Ditch The Towel Rack: The Creative Way To Add Bathroom Storage With A Simple Upcycle

Towel racks are essential to keep bath linens neat and tidy. And a really good one will have some built-in bars to hang up wet towels so they can dry properly after use. But before you shell out tens to hundreds of dollars on a stainless steel or brand-name design, consider an alternative that's likely already in your home: a wine rack. When used for towel storage, an old wine rack can tame bathroom clutter and limit trips to the linen closet every time you need a fresh one. Even if you choose to thrift or purchase a wine holder for the purpose of storing towels, the cool styles and design configurations available are sure to add more personality to your getting ready space than a metal bar.

The tools you'll need for this upcycle idea all depend on the type of wine rack you have and if you want to attach it to a bathroom wall versus positioning it on the floor or on a nearby surface. For vertical installations, you'll want a power drill with drill bits and heavy-duty mounting hardware that's suitable for the type of wall material you have. You may need spray paint if you want to make it match existing wood or metal finishes in your bathroom — it's totally up to you! Another consideration is adding a moisture-resistant protective sealant — especially if you're placing wood or metal win racks in bathrooms with showers or poor ventilation. 

No matter the size, shape, or configuration, any wine holder can be the perfect towel rack. You just have to get creative and try out different placement and storage methods. Wall-mounted wine racks is a DIY towel solution that saves bathroom space. Mount them above your toilet or next to the shower and fill them with rolled towels — it's ideal for bulkier bath towels since smaller ones could fall through. Depending on the design, you could drape smaller towels over the horizontal part of the bottle holder frame for a makeshift towel bar. Short, two-tiered racks meant to go on pre-existing shelves or countertops can also be installed on the wall to create a double towel bar for storage beside your vanity or by your shower. You can also loop towels through the openings on the sides to hang the bath essentials instead of rolling them. 

For installation-free countertop or floor towel storage, consider accordion or cubby-style racks and store individual rolled towels. Small ones meant to hold under 10 wine bottles may be able to fit on a spacious vanity counter or in the cabinet underneath to house extra hand and wash cloths, while large freestanding wine holders can pull double-duty in primary bathrooms that have extra space.  Plus, if there's an extra storage area underneath or on top, which would've been reserved for wine glasses, you could store small items like hair tools or skin care routine products to further keep your bathroom clutter-free.