How to Make a Paper Towel Holder for Your Kitchen

Here's a quick and easy project to manage messes and spills.

Time

An hour or less

Complexity

Beginner

Cost

$5–10

Introduction

We all use paper towels in our everyday life, but they are not always close by when you need one (or several). Most paper towel holders are mounted under a kitchen cabinet or attached to a wall. Make this portable paper towel holder in less than an hour.

Tools Required

  • Cordless drill
  • Drill bit set
  • Hearing and eye protection
  • Jigsaw or band saw
  • Measuring tape
  • Orbital sander
  • Table saw or Circular saw

Materials Required

  • 1-1/4-in. screws
  • 1-1/8-in dowel
  • 2-1/2-in washer (1)
  • 3-1/2-in washer (2)
  • 3/4” plywood or hardwood 7-1/2-in x 15-in
  • Wipe-on polyurethane
  • Wood glue

Project step-by-step (9)

Step 1

The Base Layout

  • Cut two pieces of 3/4-in. hardwood or plywood at 7-1/4-in. x 7-1/4-in.
  • Find the center of the board by drawing diagonal lines from corner to corner, intersecting the lines in the middle of the board.
  • Use a compass to draw a seven-inch radius circle in the center of one of the boards and a 3-1/2-in. radius circle in the center of the other board.

Compasscirclesquare

Step 2

Cut a Hole

  • Cut a 3-1/2-in. hole in the board with the 3-1/2-in. circle on it, using a hole saw or jigsaw.

Cuttingoutholewithjigsaw

Step 3

Glue the Base

  • Apply a liberal amount of wood glue on the face of the board with the hole in it.
  • Glue the two boards together keeping the edges flush. Be sure not to glue over your seven-inch circle.
  • Secure the boards with clamps and or 1-1/4-in. finish nails.

Gluingpiecessquare

Step 4

Cut the Base

  • After the glue is dry, cut out the seven-inch circle using a band saw or jigsaw.

Bandsaw2square

Step 5

Smooth the Edges

  • Sand the edges of the base using an orbital sander with 150-grit sandpaper.
  • (Optional) Round over the top and bottom edges using a router with a 1/4-in. radius round-over bit.

Orbitalsandersquare2

Step 6

Dowel Hole

  • Drill a 1-1/8-in. x 1/4-in. deep hole in the center of the top of your base.
  • Next drill a 3/23-in. pilot hole in the center of your 1-1/8-in. hole.

Drillingdowelhole

Step 7

Cut the Dowel

  • Cut the 1-1/8-in. dowel at 11 inches.
  • Smooth over the edge on one end of the dowel with 150-grit sandpaper.

Cuttingdowelsquare

Step 8

Assembly

  • Insert the dowel into the hole on the base top.
  • From the underside of the base, drill a 3/32-in. pilot hole into the end of the dowel through the pilot hole in the center of the base.
  • Add weight to the base by inserting three large washers into the 3-1/2-in. hole on the bottom of the base. Secure the washers in place with a 1-1/2-in. screw through a smaller washer.

Addingweights

Screwingweightsin

Step 9

Finishing Touches

  • Touch up any rough spots on the base and dowel using 220-grit sandpaper and finish the piece with easy wipe-on polyurethane.
  • Stick four self-adhesive rubber feet to the bottom of the base to keep the towel holder from slipping across the counter when you tear off a towel.

Towel Holder