Skip Cookie-Cutter Towel Racks: A More Creative Way To Add Bathroom Storage

Let's face it: Most store-bought towel racks are really not that exciting or creative. Most consist of left and right metal posts with a single rod inserted between them, and little else. The most excitement you'll get is choosing a metal finish or one of a handful of fixed lengths. So, if you're longing for a little more pizazz in your bathroom, you might have to scrap these cookie cutter type towel racks in favor of a more creative way to add bathroom storage. In fact, if you have some carpentry skills, you could get out the power tools like YouTuber Joe Mooney, aka homesteadonomics, who used reclaimed pallet wood to make a towel rack with added shelves for shaving supplies. 

Mooney says a gift from his wife, a vintage pewter shaving mug, inspired the idea, but he obviously has a creative streak and likes to innovate. In true DIY fashion, he utilized what he had on hand: pallet wood, scrap electrical conduit pipe, copper wire, and pieces of glass and mirror. The finished pallet wood project is far from cookie-cutter, and it's a versatile rack that could just as easily be used for make-up, baby products, and more.

Start by cutting and sanding two 20-inch long sides from the pallet wood, plus four shelf and back plates. Nail and glue the sides and shelves together and clamp them while they dry. Then, cut up the remaining pallet pieces for a small side shelf, again gluing, nailing, and clamping them. (In Mooney's video, the small side shelf pieces were cut narrower than the outer sides to allow room for a hinged door.) Next, use a table saw to cut four 45-degree angled pieces, each with an inset edge to frame in the glass. Before gluing that in and attaching the door and remaining pieces to the shelf, stain all the wood and let it dry. Mooney used a dark brown stain, which gives the rack a vintage aesthetic, but you could paint it white for a crisp, minimalist look or go for a bolder hue. 

Finishing up, screw on the hinges for the door and pull down mirror and drill out holes for the conduit pipe. For extra storage, bend the copper wire pieces and attach them to the side of the top shelf. While Mooney slotted his shaving pieces into the bent wire, you could use them for makeup, skincare, or small toiletries.

Mooney's project requires basic knowledge of power tools, but let's just say his skill level seems a little more intermediate so it may not be ideal for a beginner woodworker. The addition of the small side glass door and shelves could easily be scrapped for a simple two-shelf unit with a towel bar; it would still be far from cookie cutter, but a lot easier to make! Consider adding small hooks on the sides for hanging brushes and using metal or wood instead of glass on the door. For a rustic look that complements the reclaimed pallets, you could also use a wooden dowel instead of a metal rod.