DIY Industrial Towel Bar and Shelf

I have plenty of towel holders in my house so it wasn't like I needed anymore but what I did need was a project.  Home Depot is always my go to place, so much so that the sales staff is always telling me that they are going to put me to work since I'm there so much.

I picked up the wood I needed and the pipe pieces and came home and got to work and knocked the shelf portion out in just about 30 minutes.  If you have a few tools I bet you can make these too!

You will need:

Saw or get wood cut at store

Drill

Sand Paper

1x3x8 board

1 piece of 1/2 inch square dowel rod found in the moulding section at Home Depot

1 1/4 inch wood screws

Wood Glue—I didn’t use this  but you can

Wood Conditioner

Wood Stain

1 12 inch metal nipple (love that name they use)

2 Flanges to fit the size pipe you go with width wise  They have them in several sizes so be sure to put the pipe together before you leave to make sure you have a good fit.  I used 1/2 inch for all of my pieces

2 PVC pipe angles or curved pieces as you’ll see below.  Not sure there exact name

2 PVC pipe risers or "connectors" that are threaded on both ends to attach the curved piece to the flange

Black Spray Paint

 

Start by cutting your boards to the size you’d like your shelf.  I did mine 16 inches wide so you will cut 2 pieces of the 1x3 board into the size you need and then cut your square dowel to size.

 Sand all the boards before putting them together

You are basically going to lay one board flat on a table and then but the other board in a standing position right behind that board and then screw the two boards together from the back.  I didn’t use wood glue but you could on this step but I’d be sure to use nails or screws after the wood glue if you are going to sit things on the shelf that might have some weight to them. 

I know these photos aren't the best but it was hard to get them at the right angle

 Once the boards are attached together you will then place your square dowel right at the edge of the ledge portion of your shelf and flip it over and screw it in from the bottom or again you can use wood glue and nails if need be.

I gave mine a quick sanding again after I got them put together and then I used wood conditioner to ensure an even staining job.  This stuff will make you a believer and a little goes a long way so unless you spill the whole can (I’m not saying this happened to me wink wink) then it will last you a good long time.  Once that has been wiped off apply the stain color of your choice or you could even paint them.

Seal them with polyurethane before attaching the pipe towel holder portion

 

I started my pipe portion in the store to make sure they all fit together well.  I did the plastic pieces because it was much cheaper and I knew they'd be spray painted anyway and no one would ever know so why spend the money on the metal when it wasn't necessary.  I found that my curved piece didn't seat well to the nipple or bar so I added just a little E6000 glue around the rim of the pipe so it would grip well and it worked perfectly.

I chose to use black semi-gloss spray paint but you could use whatever color or finish you like.  I think Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint would be beautiful! I gave them a good couple coats and then flipped them over and did the underside

Let them dry completely and then flip your shelf upside down and attach them to the bottom of your shelf with wood screws making sure you use screws that won't break through your shelf portion.  I also counter sunk all my screws so they didn't stick out anywhere.  If you don't have a countersink tool you can use a slightly larger drill bit than the original hole and just drill into the hole a very little bit and then when you screw them together the screws will sink just slightly so they aren't sticking out.

 
Once everything is put together you can attach it to the wall.  I ended up drilling right through the face of the back board in 2 places so I would hit 2 studs.  If you can't hit studs be sure to buy heavy duty dry wall anchors so they won't wiggle.  Once you've screwed them to the wall you can use stained wood putty to match the color of your stain to fill the holes.  You will need to countersink the screws again so you have a little divet to fill in with the putty.

I couldn't be happier.  After I made the first one we all liked it so much I ended up making a few more for our other bathrooms.  It is so nice to have a little extra space to put some things that we use daily.  In our half bath I used the shelf to add some home decor items to instead of items we use everyday.  It makes a great spot for something small to add a little pop of color in the room.

I know you will love these if you make them!

 I tried to get a photo so you can see the flanges attached to the bottom.  One thing to mention is to make sure your screw heads are big enough to not slip through the holes of the flanges.  I always use #8 or #10 size screws.

Enjoy!