Store Paper Towels & Toilet Paper In Plain Sight With These Genius DIY Solutions
There are plenty of reasons you might want or need to store everyday essentials in plain sight. Storing things so they're visible can be a good visual reminder of when it's time for a restock. This is especially true with paper towels and toilet paper since knowing when you're about to run out is important. Visible storage for paper goods can also come in handy in shared spaces within a home. For instance, it can make a bathroom more welcoming to guests, as they can find the supplies they need easily.
But, while it's always nice to have extra toilet paper and paper towels on hand, these items are bulky and can be difficult to store. There are plenty of quality toilet paper holders on the market as well as single-roll paper towel holders. But, for those who prefer to customize their storage, or to stash more than these store-bought solutions provide, these DIY options could revolutionize your bathroom and pantry.
Repurpose a hanging shoe rack
TikTok user @maverickmkg shows us a genius storage hack for paper products that takes just minutes to set up. They use a hanging shoe rack, like this one from Wayfair, to stack rows of paper towels and toilet paper, conveniently on their closet door. This DIY could be perfect for the back of a bathroom, basement, or pantry door depending on the dimensions of your space. The rungs of the shoe rack are perfect for storing rolls of paper products neatly, and with seven paper towel rolls and twenty-eight toilet paper rolls shown here, it's clear that this solution can handle the storage needs of bulk buyers.
Elevate a basic paper towel holder
With the versatility and affordability of products like the Dollar Tree paper towel holder, toilet paper storage is all but covered. If you're perfectly happy with the functionality of a paper towel holder, but balk at their plain, boring aesthetics, then this DIY can bring some custom cheer to your space. YouTube account Furtastic Friends crafts a flowery display for their toilet paper from a Dollar Tree paper towel holder, a wooden disk, and a decorative napkin. First, they paint their circular piece of wood and glue a felt circle to the bottom. Then, they cut their patterned napkin to size and use Mod Podge to adhere it to the disk. Once everything is dried, they hot glue the paper towel holder to the base for an easy and chic toilet paper rack.
Make a fabric holder
YouTube user EasyToSew demonstrates how to make a hanging fabric toilet paper holder in a few simple steps. They first cut, fold, and sew small fabric straps for the holder. They take two larger strips of fabric and sew them together so the seams are hidden. They fold the large piece of fabric in half and sew on the straps, forming a loop. Finally, they use rolls of toilet paper to determine where to stitch across the loop to form two pockets. If you don't have a sewing machine, try hand-sewing this DIY or going stitch-free with fabric glue. Add more pockets to hold a few more toilet paper rolls, or start with a wider piece of fabric to fit paper towel rolls as desired.
Craft a cabinet from decorative signs
If you don't have a handy bathroom cabinet or closet for toilet paper storage, why not make your own miniature version instead? YouTuber Nya's Vision repurposes decorative signs from Dollar Tree to create a farmhouse-style DIY. They remove hangers and glued-on accents from the signs so they are left with plain wood pieces to work with. Next, they use hot glue to piece together the top, bottom, and sides of their cabinet. They spray-paint the interior of the cabinet with copper Rust-Oleum for a metallic look and paint the exterior white and brown in a faux-wood pattern. Of course, you could paint the surfaces any color you'd like or decorate it with contact paper for a fun patterned look.
Use a tension rod for off-the-floor storage
This simple hack maximizes usable storage space in the home by thinking vertically. TikToker @thatbish_ish shows how they use a tension rod above a doorway to stack spare paper towel rolls out of the way. With just one step, installing the tension rod, this DIY couldn't be easier. Plus, it keeps paper products safely away from the floor, where they may gather dust or clutter hallways. Since most paper products are lightweight (and don't present much of a hazard if they fall off the tension rod), this DIY could easily be adapted to hold toilet paper or tissue boxes. If you have enough space, you could even add multiple tension rods for several rows of paper storage.
Repurpose a picture ledge for paper storage
This hack from @the.organizing.guy on TikTok uses IKEA's MOSSLANDA shelf to display toilet paper in plain sight. Although it's technically designed for displaying pictures, the MOSSLANDA is exactly the right width to slide rolls of toilet paper or paper towels neatly in place. Plus, it keeps them secure with a small outer ledge. Stack rolls in a pretty pyramid shape like @the.organizing.guy does, or install multiple shelves about a roll's height apart for neat layered storage. This isn't the first IKEA product that's been repurposed for toilet paper storage. See, for instance, the TRONES toilet paper hack.
Simplify storage with string or rope
TikTok user @alice_the_skoolie saves space with this paper storage hack using just a string and a hook. They tie a loop on each end of a string, hang one end from a hook, and thread the string through several rolls of toilet paper. Then they simply place the other loop over the hook and voilà! This is a storage solution that takes just seconds to create. To elevate the look of this DIY, you could substitute pretty twine or nautical rope for string here, or even add metal rope hooks to the ends for a polished touch. Just make sure your creation can still easily fit through a paper towel or toilet paper tube if you go a more decorative route!
Utilize floating shelves
TikToker @Mia_houseware creates a beautiful toilet paper storage setup with three floating shelves in this DIY. They mount their three wooden shelves above the toilet with brackets, adding a wire rack to the lower shelf that is exactly the right height for toilet paper. The two upper shelves are then decorated with foliage, signs, and candles. The shelves fit perfectly over a toilet in this DIY, but they could also hold paper towels on a kitchen wall if spaced appropriately. Attach additional wire racks for extra storage space, or stack rolls on top of the shelves as needed.
Use bungee cords for secure door storage
TikTok user @littlesuburbanfarmhouse offers one of the most capacious paper storage solutions yet. They take four door hooks, placing two on the top of a closet door and two on the bottom. Then, they string two bungee cords vertically from hook to hook. With the bungee cords in place, they easily strap spare paper towels and toilet paper rolls to the inside of their pantry door. The bungee cords, secured by the door hooks, hold the paper products firmly in place. To ensure the best fit, it may be helpful to measure your bungee cords and hooks against your closet door in advance so the cords remain taut, but not overstretched, once everything is assembled.