Creative DIYer Shares Clever Hack To Banish Ugly Tissue Box Eyesores: 'I Needed This!'

I'm about to make a statement that will shock no one: tissue boxes are notoriously ugly. As an interior designer, it's definitely one of my pet peeves that no one in the tissue industry has ever stared at a box with a technicolor swirl pattern or horribly outdated chevron print and thought, "Hey, I think we can do better." But seemingly, not one person has noticed they're offending our eyes.

Instead, we're forced to either endure the eyesore, buy a cover (many of which aren't much more attractive than the boxes they cover), or get creative. The latter is exactly what Sarah Teresinski (@redeux_style) was doing when she shared her grandmother's trick on Instagram of repurposing a beautiful vintage glass to hold tissues instead of the unsightly cardboard box. By simply removing the tissues as they are folded in the box and placing them inside the glass, this DIYer feels the thrifted glass makes a more attractive vessel. She even adds a downward-facing puck light below the tissues during a party for a cozy glow.

While the commentary on the corresponding TikTok post is overwhelmingly positive, Instagram users have a mixed take on the hack's premise. Some are absolutely on board, with one gushing, "Love this! Now I need to go thrifting," and another chiming in that "The little light is a game-changer!!!" Dozens of comments on both social media platforms call it cute, functional, and a major improvement over cardboard counterparts. Some even took the time to leave a note that they'd seen a previous occurrence of the creator sharing her grandmother's tip and now use it all over their own homes, thanks to her. But not everyone is as entirely "obsessed" as some users, either based on the entire premise or more of an Instagram versus reality feeling.

A small group of commenters reject the hack completely – some took issue with the exposed tissues collecting dust (or worse, spiders), one said it became a cat toy, and another said she was simply too clumsy to have a glass vessel in the bathroom. One just said, "Nope," with no further explanation (eloquent). Another felt the added light was dangerous, commenting, "Fire hazard anyone?" There actually is some validity to this concern, as overheating is apparently a common issue that plagues low-quality puck lights, so maybe skip that potential safety hazard.

Another bunch of commenters fell somewhere in the middle for various reasons, suggesting this tissue hack is better online than in reality. Some think the idea is gorgeous but are frustrated with the struggle to find a thrifted glass that actually works or fits the tissue roll. Others feel like the idea is valid, but the execution with a transparent glass is lackluster, with one comment noting, "This is a good idea, but seeing all the crumpled tissues in the glass looks bad. This would have been better in a more opaque glass."

My design-minded two cents? I fall somewhere in this camp. While I certainly love the idea of never having to look at a hideous tissue box again and adore thrifted vintage glassware more than the average human probably should, I also agree with the commenter who doesn't love looking at the mess of tissues inside the glass. Sorry to make your secondhand treasure hunt more challenging, but my happy middle-ground compromise would be to use a vintage piece with etched or milk glass that does a better job of hiding the clutter but isn't lacking in charm one bit. Happy thrifting!