You might remember that part of my kitchen makeover to date has included using the vertical space on the side of my refrigerator for floating shelves that hold my daily kitchen essentials – knives, coffee maker, salt and pepper, etc.
I wanted to add a mounted paper towel holder but was finding some pretty slim pickings as I looked around. Since the paper towel holder was going to be out in the open, I definitely didn’t want some clunky piece of plastic.
I found one I liked from Pottery Barn and ordered it but it was sort of ridiculously poorly designed and didn’t fit the mounting piece that went with it.
I liked the simple look of the main piece though, so pieced together a DIY mounting structure.
Here’s what you’d need to do the same:
Pottery Barn paper towel holder
wooden dowel that fits through the top holes of the PB holder, cut to 15″ long
two eye hooks that the dowel fits through
ball finial dowel caps
stainless steel spray paint
Elmers Pro Bond glue
First, I sprayed all the pieces – wooden dowel, dowel caps, eye hooks, and even the PB pieces – with stainless steel spray paint. I did the PB pieces because I wanted them to be the exact same color as the other spray painted pieces.
Once dry, I drilled pilot holes for the locations of the eye hooks – 13 1/2″ apart – and screwed them into place.
Next, I took one of the dowel caps, placed a dab of Elmers Pro Bond inside, and pressed it onto one end of the dowel. Then, I threaded the open end of the dowel through one of the eye hooks, slid the two PB mounting pieces onto the dowel, and then threaded the dowel through the second eye hook.
To finish, I dabbed more pro Bond on the second dowel cap and pressed it onto the other end of the dowel. Then, I just attached the bottom PB piece with the paper towel roll in place.
I really like how much simpler the look is than any of the ready-made paper towel holders I was finding.
And, of course, the best part is having my counters clear for all the food prep and cooking I do every day!
I have no shortage of big projects already in the works and more ahead of me in our new house, so it feels really, really good to be banging out a few of these easy ones in the meantime!
You genius you. Problem solved and it looks awesome!
Did I ever tell you Albert Einstein and I have the same birthday? I must have gotten a smidge of the genius gene :)
i love it! we have one that is on a stand but there is literally no other place for it- our sink is in the corner with windows in the corner, so no wall space there, and it would look weird on the wall somewhere else. i love yours!!! it’s so perfect.
Ceiling?? You should totally mount it on the ceiling.
Such a clever solution and it looks great too!
Thanks, Brandi! I was so disappointed in the PB one so I’m glad I came up with an alternative.
Awesome Jen! I love it :)
Thanks! Working like a dream too, which is the most important :)
Looks good! We have an old plastic paper towel holder that I’d love to exchange for something like this instead!
You have the “classic” paper towel model :)
Paper towels never looked so good! :)
Haha, awesome. Thanks!
Pretty nifty, way to MacGyver the towel holder!
MacGyver – I love it!
Love how you didn’t just get upset & give up – you “Made It Work!” Looks great.
Wellllll…I got a little upset because I’d spent the money on the PB mounting piece :) But then I bucked up and made it work! Thanks, Rachel!