DIY Paper Towel Holder

Happy Monday! I hope your weekend was as lovely as mine. I spent lots of time getting things unpacked and watching some of my favorite movies at the same time. I've stayed a list of all the projects I want to make in the next few weeks. This little guy was at the top of my list since I expected it to be pretty easy. Surprisingly, it worked out just the way I planned. 

I love the way the paper towel holder turned out. It matches my kitchen perfectly, looks cute, and was at least $5 cheaper to make than it would have been to buy a brand new one thanks to coupons and sales.

You will need:
2 pre-cut wooden dowels, 1/2" diameter and 12" long
2 decorative knobs with the screws attached to the base (make sure they are small enough for a roll of paper towels to fit over)
2 wood screws, 1" to 1-1/2"
1 precut circle plaque, mine was 6" across
Drill
Wood bit to pre-drill
Normal bit that fits your wood screws



Start by pre-drilling the center of one end of the dowels. It was surprisingly easy to keep the drill straight while doing this. Drill in as far as the bit will allow so you can make sure there is enough space to screw in the knobs all the way.



Once the holes are pre-drilled, hand tighten the knobs into the holes. Also, make sure the knobs you pick are small enough that a paper towel roll can fit around it so you don't have to unscrew it every time you need a new role.



Next, mark out where you want the holder dowel to sit on the circle plaque and where you want the sheet stopper dowel to go. I used a new roll of paper towels to help me figure this out. Pre-drill those holes as well.



Carefully hold the dowel up to the plaque, doing your best to keep it sitting straight. Its very easy for the dowels to become crooked. Drill through the bottom of the plaque into the dowel tight enough that the screw sits flush on the bottom. Repeat for the second dowel.



That's it! It takes a little guess work and about 20 minutes to make. Then you have your own custom paper towel holder.

What do you think? Would you rather just buy something like this and be done with it or do you enjoy knowing you created it yourself? I'd love to know!

Sheila

P.S. my camera cord is currently M.I.A so all the pictures had to be taken on my phone. That's why they are even worse than usual. Growing pains!