Stylish DIY towel holder using wood and leather (easy assembly)
I have always had trouble finding affordable towel holders that align with the style of our home decor which is why I wanted to make my own instead. For this budget-friendly project, I transformed an old thrifted leather belt and a cheap wooden ring into a unique DIY towel holder.
DIY towel holder tutorial using wood and leather
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I have mentioned many times how much I despise all the builder-standard bathroom fixtures in our home and I started to replace them all.
Over the weekend I came up with today’s DIY hand towel ring that I love. My son and daughter share this bathroom and it now has the perfect mix of boy and girl.
List of what you’ll need
- Rub’n Buff in antique gold (optional) or leave the wooden ring natural
- clear sealer spray for wood
- wooden ring (I used this cheap wooden towel ring or you can use a large macrame ring but they usually cost much more)
- clamp
- hand saw
- old belt (check a local thrift store) or a piece of leather scrap from the craft store
- brass screw and matching anchor size (my favorite anchor and just replace the screw with a brass screw at an equivalent size)
- Gorilla Glue or any other strong glue
step-by-step instructions for DIY towel holder
- I started by taking the mounting part of the wooden hand towel ring off with the saw(see the wooden towel ring in the below photo). Easy and fast! That left me with a wooden ring that was open on one side which you can see in the below photo.
- Then I sanded it lightly and applied the Rub ‘n Buff® with my fingers. It’s super easy to apply! It’s just like putting on lotion with a finger. Then let it dry. When it’s completely dry, take a cloth and buff the gold with it by wiping it back and forth. Or you can leave the wood natural the way it came and then you don’t need to seal it because it was sealed already!
- After that, it was time to seal the gold with some clear sealer to make sure my towels stayed clean and the gold didn’t get tarnished. Shake the can well and lightly spray the ring on a protected surface. Let it dry again. (As I said above, you can skip this step if you left the wood the way it was sold)
- I then cut off a part of an old belt, wrapped it around the open part of the wooden ring, applied glue, and clamped it.
- The next day when it was dry, I hung it on the wall with the brass screw and anchor. That’s it. So easy and fast and it looks great I think.
Photos of the finished hand towel ring
I love the look of the black walls with the leather and gold.
I also came up with a black version of the Ikea toilet paper holder. It’s perfect!
More bathroom DIY projects
- blush bathroom makeover
- bathroom makeover with peel and stick bathroom floor tile (honest review)
- installing a Delta Touch faucet on an Ikea floating vanity
- bathroom cabinet kick plate makeover
- DIY wooden drawer pulls
- black and white wall stencil powder room makeover
That’s it for today. My dad is in town and I’m not sure how much and how often I will blog. He hasn’t been here in 3 years and I want to enjoy my time with him. But on Wednesday I’m sharing some more bathroom photos.
Tschüß
Super cute!
Thanks so much
love this, julia and i can’t wait to see that bathroom!
Budget bath 😉 thank youn
oh, I love it! I’m almost to the finding all the fixtures and accessories part of our bathroom, and I’m a little overwhelmed by how much there is to buy and how much it all costs….so great idea for getting something unique without spending a fortune!
Yeah how about the costs for the bathroom fixtures. It’s depressing!
Wow, what great ideas! I can’t wait to see the entire bathroom!
Thanks Jessica, it’s a budget makeover but I’m kinda exited about it
I love this idea Julia! I need to do this in my half bathroom!
Thanks and you should
Such a sweet simple piece to add just the right pizzazz!
Thank you Trisha
Such a great idea, Julia!
Thanks Caitlin
Fantastic my friend! I am loving the dark bathroom walls. Enjoy every minute with your dad and have a great week. xo Nancy
Oh thanks so much I really enjoyed my first day with him already. Fantastic weather and we cooked a lot 😉
We must be on the same page because I just painted our powder room black too!!!! I adore this DIY towel holder! You are so so clever!!! Also, is that the Nake Burkus stripe towel from Target? If so, those are the same ones I just put in my powder room too!!! Lol!!!
We must be! But those are h&m towels. I love them!
Such a clever I idea Julia! Love it!
Thanks Summer
😉 thanks
Cool idea and I love the black wall as well. Enjoy the time with your Dad!
Thank you Julia
That is a fantastic idea Julia! My son recently broke the towel holder in the boys bathroom and I’ve been trying to decide what to replace it with. I might just do that!
Yay! Upcycle FOR THE WIN! This is such a great little DIY, love it! And can’t wait to see the bathroom in black 😉 Enjoy your dad’s visit – that time is so precious so don’t worry about us 😉 xxx
What a clever idea, Julia, love it! Have a wonderful visit with your Dad!
Ohhh Julia, this is so good!! Love the leather + gold mix!
I love it! I would have never thought that chunky wooden towel ring could be updated and made to look fabulous! The leather is amazing!
So clever! I love the look of the gold and leather together – perfect mix.
Enjoy your time with your dad! I really love the black with leather with gold. So awesome.