The Easiest Toilet Paper Holder DIY That's Minimalist And Doesn't Take Up Space

Like so many other bathroom activities, installing a toilet paper holder sometimes simply can't wait a second longer. It doesn't take much to make a functional holder, thankfully, and you can often get going in a hurry with cheap or repurposed items. Does that mean you have to sacrifice aesthetics? Not at all! The toilet paper holder isn't the first area we prioritize to boost the bathroom's overall design, and simple, clever holders can make an instant impact. If you're not sure where to start, a piece of rope could be just the fit you need, offering a clean, minimalist solution DIYers of all skill levels can tackle.

Rope adds unique color and texture to complement numerous interior styles, including industrial, rustic, and coastal. It's a classic DIY toilet paper holder to match a natural aesthetic and an effortless upgrade to customize to your liking. For this project, you'll need a piece of rope about 1 inch or less in diameter to let the 1 ½-inch-wide toilet paper tube slide on and off. The rope should be about 1 ½ feet long, though you can use shorter ropes with certain setups, like putting a hook on either side of the toilet paper holder. The rope just needs to be slightly longer than the 4- to 4 ½-inch toilet paper tube length. Beyond that, your design will only demand a double wall hook or a couple of single wall hooks and a creative collection of finishing touches.

Start your rope toilet paper holder by finding a suitable mounting point for your wall hook or hooks. If you can't drill the hook directly into a stud, use a wall anchor to ensure a tight, long-lasting hold. You can then move to designing your toilet paper holder, using some lengths of rope, glue, and hanging hooks to plug into the ends of the rope.

After cutting your rope to length, decide how you want to install the hooks that will attach to the wall hook so it can hang freely. A basic option is to insert the end of a metal hook into the end of the rope, burying it into the center of the fibers so only the hooked head portion is exposed. Stick it into place by putting a liberal amount of powerful crafting glue, such as E6000, Gorilla glue, or super glue, into the fibers. Stay aware of the hooks' orientation as you install them. You want to ensure they face the right way to hook onto their respective wall hooks without twisting the rope.

Once the glue dries, bind the ends of the rope with lengths of twine, wrapping them around and bonding them in place with glue. A simple wrap will clean up the look and hold the loose ends together to prevent frays. If you don't have hooks to insert into your rope, you can also use twine to create loops at the ends that can then hang onto your wall hooks.

Although it might look simple from this basic outline, you can take your rope toilet paper holder in all kinds of unique directions. Explore innovative hook options for added function or fashion. For instance, carabiners can secure the rope to eye plates while colorful, eye-catching ribbon can run around wall hooks. Find inventive wall hooks that complement your style, like worn, heavy ones for a rustic look, boat cleats for nautical vibes, or a light wood hanger to match a Scandinavian scheme.

Moving onto the holder, you can go with a standard rope, its natural color and rough texture being elegant in its own right. For a bit more style, this is a great way to incorporate macrame into your home, or you could utilize rigid rollers to hold the toilet paper roll. Slip a piece of PVC pipe or hollow wood tubing onto the rope, giving the toilet paper a place to rest and adding another layer to the design.

When your toilet paper holder project is all wrapped up, consider tying in other elements to make it look more deliberate and cohesive. Rope can make an appropriate hand towel holder near the sink, and you can use a longer length of rope to hold multiple backup rolls near the toilet. If you have already repurposed items for functional toilet paper storage in the bathroom, you can even add rope wraps to easily match them to your new holder.