Ever since I first spotted a horseshoe towel rack on Pinterest, I’ve been itching to make one of my own. Luckily, a mate from work who races horses had a stash of discarded shoes, so I collected plenty for this project. I’d planned to add a custom horse motif using traditional pyrography, but my arthritic hands quickly sidelined the burner. That’s when I discovered a scorch‑pen stencil method that delivers the same rustic, hand‑burned look—no special skill required. In this guide, I’ll show you how to create a DIY Rustic Horseshoe Towel Rack with Easy Scorch Pen Horse Design that’s as charming as it is functional.

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DIY Rustic Horseshoe Towel Rack with Easy Scorch Pen Horse Design

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Materials Needed

• Recycled horseshoes (3 full-size + 2 small)
• Undiluted white vinegar
• Plastic bowl
• Wire or stiff brush
• Primer spray paint
• Paint for horseshoes
• Wood board (1000 mm × 250 mm × 20 mm)
• Wood offcuts for shelves (180 mm × 130 mm × 35 mm)
• Wood planer
• Router with round-over bit
• Orbital sander (120–240 grit disc)
• Stencil or vinyl decal and transfer tape
• Scorch pen (woodburning marker)
• Heat gun or blow torch
• Clear polyurethane
• Horseshoe nails and hammer
• Wood glue, clamps, screws, drill and drill bits
• Optional: Cricut machine for intricate decals

Cleaning the Horseshoes

Place all rusty horseshoes in a plastic bowl and cover with undiluted white vinegar. Soak for 24 hours.

Use a wire brush to remove mud and corrosion from the grooves.

I used a screwdriver to pull out all the nails.

Dry thoroughly, then apply one coat of primer.

Once dry, paint both sides for a polished finish.

Preparing the Wood Shelves

Cut your baseboard to 1000 mm × 250 mm × 20 mm and shelves to 180 mm × 130 mm × 35 mm. Plane away old stain and varnish until the surface is clean. If you are using recycled wood like I did.

Round over all edges with your router for a softer look.

Sand from 120 grit up to 240 grit—aim for at least 220 grit where you’ll apply the scorch pen.

Assembling the Shelving Unit

Mark shelf positions on the base and drill centred pilot holes.

Countersink so the screws sit flush at the back.

Apply wood glue to each small shelf, clamp in position, then flip and secure with screws from the back.

This is how the shelf should look so far.

Transferring and Scorching the Horse Design

I discovered the scorch pen while practising woodburning, and it completely changed the game. You don’t need pyrography skills—just a stencil or decal. To match my horse theme, I sourced silhouettes from Etsy. If you prefer custom motifs, use a Cricut vinyl cutter to create your decals. I use my Cricut in nearly every DIY project and can’t recommend it enough. I added my horse graphics to Cricut Design Space, then cut and applied the stencil for crisp scorch‑pen results.

Use transfer tape to apply the stencil to the wood. Peel away the tape so only the vinyl remains.

To prime the scorch pen, press its tip firmly onto a paper towel until the liquid flows to the nib. Then, with the stencil in place, colour in the exposed areas of your design—working top to bottom helps prevent smudging. You’ll see the wood begin to lighten to a pale orange as the scorch‑pen solution soaks in.

Avoid colouring along the stencil edges immediately after priming the pen, as excess fluid can seep underneath. You can see in the photo below where the scorch‑pen missed spots and left white gaps—simply go back and fill in any areas before you heat the design.

Now gently peel off the stencil—although the scorch‑pen liquid may look dry, it’s still embedded in the wood, ready for heat activation.

Heating and Finishing the Graphics

As you heat the stencil, the scorch‑pen ink will slowly darken over several minutes, first appearing pale yellow before deepening to rich brown. Keep the heat gun moving in smooth, sweeping passes; lingering in one spot can char the wood. You may notice a little ink bleed around the edges where the pen was heavily loaded, and I did the edges.

When the burning is complete, you can leave the design as‑is or lightly buff it with a fine scouring pad to gently remove any stray scorch marks and soften the edges.

Seal the wood and graphics with two coats of clear polyurethane to enhance contrast and durability.

Attaching the Horseshoes

Attaching the horseshoes turned out to be the trickiest—and most time‑consuming—step. I assumed I could simply drill holes and screw them in, but these things are practically forged steel. After snapping two drill bits, I ditched the screws and used traditional horseshoe nails instead.

A quick trip back to my horse‑racing mate scored me a handful of sturdy nails, and they drove in far more easily than anything I’d tried before.

Because I had some small horseshoes, I thought they would look good attached to the sides to hang wet towels on.  The small shoes were already sort of flat on the bottom, but they did not sit flush with the wood.

I smoothed the overhanging edges on a benchtop sander until the horseshoes sat flush, but the metal heated up fast, so I wrapped a cloth around my hand to protect my skin from getting burnt. I attached them to the sides in the same way as the front.

For the final installation, secure the shelf to the wall with interlocking metal hinges for a sturdy, flush mount.

More woodworking project ideas

I repurposed old kitchen cupboard doors into a stylish headboard, giving them new life as a standout feature in the bedroom.

I transformed reclaimed timber into striking wall‑art panels using the traditional Japanese shou sugi ban wood‑burning technique.

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