these hangers would work great for either type. They’re strong enough for those with a front zipper and buckles, too.
Honestly, I’m pretty chuffed with how these turned out. They were way cheaper than buying those fancy ones, and they work just as well. Plus, it’s always satisfying to make something yourself, right? I get why people were giving good reviews to those “Life Jacket Hanger, Storage” things online, but making your own is definitely the way to go if you’re a bit handy and want to save some cash.
I guess the takeaway here is that you don’t always need to buy the specialized, expensive stuff. Sometimes, with a little bit of creativity and elbow grease, you can make something just as good, or even better, yourself. If you’ve got some life vests lying around, give this a try. It’s a fun little project, and you’ll be surprised at how well these homemade hangers work!
