DIY Towel Rack with Hooks
While working on another project this weekend, I was inspired to make a DIY towel rack with hooks. I had a nice scrap piece of 1×4 pine left over after making a DIY rustic mirror frame. After hiding in the back of my garage for almost a year, I am putting this wood to good use!
Master Bath Inspo
The master bathroom refresh I did last summer looks so beautiful and motivated me to complete many more home projects. Here, I went for a farmhouse rustic-ish vibe. Matte black fixture and stained wood helped transform this once all white space.
While the master refresh is mostly complete, one piece I have been wanting to add is a towel rack. Initially, while in a hurry, I added the hooks to the wall and called it a day. While the hooks alone are just fine, I wanted to add more rustic looking stained wood to tie into the mirror frame.
I already had all of the supplies for this project, my cost is $0. If you have nothing laying around your cost could be about $10-$25 (that includes hooks, stain(smallest can), poly (to seal it), and wood).
The nudge I needed to finally make this project was all of the supplies for this were already out over the weekend. I had been working on a DIY patio chair prototype that required the saw, sander, stain, and sealant. Why not stain an extra board and make this DIY towel rack with hooks (finally!).
Customizable Rack
I would like to mention, using different hook styles, making a longer board, and painting are all ways this project can be completely customized to your own style. The options are endless!
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Hooks
These are the hooks I used , they are about $7 each from Home Depot. I think they are of good quality, but you can find less expensive ones on Amazon. These were already purchased before I thought to make this rack. Otherwise I probably would have bought a less expensive multipack from Amazon.
Here are some other hook options that would also look great. The ones from Amazon come in multipacks that are less expensive than the individual ones from the Hardware store.
Supplies
- Board of any size cut the length you want. I like the way the 1×4 looks.
- Hooks
- Screws (my hooks came with screws).
- Stain or paint (I used Dark Walnut)
- Polyurethane water-based is the way to go (easier clean up). I used oil based since is was already out for the chair I was finishing (oil based is a PAIN to clean up).
Tools
- Saw (if cutting own board)
- Rags for staining
- Drill
- Drill bit for pilot holes
- stud finder
- hand sander
Once you gather your supplies it’s time to begin! Here are the directions so you too can make an easy DIY towel rack with hooks.
DIY Towel Rack Directions
Determine what length you want the rack to be based on how many hooks and the space available. For the space in my bathroom I wanted 3 hooks and the board is about 20″ long.
Cut the board. Here I am using a Dewalt miter saw, but in past times, that I did not have a good saw I have used a reciprocating saw (scary and I do not recommend) and a coping saw ( took some time but gets the job done).
Wipe off saw dust thoroughly.
Distress wood if that is the look you are going for.
Apply stain according to can instructions. I did one coat of stain in Dark Walnut wiping off excess after 10 minutes. This is how Dark Walnut looks on the 1×4 pine mirror frame. Pine does have an orange yellow hue to it.
These two pictures show how different the stain looks at different parts of the day.
Allowing for an hour of dry time after staining, apply polyurethane according to directions. Recoat the polyurethane 2-3 coats as indicated on the can (there is usually 4-6 hour time in between coats). I used oil based as that was what I already had out for my patio chair. However, I prefer water based polyurethane as the clean up is so much easier.
Planning Hook Placement
Once the final coat of polyurethane has dried, determine hook placement. Mark where pilot holes will need to go and drill pilot holes.
I eye balled the hook placement in the board and called it a day. You could measure everything out exact.
Securing Towel Rack to Wall
Find and mark your stud(s). I will only be using one stud as my board is not that long. If you are choosing a longer board with more hooks, I recommend attaching the board to more than one stud if possible.
I will be attaching one hook (the middle one) into a stud to secure the rack to the wall. If you will be securing your rack this way too, attach all hooks to board except the one(s) going into the stud. When studs are not available, use dry wall anchors.
If you don’t want to put holes in your wall heavy duty Velcro strips work well. The rustic mirror is secured with Velcro strips and has held up without any issues. Be sure to follow the weight limits on these products and use appropriately.
There you have it, a DIY towel rack with hooks, the perfect addition to any bathroom. This is such an easy project, I’m not sure why I have been putting it off for so long! Not including dry time, this project took about 30 minutes.
I went with about 20″ due to toilet paper holder placement, towel length, and tub placement.
What do you prefer? Painted or stained wood? Do you like hooks or towel bars? Let me know in the comments section below. If you tried this project share a photo too, I love seeing how your projects turn out.
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