Hang in There: Easy and Affordable DIY Tricks to Keep Bath Towels Handy
Try these ingenious – and incredibly good-looking – hanging solutions in your bathrooms
Having beautiful and colourful bath towels on show adds to the pleasure and comfort of what, to many of us, is our favourite room of the house. It’s a relatively low-cost way to dress up the place where we unwind and emerge invigorated.
We all love a towel that’s fluffy, smells fresh … and is within reach. So here are some inventive and easy DIY ways to keep your towels on tap.
Browse our photo gallery of bathrooms for more inspiration
We all love a towel that’s fluffy, smells fresh … and is within reach. So here are some inventive and easy DIY ways to keep your towels on tap.
Browse our photo gallery of bathrooms for more inspiration
DIY towel rack
Here’s an easy project. You’ll need a length of timber (pine will do) that’s 960mm x 50mm x 50mm, plus four 140mm x 12mm dowel pieces.
Using a pencil, mark the length of timber at 12cm, 24cm, 24cm and 24cm. At each mark, drill (at a slight downward angle so that the hooks will point upwards) 13mm-wide holes 40mm deep. Smooth the surface around the holes with sandpaper. Insert dowel pieces into each of the four holes. Finally, paint your new towel rack using mould- and moisture-resistant paint in a colour that matches your bathroom.
Here’s an easy project. You’ll need a length of timber (pine will do) that’s 960mm x 50mm x 50mm, plus four 140mm x 12mm dowel pieces.
Using a pencil, mark the length of timber at 12cm, 24cm, 24cm and 24cm. At each mark, drill (at a slight downward angle so that the hooks will point upwards) 13mm-wide holes 40mm deep. Smooth the surface around the holes with sandpaper. Insert dowel pieces into each of the four holes. Finally, paint your new towel rack using mould- and moisture-resistant paint in a colour that matches your bathroom.
Repurpose a coat stand
Spray-paint an old coat stand to bring new life to your bathroom. Choose a high-gloss acrylic paint in a coordinating colour – a high-gloss paint will repel moisture better than a matt finish. Once dry, simply hang your towels. Remember not to add too many towels to the stand, as they won’t have room to dry well.
Spray-paint an old coat stand to bring new life to your bathroom. Choose a high-gloss acrylic paint in a coordinating colour – a high-gloss paint will repel moisture better than a matt finish. Once dry, simply hang your towels. Remember not to add too many towels to the stand, as they won’t have room to dry well.
Spend next to nothing
You will need to be a little more experienced in the DIY area to complete this task, but it will be well worth it. Take a trip to your local hardware store for long hook-and-eye door latches to make ingenious budget-priced towel hangers. Weld each hook securely to its back plate (you may need to contact a local pro to help with this metal work), then screw the plate securely to the wall with the hook facing upwards.
You will need to be a little more experienced in the DIY area to complete this task, but it will be well worth it. Take a trip to your local hardware store for long hook-and-eye door latches to make ingenious budget-priced towel hangers. Weld each hook securely to its back plate (you may need to contact a local pro to help with this metal work), then screw the plate securely to the wall with the hook facing upwards.
Use found objects
Next time you’re at the beach, pick up a piece of driftwood to create a rustic towel rail like this one. To prepare, cut and sand off any sharp bits. Next, soak in a one-part bleach to 20 parts water solution for an hour (this will evict any insects and also lighten the wood). Rinse well and leave in the sun for up to a week to dry completely. Attach two brackets to the wall and secure your driftwood rail with a strong clear glue.
Next time you’re at the beach, pick up a piece of driftwood to create a rustic towel rail like this one. To prepare, cut and sand off any sharp bits. Next, soak in a one-part bleach to 20 parts water solution for an hour (this will evict any insects and also lighten the wood). Rinse well and leave in the sun for up to a week to dry completely. Attach two brackets to the wall and secure your driftwood rail with a strong clear glue.
Get easy beachy style
‘Beach house’ is written all over this unfussy bathroom, with its rope-and-ring hand towel hanger. A longer version outside the shower area could hold bath towels. Use brightly coloured rope or thick cord, or stay with nautical-looking natural rope.
BONUS TIP: Wash coloured cords in hot water first to ensure the dye is colourfast.
‘Beach house’ is written all over this unfussy bathroom, with its rope-and-ring hand towel hanger. A longer version outside the shower area could hold bath towels. Use brightly coloured rope or thick cord, or stay with nautical-looking natural rope.
BONUS TIP: Wash coloured cords in hot water first to ensure the dye is colourfast.
Put cupboard doorknobs to work
Round wooden or plastic cupboard doorknobs randomly attached to the wall beside the bath or shower make useful hangers.
Go with natural timber or arrange in a brightly coloured harlequin-set for a jaunty splash of fun.
Round wooden or plastic cupboard doorknobs randomly attached to the wall beside the bath or shower make useful hangers.
Go with natural timber or arrange in a brightly coloured harlequin-set for a jaunty splash of fun.
Create a towel picture
This photograph could be called ‘Still Life with Towels’. If your towels are too beautiful to keep in a cupboard, simply drape clean towels artistically on a wooden rail in an informal group where they can be seen and easily reached.
This photograph could be called ‘Still Life with Towels’. If your towels are too beautiful to keep in a cupboard, simply drape clean towels artistically on a wooden rail in an informal group where they can be seen and easily reached.
Go for opulence
A luxury look needn’t cost the earth. Although you may not be lucky enough to live in a 200-year-old townhouse on Malta, where this fine horse resides, search bric-a-brac and antiques shops for old doorknockers and front door pulls. Experiment with metal spray-paints – they come in a range of colours and finishes including bronze, copper and gold – and rub back lightly when almost dry to give an aged-look patina.
A luxury look needn’t cost the earth. Although you may not be lucky enough to live in a 200-year-old townhouse on Malta, where this fine horse resides, search bric-a-brac and antiques shops for old doorknockers and front door pulls. Experiment with metal spray-paints – they come in a range of colours and finishes including bronze, copper and gold – and rub back lightly when almost dry to give an aged-look patina.
Think wall art
This skull with antlers is an out-of-the-ordinary towel hanging suggestion, which may not be strictly practical, but is rather quirky. As a purely decorative feature, he would look striking holding a bold striped towel.
This skull with antlers is an out-of-the-ordinary towel hanging suggestion, which may not be strictly practical, but is rather quirky. As a purely decorative feature, he would look striking holding a bold striped towel.
Prevent slippage
Ensure bath towels stay put on decorative hooks with an easy-to-make loop. Use a 15cm length (longer if your hooks are very big) of 2cm-wide twill tape or ribbon to match or contrast with your towels. Hem or overlock the raw ends. Place tape horizontally and wrong side up on a table in front of you. Find the halfway point, then fold each end down towards you until both ends are side by side and a point is created at the halfway point of the tape. Double stitch ends (right side up) onto the towel, as seen above, using a medium-to-long stitch.
Shop a range of bathroom accessories on Houzz
Ensure bath towels stay put on decorative hooks with an easy-to-make loop. Use a 15cm length (longer if your hooks are very big) of 2cm-wide twill tape or ribbon to match or contrast with your towels. Hem or overlock the raw ends. Place tape horizontally and wrong side up on a table in front of you. Find the halfway point, then fold each end down towards you until both ends are side by side and a point is created at the halfway point of the tape. Double stitch ends (right side up) onto the towel, as seen above, using a medium-to-long stitch.
Shop a range of bathroom accessories on Houzz
These are a treasure-trove of novelty ideas for ‘hooks’. Empty wooden spools that once held wire or string can be sanded back and resealed, and old doorknobs with backing plates attached look great all in a row.
BONUS TIP: Seal any wood or metal used in bathrooms to prevent mould or rust caused by steam.