Industrial toilet paper holder crate… that blew up Facebook
Sometimes the smallest decorating details in a room can become the biggest things…
Welcome to my master bathroom.
This is my little master bathroom. It was quite the sight when I first moved in.
The pedestal sink was a fluke. I was only borrowing it until I could afford my own sink. Guess what… it stayed. I fell in love, what can I say.
See that floor? Still love it to this day. It was my first attempt at cutting a pattern into tiles. Took me about 2 years to complete, but I did it. 🙂 The tile pattern was a small thing that made a BIG difference to me.
The ladder landed here from day one and just stayed. I’ve attempted to change things around and try it elsewhere, but missed it.
When you know a piece works well in a room for all the right reasons, it’s BIG.
Anyway, as these pieces came together, I shared the bathroom reveal in THIS POST.
But one of the features in this little bathroom makeover caught the attention of those on Facebook…
The industrial toilet paper holder crate is basically a crate with a vintage licence plate screwed to it.
It works as a wall shelf with of course, gritty, rustic farmhouse industrial appeal.
Cute, right? Simple too!
It was actually so simple, I didn’t think to highlight it in any real special way. I don’t even remember taking a picture of it. It was just a small rustic accessory that worked.
But then something kinda special happened…
Before I share that, here’s how I did it… since I hadn’t written this before!
(this post contains some affiliate links)
How-to make this industrial toilet paper holder crate
.
- Team up a vintage crate to a license plate, ensuring they are the same width.
- Locate a stud in the wall, then screw the crate to the wall stud.
- Tip: I like to insert one screw first, then rest a carpenter’s level on top, tilt until straight, then add more screws to secure.
- Line the bottom with a towel or paper if desired, then fill with toilet paper.
Done!
Simple, right?
But for fun, I shared it on Facebook over the weekend. And know what happened?
This little industrial toilet paper holder crate went semi-viral.
Facebook blew up! 🙂 I don’t think ANY of my projects have ever received over 200 likes yet not to mention 23 shares.
Anyway, that proved this little toilet paper storage idea was a good one, and deserved a highlight!
I think it did well because it is easy and it does work. And looks cool too!
Here’s to little crates holding toilet paper in a big way! Now go make one yourself. It’ll take you about 30 seconds.
Think you’ll try?
Other up-cycled toilet paper storage ideas to try:
Branch handled toilet paper shelf
Checkerboard toilet paper holder
Shutters wall shelf toilet paper holder
Visit many other quirky shelf ideas HERE
And some super cool ideas to make with crates!
Check out my current master bathroom, salvaged farmhouse style HERE
More slightly bent projects can be found above. 🙂
What little project went big on you?
Haha. Isn’t that just the way of things? Something you spent three years on gets less attention than something that took two minutes. Well, it is fabulous regardless, but the whole bathroom really is. It ALL deserves that many likes and shares 🙂
Donna, I love you…your personality and your style. Love the TP holder. Best ever.
I absolutely loved it. I was one of the 200+ likes, didn’t share cause I kind of hold onto ideas that I love.. Not a sharer, nope not me! I showed it to my husband who also loved it. We will be building this very soon once I find a vintage license plate that meets approval. 😉
Love your work 🙂 Silly question – does the rust from the number plate come off on your loo roll?
Hey Kayt! No rust issues whatsoever. The paper isn’t touching the plate. Also not shown, the llower rolls still hold their plastic. 🙂
that’s good, would be nothing worse than rusty paper 😮 I guess if it was an issue that sealer could be applied to the back of the plate. Thanks for answering my weird question … my brain just goes there sometimes 😀
The TP holder is adorable and unique.. Congrats on it being acknowledged by so many..
I think there’s a lesson for us all here. TP holder 200 likes– totally remodeled kitchen– 200 likes or less:) Maybe I should stick to the tiny projects..
Oohh how fantastic.
I can see why everyone loved it, it is amazing!
love
Alison
x
I think it’s the simple things done with a creative twist that really stop us in our tracks. Perhaps it’s because we can relate to them so readily. Whereas with bigger, more complicated projects we think, “Nice. Can’t do that.” and move on. It reminds me of how little children sometimes play with the Christmas packaging instead of the fancy gift 😉 There’s a lot of wisdom and beauty in simple things done well. Your TP holder is a perfect example. LOVE!!
<3 Christina
No wonder it blew up Facebook, it’s fabulous! I love the rustic style and the fact it’s so easily put together. 🙂
Wow that is cool Donna! I love it too!!
Funky Junk Interiors was the very first Blog I ever came across. At first I thought it would be like invading some ones privacy by reading what they wrote every day, so never bothered. That mabey it was like a diary that only real life friends should be reading. But the pictures that you posted made it hard not to look, and I soon discovered how fast you actually become one of those friends too. You never cease to amaze me Donna. I love your style and the way you incorporate the past, or articles that were on the way to the trash can, with today and making everything look like its been there all the time.
Thanx bunches for inspiring me every time I read your posts.
Debbie.
I LUV this idea. Sometimes the simple things get the largest impact. Remember my fan towel holder, or grater votives. You never know what speaks to people. Your toilet paper holder was definitely talking up a storm.
Love this!! I did a DIY mirror out of Paint sticks, and it got 30 re-pins on Pinterest, no where near 200, but still exciting!! 🙂
http://pinterest.com/pin/184014334744286350/
You rock Donna!!! Your ideas are awesome!!
Love it – you have so many followers who adore your style and your sense of humour (me included), that it’s no wonder you had 200 likes! The holder is just another example of your intriguing imagination and creativity. Love it!!
I LOVE your little TP holder! It’s amazing to me how somethings just go viral! For me, it was my reading nook. It was originally a smallish spot that we bumped out into our garage so we would have a place to put the tv. It was like a built in entertainment center with shelves on either side of the TV and doored storage below. When we bought a flat screen years later we no longer needed the built in. So we mulled over it for months about what to do with it. He wanted all desk, I wanted all cushion and reading area. One day, my husband drew a rough sketch, we compromised and finished sketching it out. He took a while to build it but we fell in love with it as it was moving along. After it was finished I saw a post where it asked where you blogged from so I posted my little blogspot and wham! It’s been an incredibly popular post ever since. Now it’s all over pinterest and I get 1 to 2 questions a week about it! We LOVE out little space! Here it is… http://whimages.blogspot.com/2010/08/my-blog-spot-and-blog-roll.html
I can see why so many people love it, it is very vintage looking and original, your whole bathroom looks very nice. I love the ladder too and your floor ofcourse.
Hugs
Maria
It’s always the little details that make a room more interesting. And, let’s face it, TP storage isn’t usually the cutest. Win for you!
My little project that blew up was when I got a desk for free on craigslist and spray painted it. It was featured twice on wordpress that week! My blog never got so many hits. Here’s the link if you’re curious…
http://www.findingsilverlinings.net/2011/04/18/how-to-spray-paint-wooden-furniture/
Donna,
I had the same experience when I repurposed my rubber door mat to decorate my A/C intake on the wall. Pinterest hits were crazy. Funny that it’s my simplest project that got the most attention from my little blog. Would love for you to check it out 🙂
http://tamicurbalert.blogspot.com/2012/01/repurposed-door-mat-and-thank-you-for.html
I love all of the details and transformations on FJI, great job!
Tami @ Curb Alert!
This is great, I love it. Somewhere in my stash of old things there are some crates and I know there is a license plate hiding, too! I love your blog and find it quite inspiring.
Have Fun,
Cheryl
Just goes to show we all have a fondness for TP. It’s one of those things no one notices till there isn’t any!
~Bliss~
Isn’t that funny how something can just be….so simple and so great! Doesn’t happen all the time (wish it would) but when it does…the most fun ever.
Love this and I was already looking for old license plates…I can’t wait for one now. I am taking one of those newer ones and getting her all rusty!
Okay! That is just too cute! Very clever!
Oh and I like the way that you put the shutters inside of room by the window. That just really adds another level of clever!
Donna!
I love this idea for holding toilet paper! I think it would be adorable in my boys’ bathroom, but with a bright colored “boyish” plate. Don’cha think?!
Thanks for always providing such great inspiration!
xoxo
Traci
I don’t have a little project that went big, yet.
But, you never know!
Your little necessities holder is simple perfect. Rustic style, you can store so many things in it. And, with the license plate giving you some cover, you can store things you might not want visible to the world at large.
~ Dana
I didn’t notice the TP holder before, I was so in love with that Ladder. I LOVE that TP holder. Hmmmmm, going out to garage now to see what I have to duplicate this look.
Isn’t it always the little things? I love this quick and easy project…too cute!
Donna that caught my eye a while back when you showed something about decorating with plants, I think. So what if you get a rusty booty, I love it. I have what it takes to
make it just don’t have the room to put it. I wished my license plate was as old as
yours, mine is from 60’s. You always come up with the neatest things, soooo creative!!!
You never can tell what will take off, but it’s no shock to me that this one did! Adorable! You are so creative. That crate is simple, rustic, and just plain cool!
P.S., Love the bathroom floor, and the ladder, and the sink. Basically, it’s a totally awesome room. Your’e a genius!
xo
-Lisa
I did notice the bathroom toliet paper holder and shutters and ladder and floor!! I am so pleased for you that everyone saw! I shared my christmas projects of my trays made with my clock parts! For my new blog I did get quite a bit of looks. http://cottage-wishes.blogspot.com/2011/12/my-favorite-post-and-project-of-year.html
It even showed up on Pinterest! Yay. Di@cottage-wishes
Great idea, Donna. In my hall bath makeover this week,I shared my vintage ironstone chamber pot, where I keep MY extra tp! Love your bath photos!
I think everyone just fell in love with your cute funky junk T.P. storage. I love it too. So simple, but so clever!
Hugs,
Jann
I missed it on FB so I will like/LOVE it here =) So cute.
I can see why it was so popular because it is so clever and I am so going to steal this idea and I thank you for it.
I can see why it was a hit..It’s a clever idea..
Love love love this! There really isn’t anything out there that is awesomely adorable and meant just to hold toilet paper! What a clever idea! Thanks for sharing!
I pinned this on Monday afternoon. http://www.pinterest.com/teresamelanie.
as of this morning there are 47 repins on that one — wow!!
I need you to come decorate even just one room. I sew love all you do or find.
I love this! We have our toilet paper in a crate as well but it is just sitting on the counter. I love this idea!
Just saw this on Pintrest this morning. Would LOVE to know the color of the paint on the wall. THANKS!!! 🙂
The paint is called Bamboo Beach, from Cloverdale Paint Canada. It’s a wonderful clean crisp undertone that isn’t green nor pink. It’s perfect! 🙂
Pure genius! I have a license plate that needed a great place to hang out. Done!
That’s so fun … you never know what people will love. I have a super simple prayer board that I use and it’s big like that. It’s been pinned over 30,000 times. http://6dukes.blogspot.com/2011/02/for-prayers.html
I want to know how you did the shutters on the window. Those are great!
LOL! it’s blowing up my Pinterest account with repins! 42 repins within 2 minutes and it’s fairly late @ night. You need to put it in your Pinterest under license plate – I looked for it there first but didn’t see it. It’s great by the way! I’m an avid follower of your blog and follow you on Pinterest!
Becky
Might have to make this!
Hi, would you be willing to share the dimensions of your crate? This is such an amazing idea!!! Thanks.
pretty cool toilet paper holder..we should make sure that our toilet should look good an well organize..i always ask some help to Sydney Bathroom supplies cause they provide everything specially when it comes to bathroom supplies..
Hi – It’s good to read such interesting stuff on
the Internet as I have been able to discover here.
I agree with much of what is written here and I’ll be
coming back to this website again. Thanks again for posting such
great reading material!!
One of my projects that blew up, it wasnt LITTLE, but I never thought it would become so loved because is simple and I made simply for myself because I love junk + gardening and thought it was beautiful ,…my primitive tipsy pot planters! Here->
http://thepinkhammerblog.com/2012/06/01/tipsypotplanter/
What is the wall color?! Love everything about this bathroom!
Hi Toni! It’s called Bamboo Beach by Cloverdale Paint from Canada. It’s the perfect soft mocha colour with no green nor pink undertones. It’s wonderful and goes with everything!
Hi Donna, can you give me the dimensions of the crate and license plate you used? Thanks!
Love this bathroom you did a wonderful job! If you don’t mind sharing, what is the paint color you selected for the wall?
Hi Ellen,
The paint is from Cloverdale Paint in Canada, called Bamboo Beach. I have since had the recipe tweaked to half the strength so it was lighter.
Cool idea. Just curious if you have any idea what that particular license plate that you “repurposed” is worth in the hotrodding crowd… Might be worth swapping out for a less saught after year.
Hi Jason, I have no idea of the worth of the plate. But thanks for the heads up! This project has been retired because I have a new shelf up now. I take stuff apart from time to time and rebuild. So the plate is free and clear again for use! 🙂
The second I saw the loo roll holder crate, I thought: That is…GREAT!!!!! Just the sort of funky touch I would like in my bathroom! Then I read the story and saw I wasn’t the only one! Congratulations for having such original ideas. You are an inspiration!
Love that u could do that for what ever state u live in and beats taking cabinet apace