DIY Vertical, Wall-Mounted Toilet Paper Storage With Scraps You May Already Have

Every bathroom needs smart toilet paper storage solutions to make life easy. Nobody needs the aggravation of running out of toilet paper and having to awkwardly root around in cabinets or, even worse, ask for help to get a fresh roll. Wall-mounted holders are a perfect answer to frustrations like this. While backup toilet paper rolls sit within arm's reach of the toilet, cabinet space can stay open for cleaners and other supplies. It's simple and sensible, and with a little planning, it can even give your bathroom a stylish boost.

While you can find all kinds of fun designs for your on-wall storage, even a space-saving DIY cloud-shaped holder, vertical holders are even more practical, especially for small bathrooms. As convenient as it is to use, upright wall-mounted toilet paper storage is just as convenient to DIY and install. With only a few pieces of scrap lumber and some screws, you can whip up a versatile, minimalist design that's attractive and easy to create. By cutting a few boards to size, screwing them together, and applying a finish, you'll have an ideal solution to one of the most common bathroom problems.

Building a reliable DIY vertical toilet paper holder is super-simple if you use the proper measurements. Toilet paper rolls only weigh around half a pound per roll, so you can repurpose almost any scrap lumber to hold them up, whether old plywood, flooring, or dimensional pieces like 1x1 boards. The basic design of this DIY project resembles two matching brackets. Each consists of a long vertical board with short perpendicular arms (one at the top, one at the bottom) attaching them to the wall. Two short strips of wood connect the brackets at their ends, providing a place for the rack to mount to the wall. When planning the holder's dimensions, the depth should be enough to snugly fit large toilet paper rolls, which usually have diameters of 4 to 5 inches. The width, meanwhile, should be no more than 4 inches, as that is the typical TP tube length. Height-wise, you can design it to hold as many rolls as desired, stacked on top of each other.

Beyond the sizing, you only have to worry about making the holder last in the bathroom environment. Humidity can damage unfinished wood and unprotected fasteners, so the materials you choose will affect the holder's looks and longevity. For the best results, use water-resistant fasteners like water-resistant PVA glue (such as Titebond III Ultimate Wood Glue) and stainless steel screws to attach the pieces. To protect the wood's appearance and shape, apply a water-resistant sealant such as varnish or polyurethane. After building, screw these pieces to the wall, using wall anchors if you can't mount them into a stud.

With such a simple design, you can make minor alterations to simplify the project or change the aesthetic. If you have spare plywood strips, for instance, you can make a single bracket a few inches wide to attach to the wall, letting you skip a few steps. Alternatively, you could also use those scrap pieces and create a box to attach to the wall. The toilet paper rolls can then stack atop one another with the tubes pointing outward. Finish your design with an attractive stain or paint, matching it to your DIY toilet paper dispenser to match your natural aesthetic for a cohesive layout.

When you're thinking about how to make a toilet paper storage system out of scrap material, you also don't have to limit yourself to leftover wood. For example, if you're handy with a sewing machine, you can sew a stylish storage piece with repurposed bed sheets, clothing, and other spare materials. Try making a wall-mounted vertical toilet paper holder with fabric or leather loops instead of brackets. With a creative mix of fabrics, you can craft an elaborate and eye-catching design. A toilet paper storage project is a fun, easy, and useful DIY for anyone, and whether you like to craft with wood, fabric, or even metal, there are options to fit any style!