Store Extra Toilet Paper With A Rustic Outhouse-Inspired DIY

A new toilet paper holder can be the perfect bathroom upgrade for your next DIY, offering daily utility and charming details to match the space. Plus, it can be a ton of fun to design. While you can always shoot for upscale styles, here is an excellent place to go for amusing and offbeat looks. More than any other room, the bathroom carries an inherent humor that's all too enjoyable to lean into with your decor choices. Choosing a toilet paper holder for a quirky bathroom aesthetic makes a great addition, and if you're looking for something to suit your rustic interior, you have plenty of reasons to consider an outhouse-themed DIY.

This straightforward toilet paper creation adds unique details for an authentic, eye-catching finish. The build is as practical as it is intriguing. You can make it as large as you wish to store your extra toilet paper rolls, and the closed doors add a layer of protection. It can be cheap too, especially if you use repurposed wood. A TP holder is a great way to add extra storage with a budget-friendly wood pallet DIY, provided the boards are straight and in good condition. Then, you'll only need brads and a strong wood glue that can handle more humid environments, like Titebond III Wood Glue or a polyurethane glue. With creative inspiration, you can add unique finishing touches to make this a pleasing personalized complement to the rest of the bathroom's rustic scheme.

The basic frame for this outhouse-inspired toilet paper storage unit involves two sides, a back panel, a base, and a slanted top. A dispenser sits over an enclosed door cabinet that stores extra toilet paper. Plan the cabinet section to store the desired number of rolls. Standard full toilet paper tubes are 4–4 ½ inches long and about 4 inches in diameter. Jumbo rolls are a bit thicker at around 5 inches. The size can vary slightly between brands, so add an extra ½ inch or so to your interior dimensions to account for minor differences. Then, plan the size of the dispenser, making this area large enough to hold a full roll.

Cut your side panels to equal sizes, with a matching slope for the "roof." Use a fresh toilet paper roll to find a good spot for a hole in the side panels to hold the dispenser dowel. Bore the holes with a hole saw, or use a jigsaw or bandsaw — two of the best ways to cut circles in wood. Measure and cut the roof, a board as the back panel, a small board to fit as the base of the frame between the sides and back, and a matching panel for the top of the cabinet section. You can then make a door to fit the cabinet space, shaving a bit off the sides so it opens and closes easily. Sand the pieces and build the frame with wood glue and nails at the joints.

Easy to build and fun to design, this toilet paper storage DIY can become a special focal point to customize in numerous ways. A clean, consistent paint job can toe the line between rustic and refined. Or, when you're going for a reclaimed look, you can lean into the more rugged finishes. Making dings, dents, and nicks with hard tools and scrubbing with a wire brush will add a weathered look and create more definition for stains. Loosely applying paint and sanding the surfaces can also further the aged look. If you're feeling particularly ambitious, you can even run a blowtorch over the wood to scorch the surface and brilliantly draw out the grain.

The door design makes another point of interest to customize in countless ways. The crescent moon cutout is a classic choice, but any quirky, personal, or bathroom-themed design will make it your own and advertise its DIY nature. Rather than doing a cutout, consider simplifying by painting on a stenciled design. Choose the colors and designs that mesh with the home's styling and your personality to make this rustic outhouse-inspired toilet paper holder as delightful as it is functional.