Black pipe, rough wood and a handful of bolts do most of the heavy lifting in these 20 industrial style DIY ideas. Plumbing pipe turns into shelves, stools, a curtain rod, a garment rack, a blanket ladder and a paper towel holder, while stained pine becomes a pipe table and a full pipe shelving entertainment center. Smaller projects bring the look in fast: a cable spool wall clock, a desk calendar, rope wrapped pendant lights and a captain’s mirror made from a stove burner cover. There’s even a marble and gold bar cart and a rusty corrugated metal headboard. Most of these come together with a wrench, a drill and a can of black spray paint.
1. Industrial Spool Clock
An industrial cable spool becomes an oversized wall clock with weathered planks and stenciled lettering already built in. Oil the bolts, take the spool apart and use one round end as the clock face. Cut a rough circle from a scrap side piece with a jigsaw to plug the center hole, measure its thickness and order a high torque clock movement to match. Drill through the center, hammer the plug in snugly and attach the hands. Elegant curvy hands look great against rough wood.
Get the full tutorial at Maison de Pax.
2. DIY Industrial Desk Calendar
This industrial desk calendar hangs canvas number banners from a pipe frame, and it looks like vintage shelf decor too. Screw together short black pipe and fittings (kids can help with this part), spray the frame matte black and screw it to a roughly 16 inch piece of reclaimed wood. Print mirrored numbers on iron on transfer paper, cut them out and press each onto a small canvas banner for about 30 seconds. Thread the 31 banners onto crafting hooks and hang them from the pipe.
Get the full tutorial at Taryn Whiteaker Designs.
3. DIY Industrial Pipe Shelves
Industrial pipe shelves are one of the easiest ways to add open storage, and they look great in a bathroom. Each bracket is a floor flange, a pipe nipple and a cap, sprayed with hammered black paint. A reclaimed board roughly 2 inches thick and 6 inches deep, cut in thirds, makes three shelves. Screw the flanges to the wall with coarse drywall screws, set the boards on the brackets and screw up from below. Pipe shelf kits sold online save hunting down each fitting.
Get the full tutorial at House of Hawthornes.
4. DIY Rustic Wall Mounted Spice Rack
Two IKEA Bekvam spice racks become a rustic industrial wall rack for spices and oils. Assemble the shelves and spray them black. Cut strips of hardware cloth, fold the edges into the corners and staple the mesh to the front bar so the top edge hides behind the wood. Wood burned labels reading spices and oils slip snugly between the bars, with a dab of glue if needed. Mount them in a pantry and fill them with matching jars and oil bottles.
Get the full tutorial at The Inspired Hive.
5. DIY Industrial Pipe Stools
Industrial pipe stools stand about 21 to 22 inches tall, with legs that flare out at the bottom for stability. Each leg is a 12 inch pipe, a tee, a close nipple, two 90 degree elbows, short pipes and a cap. Pairs of legs join with tees, a 4 inch pipe connects the pairs, and a floor flange on each leg holds a 12 inch round wood seat. Peel price stickers first, use vise grips for leverage and leave the caps loose to level the stool. Compare pipe prices between stores.
Get the full tutorial at Love Grows Wild.
6. DIY Industrial Paper Towel Holder
This industrial paper towel holder was inspired by the sturdy ones on BBQ restaurant tables. Cut 1 inch scrap wood into an 8 by 8 inch square, sand it with 220 grit and gently round the corners. Wipe on dark walnut stain with a soft cloth, let it dry and seal with satin polyurethane. Screw a 1/2 inch galvanized floor flange to the center, thread in a 12 inch galvanized pipe and top it off with a tee fitting. The heavy base keeps it from tipping.
Get the full tutorial at Taryn Whiteaker Designs.
7. DIY Galvanized Pipe Curtain Rod
Galvanized pipe makes a sturdy curtain rod for extra wide windows, and this one runs 110 inches without a middle brace. Use a 1/2 inch pipe for the rod (the hardware store will cut and thread it) with 3/4 inch flanges, nipples and tees, so the rod slides through the tees. Spray everything oil rubbed bronze first. Anchor the flanges, add the nipples and tees, put the curtains on the rod, then thread it through. A 10 foot pipe cost $14 and the other parts about $25.
Get the full tutorial at Hi Sugarplum.
8. DIY Industrial Modern Floating Shelves
Floor to ceiling industrial floating shelves give a wall the look of built ins, with a sneaky modern twist: a Plexiglass top. Map the shelves on the wall with painter’s tape (odd numbers look best), then cut rough cedar 2x4s into box frames, screwed at the back with big hex bolts and washers on the front. The hardware store can cut Plexiglass to size, set flush on short braces. Level the bottom shelf, screw into studs with 3 inch deck screws and work up.
Get the full tutorial at Vintage Revivals.
9. DIY Double Pipe Garment Rack
A double pipe garment rack doubles the hanging space on a single wall. These racks run about 8 feet 4 inches wide and 8 feet 8 inches tall in 1/2 inch black pipe: flanges, tees, nipples, elbows, 18 inch pipes anchored back to the wall and 4 foot pipes joined with couplings for the long runs. Wipe the oily pipes clean before handling. Sketch a plan first and stay flexible, because the same design scales down for a closet, boutique or laundry room.
Get the full tutorial at Centsational Style.
10. DIY Industrial Sconces
Industrial sconces can start with thrifted lamps and $7 IKEA metal utensil holders as shades. Drill a hole in the center of each holder with a step bit so the old lamp socket fits inside, then clean the edges with a rotary tool. A simple scrap wood jig keeps the canister from shifting while you drill. Mount the shade on 3/4 inch black steel pipe pieces attached to a small 4 by 4 inch oak block for the wall plate. A cord switch and tubing over the cord are optional.
Get the full tutorial at Lindi & Russ.
11. DIY Industrial Media Console
This industrial media console fakes welded steel with lumber painted black and real metal casters. It has open shelves plus two drawers for remotes and games, and the whole build came in just under $150, nearly half of that for the wheels. The post lists every board in the cut list, from 69 inch bottom rails to drawer box sides. The free step by step plans live on the Kreg Tool site. Use it under a TV in a living room, bedroom or entryway.
Get the full tutorial at The Inspired Workshop.
12. Make A Captain Mirror
A captain’s mirror can start with a $1 metal stove burner cover. Lightly sand the cover and spray it oil rubbed bronze, along with two D ring hooks and machine screws. Glue stacked scrap wood blocks inside so a 10 inch beveled craft mirror sits level, then drill a hole on each side for the screws. Glue the mirror on top. Twist several strands of jute into one thick rope, knot it to the screws and hang it. It’s small, so try a few in a gallery wall.
Get the full tutorial at Little House of Four.
13. DIY Industrial Pendant Light
A builder grade mini pendant gets an industrial upgrade for under $10 per light. Tape off the electrical parts and spray the fixture with two coats of oil rubbed bronze, rods included. After a full 24 hours, wrap sisal rope tightly down the rod with high temp hot glue, about a dime sized dab per wrap. Plan on 30 to 40 minutes per light. Screw a metal lamp guard over the bulb and finish with an Edison bulb for warm, vintage light.
Get the full tutorial at Bless'er House.
14. DIY Pipe Table
This DIY pipe table copies a high end workshop table for about $180. The base is 1 inch galvanized pipe with floor flanges on top for the tabletop and caps on the feet, and the hardware store will cut and thread pipe to length (allow time). Scrub off the grime first, assemble and spray the base black, or start with dark iron pipe to avoid chips. The top is four 2×10 pine boards, edges ripped square, cut to 66 inches, joined with a pocket hole jig and stained black.
Get the full tutorial at Kaleidoscope Living.
15. DIY Corrugated Metal Headboard
A corrugated metal headboard makes a huge rustic industrial statement for under $50. The aged finish comes from toilet bowl cleaner: work outdoors, rub the sheets lightly with steel wool to break the coating, squirt the cleaner on and let it sit in the sun all day, adding more after about six hours. Wipe off any excess, seal with spray sealant and screw the sheets straight into the wall, overlapping them so they read as one piece.
Get the full tutorial at East Coast Creative.
16. Industrial Farmhouse Storage Drawers
Plastic Dollar Tree mini drawers get an industrial farmhouse makeover that hides their roots. Pull the drawers, remove the plastic pulls and lightly sand the shells so paint grips, then spray them oil rubbed bronze. Drill small holes and attach metal scrapbook label holders with decorative brads, and add small wood buttons as knobs. Thin balsa wood stained espresso and glued to the sides makes them feel solid. Use them for office supplies or bathroom cotton balls.
Get the full tutorial at Little House of Four.
17. DIY Decorative Ladder
A decorative blanket ladder built from steel pipe mounts to the wall for an industrial modern look, at about $100 in parts. It uses pre cut 1/2 inch pipes in 8, 12 and 14 inch lengths joined with 90 degree elbows and tees, plus flanges for the wall. Assemble it on the floor first (the middle pipes are tricky once it’s together), spray it flat black and screw it into studs with a helper. Shorter 3 to 5 inch standoffs keep it closer to the wall.
Get the full tutorial at Taryn Whiteaker Designs.
18. Industrial Pipe Chair
An industrial pipe chair with a reclaimed wood seat and backrest is easier than it looks when the frame uses slip on Kee Klamp fittings instead of threaded plumbing pipe. They tighten with just an Allen wrench and stay adjustable after assembly. Build each side frame, sliding a swivel socket onto the back post for the arm, then join the sides with four pipes. An adjustable side outlet tee sets the backrest angle. The guide covers five chair designs.
Get the full tutorial at Simplified Building.
19. DIY Industrial Entertainment Center
A 10 foot pipe shelving entertainment center costs less and goes up faster than you’d expect. Plan the width around your TV and buy 10 foot pine 2x8s so there are almost no cuts, then stain them. Stick felt pads under the 3/4 inch floor flanges, build four L shapes from 18 inch nipples, tees, 12 inch nipples and wall flanges, and screw them to the wall with the TV gap in the middle. Lay a board across and keep stacking up.
Get the full tutorial at Blooming Nest.
20. DIY Marble & Gold Bar Cart
An IKEA utility cart becomes a marble and gold bar cart for under $10 in supplies. Spray the frame gold, then cover each shelf with marble contact paper. Wipe the shelves dust free, measure including the edges (about 20 1/2 by 16 1/2 inches per shelf for the IKEA cart) and stick the paper a few inches at a time, rubbing out bubbles with a dry towel. Snip triangles at the corners and fold the edges under. It looks far pricier than it is.
Get the full tutorial at Belle Vie.
