Use a Dowel Rod and Coat Hanger for One-Step Painting

Painting one side of a small wooden wheel, waiting for it to dry, then painting the other side takes a lot of time and often leaves you with overlapping paint streaks. To make things easier, use this holder to paint both sides of the wheel at the same time, then dry the finished wheels on a wire coat hanger.

Start by driving a brad through a dowel rod that fits into the axle of the wheel. Bend the point of the brad up parallel with the length of the dowel. Next, cut one end of a coat hanger and form a loop as shown above. Paint one side of the wheel, then pick it up by inserting the dowel rod into the axle hole.

With the wheel balanced on the brad, paint the other side and transfer the finished wheel to the coat hanger using the dowel rod. When you're done painting, insert the bottom of the coat hanger into the loop so the wheels don't fall off. Then, hang them up to dry.
—David Burr, Rockville, Md.