Fig. F: Source image for the cover pattern.
Fig. G: Gluing down the ends of the cover.
Fig. H: Pouring on resin and spreading it out to make
the rack waterproof. Fig. I: The rack mounted to the wall,
and all the knives mounted to the rack!
them from sticking to each other. Once you like the
spacing, glue them in one at a time (Figure D).
screw will enter the front face. Widen each hole carefully with a screw until it’s the right size.
8. Decoupage the rack.
Decoupaging the rack makes it waterproof and
durable. Do this over newspaper, wear latex gloves,
and work near an open window. Follow the instructions to mix the resin and hardener. I used 2 capfuls
of each, which made about 2oz of gloss coat, exactly
enough to cover the rack. (Your product may be
Photography by Adam Mann and Ed Troxell (top right)
5. Cut out your patterned cover. slightly different.) Spread it with a plastic knife until it
Cut out a length of patterned paper (Figure F) about covers all sides of the rack (Figure H). Use a match-
2½" wide, enough to cover the front face, top, and stick to poke through the screw holes before leaving
bottom of the rack. Cut to the length of your flange it to dry. Allow the resin to harden overnight.
plus about ½" extra at either end.
4. Create scaffolds for the rack.
Cut 2 lengths of Bristol board to use as scaffolds for
each end of the rack. Make the board long enough
to glue to the edge of the nuts or washers and wrap
around to the back of the rack (Figure E). This prevents the paper cover from collapsing at the ends.
6. Glue down the cover.
Press the paper cover onto the flange and crease it
to cover the front, top, and bottom. Slit the 2 creases
to fold down over the ends. Glue down the top or
bottom first, then its ends (Figure G). Then glue
down the front, the remaining side, and the ends.
9. Hang your knife rack and knives.
Screw the rack into the wall in a reachable location
and place your knives on it (Figure I). When removing the knives, lift the blade edge first, then pull
away in one motion. The rack can also hold bottle
openers, spatulas, small graters, or anything else
you see fit.
7. Poke holes for the screws.
Use the scissors to poke a small hole where each
Adam Mann is a California boy with an avid interest in cooking. He lives in Berkeley, directly above a cheese shop.
