The Genius Paper Towel Holder Hack That'll Instantly Brighten Up Your Kitchen

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Good lighting is essential in a kitchen, especially when you're cooking a meal during evening hours. There are times, though, when using ceiling lights can seem like overkill. Clicking on a lamp is the perfect solution for brightening up dark areas in your kitchen, and it helps elevate the ambiance, too. Amazingly, you can actually create a DIY lamp from a paper towel holder that would look charming on a dining table, countertop, or island. Soft lighting is known to be peaceful and relaxing, which is why lamps are sometimes an ideal choice. The beauty of this project is that it allows you to make a budget-friendly lamp that's also wireless.

While it may seem like a basic tool, there are actually a lot of paper towel holder hacks you can use all over the home. In this case, you're going to need one with a wooden rod in the center. Check out the kitchen sections of thrift stores to keep the cost as low as possible. If you can't find one secondhand, there are inexpensive options online, like Walmart's Pompotops Kitchen Paper Towel Rack, which is under $7. Or, Amazon's Farmhouse Paper Towel Holder for $7.99.

Another supply you're going to need is a small lampshade to fit over the piece. Fortunately, this is an item that thrift stores always seem to have a lot of. Just make sure that the dowel can slide through the shade's metal center and leave some of its top exposed (which you'll set your light on). Hopefully, you find a lampshade that matches the style of your kitchen as well.

The final piece you're going to need is a battery-operated puck light. Dollar Tree has Self-Adhesive LED Push Lights for only $1.50 each. Or, for some extra pizazz, you can try a color-changing version, like these Multicolor Puck Lights on Amazon, which have a remote control. One of the downsides of most lamps is that they come with an electrical cord. Cords can make a spot look untidy or even be a safety hazard. By using these types of lights for this DIY, you can have a small light source that can be placed anywhere in the kitchen without having to plug it in.

After you purchase a wooden paper towel holder, a lampshade, and a battery-operated light, you can put the whole piece together in no time. Simply slide the shade over the rod until it sits in place. If your shade slides to the bottom, create a ledge by wrapping cordage or cable ties around the dowel (about a third of the way down) to help hold it up. Then, place your light inside the shade so that it sits on top of the rod. If it doesn't stay in place, consider using an adhesive.

You now have a beautiful lamp to turn on in the kitchen when you want a soothing amount of light, unlike what the ones in the ceiling produce. Keep your lamp simple, or paint the paper towel holder to go along with your color scheme. If the shade is plain, you can make it stunning with shaving cream dip dye, or find one with a fun pattern.