10 Clever Spots To Use Thrifted Towel Bars To Organize Your Home

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It's often said that the simplest product designs are the best, and often, they are also the most multi-functional when it comes to home organization. A perfect example is the humble towel bar. Not only is it unmatched in its ability to keep towels dry, but towel rods aren't just for the bathroom. There are endless ways to utilize them throughout your home for all sorts of storage and organizational needs. Think: jewelry, coffee mugs, office supplies, and more. 

While there are some cool, new towel rod innovations on the market today (Who doesn't love the luxury of a heated towel rack?), you can score classic towel bars at your local thrift store to make these storage hacks as economical as they are clever. Keep in mind that you can always paint an old towel rod to give it new life and turn it into a stylish addition to your space – brass, matte black, and chrome are all trending fixture and hardware colors right now. Whenever you spot a towel bar at the thrift shop, stop and consider if it could provide extra storage and organization in one of these spots around your home.

Pair a small over-the-door towel rod with a dish drying rack from Dollar Tree to instantly add storage and organization to your kitchen cabinets. The drying rack will fit a variety of kitchen essentials like aluminum foil or cling wrap boxes, along with sandwich bag boxes. You could also store extra sponges, rags, or grocery bags in your DIY cabinet organizer.

If you don't have a linen cabinet, you can create useful and stylish bulk linen storage using a pair of towel bars. TikTok's genius towel storage hack attaches two matching towel rods to the wall vertically and just far enough apart to hold rolled-up towels. You can use this idea to store bed sheets, blankets, and other household linens in the laundry room. You could also do a smaller version in a bathroom to store extra hand towels and washcloths.

Need some extra storage by the front door? Use a towel rack to instantly make your entryway more functional without taking up space. Install a towel bar and add some S hooks and you've got a space-saving coat rack perfect for small foyers. You can also hang your keys, bag, umbrella, kids' backpacks, and even your fur baby's leash so everything you need is ready to grab.

Declutter your desk by utilizing vertical storage space in your home office. A towel bar can be a handy spot for your headphones or to keep chargers and other wires organized and within arm's reach — no detangling necessary. You can install a towel bar right to the wall or attach it to the underside of a wall shelf — or even under your desk if you want your gear to be out of sight.

Need more hanging space in the closet but can't use a tension rod? A thrifted towel bar is the secret organization weapon your closet needs. Since it doesn't require two walls to fit between, you can add a towel bar wherever you want. Like the coat rack, just add some S or clip hooks and hang just about anything in your wardrobe. This is a great hack to save on expensive closet organization systems or when you just don't have the space for bulky drawers or storage cubes.

Use this simple towel bar hack to add more storage to your bathroom cabinets. Grab a small storage basket with handles that can slide through the towel rod, like this set of Modern Narrow Organizer Storage Bins from Amazon, and secure the rod to the back of the cabinet door. Use the hanging basket to keep toiletries handy yet out of sight.

Add extra storage space to the side of your kitchen island with a simple towel bar. Sure, it can hold kitchen towels, but with the addition of S hooks, a towel rod can also store cutting boards with handles, cooking utensils, pans, and decorative items. You can also hang the bar anywhere you need it around the kitchen for cute and functional storage with a cozy farmhouse vibe.

Hang spray bottles, brushes, cloths, and more on a towel bar in your supply closet. A cleaning supplies bar can serve multiple purposes  — it can save space and keep your most-used tools handy, and you can also install one high up so your cleaning solutions stay out of reach of children or pets.

Transform a towel bar into a simple and functional jewelry stand. Attach necklaces around the bar to keep them organized and detangled, and use S hooks for bracelets, earrings, and rings, along with necklaces that don't have clasps. A thrift towel bar makes your jewelry collection simple to sort through, and it's a frugal way to declutter and organize jewelry to free up useful space.

A towel rod is the perfect addition to your tea or coffee bar. Attach it to the wall or under a cabinet or shelf and hang mugs from S hooks. Whether you use a uniform set of mugs or want to show off your eclectic collection, a thrifted towel bar is an easy and affordable way to keep your mugs handy and on display.