20 DIY Towel Rack Ideas – More Creative & Cost-Effective Than Store-Bought Towel Bars

Rope is inexpensive (can be $1 or LESS/foot at your local Home Depot or hardware store). And it could be used to give a bathroom either a rustic/country look, like we did in one of our camper renovation projects!

All you need is some scissors to cut the rope, and a couple of hooks to hang the rope "bar" from. Voila! DIY magic!

Here is a gorgeously simplistic wood towel bar by Pretty Handy Girl fashioned from some inexpensive brackets and a stick/small branch.

Use a vintage hanger as a simple, understated, and unexpected bathroom towel holder. No tutorial or step-by-step instructions needed for this project. Just hang it on the wall with an anchor and screw and you're done!

Or use the hanger upside-down, as a hook, as Donna from Funky Junk Interiors did here, as more of a hook than a towel bar. Great for robes, towels, or soap-on-a-rope (Remember that stuff?! Whatever happened to it?)

An old leather belt or some leather straps + an inexpensive wooden dowel create a casual and cool bathroom towel rack.

Doesn't everyone have a couple of picture frames sitting around that they don't know what to do with? How about make a towel rack? On Margo's blog, she will show you how she layered frames to space the one she hangs the towels on away from the wall. In doing this, she not only created a functional towel bar, but also an inexpensive piece of wall art. Smart!

How fun would these rustic wrenches turned hooks be for a man cave bathroom? Or in the garage or laundry by the utility sink? Kids bath? I love them.

Simply adding hooks on an unexpected item can make for a really fun method to storing or hanging your towels. I love this concept made with antique yardsticks.

You could also use scrap wood, an oar, a ski...think outside the box and see what fun concepts you come up with!

Modern looking towel bins made from simple cardboard tubes. Spray paint whatever color you choose. You could also use PVC pipes for this (although they usually aren't readily accessible in this large a diameter).

Use simple hooks to hang a helpful basket (or two) to be used for towel, toilet paper, toiletries, and more.

Remember whenever you'll be hanging anything with weight from the wall, it's a good idea to break out your stud finder to ensure you're drilling into studs. If no stud can be found, be sure to use anchors to avoid calamity 😉

The ones pictured here are for sale, but a little spray paint and these are totally DIY-able too.

How cool is this idea? An old, vintage set of handlebars turned towel bar? Above, mounted with a bike seat to achieve a "taxidermy" type look. So creative.

Love this inexpensive and useful DIY bathroom decor storage concept using a pallet for hooks and rustic wood crates for all your bathroom gear.

You can leave the wood raw, or break out the stain or paint to finish your crates in whatever color you like.

Tip: Go over your crates with some high-grit sandpaper before putting them into use in order to avoid pesky splinters. Ask me how I know 😉

There are lots of different options for creating a wood towel rack. I love this driftwood idea for another nautical/coastal styled bath...

Make a ladder, or use the vintage variety as just a towel bar, or have it do double or triple duty as a magazine rack.

An easy DIY that is packed with personality.

Have some old sconces laying around? Or perhaps you've seen stacks of sconces at your local thrift shop? Here's a great way to repurpose them!

Gail from My Repurposed Life is another genius when it comes to giving old things new life, and I LOVE this chair concept! A ladder back chair can make a perfect alternative towel bar.

And it doesn't stop with the chair back! You can use the legs for the same purpose, too.

Erin will show you how to create a similar window rack of your own. Use glass knobs, or hooks at the bottom for hanging the towels.

This concept is a fun way to incorporate a vintage find in your home. And not only will it help you hold your towels, but also precious memories in the picture frames.

Grab a twig, make a towel hook! Rustic, functional, and FREE! What could be cooler than that?

Debbie DIY'er, in the bathroom, with the copper pipe...no crime committed here, but a fabulous one-of-a-kind towel bar has just been completed!

Wood slices aren't hard to come by if you have a yard. Wood slices can be made into all kinds of fun creations...Christmas ornaments, coasters, and yes, even towel hooks!

Julia shows you how simple it is to create a pretty towel ring using a thrifty wood ring and a scrap of leather. An old napkin ring could even be used for this to hang your smaller towels, like that kitchen dishtowel.