Goodbye Traditional Paper Towel Holders: The DIY Version For Your Workshop

When you're focused on building your next DIY project in the garage, the last thing you want is to stop what you're doing to grab a roll of paper towels from a nearby shelf or cabinet and lose your focus. Not only that, if your roll sits on a freestanding holder, you probably know the struggle of trying to pull off a sheet with one hand while keeping the entire stand from tipping over. If you're looking for a genius DIY to store paper towels in your workshop, use some of those spare PVC pipes you've been hoarding for a random project to make a paper towel holder that hangs underneath your workbench.

This easy DIY project is a budget-friendly find that'll level up your garage. All you need are a few 1-inch-wide PVC pipes and some tools you probably already have. You need to cut one of the pipes about 12 to 13 inches long — it should fit a standard paper towel roll with a bit of wiggle room at either end. You need to cut the second pipe to around 2 inches long to make a mount for your holder. Other than these lengths of pipe, you'll also need a PVC pipe end cap, an elbow connector, and a tee connector. Don't forget to grab a drill and some screws, too. They'll make installation of your nifty new paper towel holder fast and easy.

To assemble your new paper towel holder, connect the 2-inch-long PVC pipe to the end cap, then screw it underneath your workbench or shelf. If you do not have a power drill, a savvy tip for gluing PVC pipe is to use clear primer before applying PVC cement to the plastic. Allow the adhesive time to dry and bond properly before moving on to the next step. Once that's done, attach the elbow connector to the 2-inch-long pipe, then turn your attention to the next connecting piece: the tee connector. Click it onto one end of the long PVC pipe, then slide your paper towel roll onto the pipe. Push the other end of the long pipe, with paper towel roll and tee connector in place, into the elbow attachment. Don't glue the pieces together, since you will need to remove the tee connector when it's time to replace the roll.

As you can see, crafting a paper towel holder out of PVC pipes is a pretty straightforward task. You can, of course, add some personal touches to the pipes. It's best to make any changes before putting everything together. For instance, if you want to paint the PVC pipes a different color, you'll need to prepare their surfaces for painting with sandpaper and primer. Rub the sandpaper evenly over the pipe's surface, spray on a light layer of plastic primer, then apply a coat of spray paint in your preferred hue. Achieving full coverage or the finish you want may require multiple coats of paint, allowing time for each coat to dry.