The DIY toilet paper holder that gives any bathroom an affordable refresh

Should you take your phone to the toilet? You may not agree, but most people like to inquire during these quiet times. Moreover, this is not a new thing. Or something out of the ordinary. Change the date to 1950 and replace a telephone with a copy of Reader’s Digest – or National Geographic – and you’ll admit that this habit is neither new nor a sign of the apocalypse. The problem is creating a placeholder for your phone when you’re indoors, especially at the critical moment when you now need to use both hands. Luckily, there are plenty of DIY bathroom storage ideas that will hold not only your toilet paper, but also your phone. One DIY in particular turns a lidded plastic basket and wooden dowel into a cute toilet paper holder perfect for your space.

This Tinksky Stackable Plastic Storage Box, which you can get at Walmart for $5.64, will serve as the main component of your DIY. You will remove the cover, glue it on top and insert the wooden dowel that will act as a holder for the toilet paper roll. Here’s a closer look at this easy and budget-friendly DIY.

For this creative bathroom DIY, collect your basket, remove the lid, turn it over and drill two holes on each side of the base. The holes should be about ⅓ the width of the base and about 1 or 2 inches from the left and right edges. After that, apply a few drops of glue to the top of the basket, especially the edges, and press the basket cover firmly. Note that the plastic storage basket is made of polypropylene, a type of plastic with low surface energy and therefore a little difficult to glue. However, JB Weld 50139 Plastic Bonder Body Panel Adhesive should work well.

Next, cut your dowel to fit into the bottom space of your plastic basket from side to side – the spaces originally designed as the basket handles. Remember the two holes you drilled at the beginning? Now use them to screw your basket to the wall. And just like that, you have a toilet paper holder with a handy shelf to put a scented candle, an air freshener and that nifty iPhone to catch up on funny memes as you get the job done.