No More Boring Paper Towel Holders: Simple Clothespins Make Them Cuter

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Many of us use paper towels every day. Why, then, are paper towel holders so boring? There are lots of great paper towel storage ideas to make sure your stash of spare rolls isn't an eyesore. But the actual holder is usually what's on display. If you want to jazz up a utilitarian paper towel holder, this idea from YouTube creator athomewith_Sasha is a simple makeover that uses clothespins, glue, and spray paint to create a sunburst design for the roll to sit on. You're not actually DIYing the paper towel holder itself with this project. Instead, you're adding visual interest to the dispenser by creating a beautiful patterned base for it to sit on.

To pull it off, you will need to get some clothespins, like this 50-pack of Jabinco Wood Clothespins ($5.98). You'll need a hot glue gun and glue sticks, gold spray paint, and some wood glue. Oh, and if you don't already have a simple wire paper towel holder, you'll need to get one. This black metal Oboding Kitchen Paper Towel Stand costs about $6. Alternatively, you'll only pay $1.25 for Dollar Tree's Cooking Concepts Nickel Colored Wire Paper Towel Holder, or you could thrift one for possibly less. Now, gather your supplies and get ready to transform your kitchen countertop!

To get started on this creative way to use clothespins in your home, take the wooden clothespins apart by twisting the wooden pieces away from each other until they separate. The metal hinge should fall off. Glue the two pieces together back to back — or flat side to flat side. Make sure the pointed ends of each clothespin half line up neatly. Repeat this with roughly 30 of the clothespins. The creator used wood glue for this, but hot glue could also work in a pinch. 

After this, hot glue the modified clothespins around the base of your paper towel holder with the pointed ends facing outward. Keep going until the base has a single layer of clothespins all the way around. Then glue more clothespins in the gaps between the first layer. However, this time, turn the clothespins so the pointed ends face inward. After you've glued on a second layer of clothespins, take your paper towel holder outside. Place it on some newspaper or an old sheet and spray paint the entire holder gold (or another color of your choice), including the metal frame and the new clothespin base. Wait for the paint to cure before using it in your kitchen. 

Don't like gold? Paint your paper towel holder a neutral hue or one that complements your kitchen. Or, you could even apply wood stain to the clothespins for a natural look. Design-wise, you could stop at the first, single layer of clothespins or glue single clothespin halves around the base with the flat back facing the same direction all the way around. Got leftovers? You can turn a pile of clothespins into a storage basket that looks stunning and matches your new-to-you holder.