EASY DIY Scrap Wood Towel Rack

In this post, I’m sharing how to make a simple, modern towel rack using a couple pieces of scrap wood.

I’ve been remodeling my bathroom and I thought I was finished until I stepped back and realized…I don’t have anywhere to hang up towels!

I’d replaced the tub and tile, painted, installed new flooring, a new toilet, a new vanity. I even replaced the closet with built ins.

But…it never crossed my mind to replace the towel rack. *face palm*

It’s those little details that always get you right there at the end when you think you can finally check this project off the list.

Luckily, this is a quick fix and a fun DIY project made from just a few small pieces. I’ll show you how below.

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What to know before building

Now I know you may be thinking…couldn’t you just screw some basic hooks on the wall?

Absolutely! That certainly IS an option. But building one is way more fun (at least for me, anyway).

Additionally, even the cheapest hook options aren’t really all that cheap. Building one from scraps is practically free.

(I know it’s not TECHNICALLY free since I did buy the wood at some point for a previous project, but since these scraps were otherwise going to be trash, it feels free. And I didn’t have to spend any extra to make it.)

This simple design is reminiscent of a mid century style rack, so it looks a little modern, but also a little vintage at the same time.

It could easily double as a coat or hat rack, too…not just a towel rack. Depending on the scraps you’ve got available, your space, and your needs, you can make this rack longer with more hooks or shorter with fewer hooks. So feel free to size it as needed.

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How to build a scrap wood towel rack

If you prefer to watch, I’ve shared the build video with tons of tips, behind the scenes, and additional information here:

Love watching how-to videos? Subscribe to my YouTube channel for plenty more where that came from!

Tools & Materials

Step 1: Cut Towel Rack Backer

Like I mentioned earlier, you can absolutely adjust your rack size, but in my case, I had a couple of short scrap red oak 1x3s that would work perfect for this project.

I cut one of my 1x3s to about 24″ long for my towel rack backer.

This will be the straight piece that runs along the back that the towel hooks will attach to.

If you want a longer rack, cut this piece longer, or if you want a shorter rack, cut this piece shorter.

Step 2: Cut Towel Rack Hooks

I had another piece of 1×3 that was about 26″ long that I used to cut the towel hooks from. This just happened to be what I had on hand, but you could also use a wider board for this as well.

The towel hooks resemble a boomerang shape and I kind of just freehanded the shape and size, so feel free to get creative.

I used one edge of the board as the back so it was nice and square and straight (the right edge of the board shown below).

This back edge needs to be 2 ½″ long, so I drew my angled lines 2 ½″ apart. The reason is because this straight back edge will go against the back 1×3 board (which is 2 ½″ wide).

I also sketched this out so that the total length of the hook was ABOUT 7 ½″. Since I was freehanding it, I just scribbled until I liked the shape and size.

Then, I carefully cut this out using a jig saw.

After I had one cut out, I made sure I was happy with the size and shape. Now is the time to change it if you want to!

Then, I traced it onto my board three more times to make 4 hooks total and cut these out as well.

After all four hooks were cut out, I sanded them well. By the way, you can obviously cut more or less hooks if you’d like. I just felt like four was a good number for the 24″ long backer piece.

Step 3: Attach Towel Rack Hooks

I positioned my boomerang shaped hooks onto my backer piece like you see below and decided on my spacing.

This doesn’t have to be specific, but I placed the outside hooks in about 1″ from the ends, then just positioned the two middle hooks so the gaps were even.

I marked on the backer board where the center of each hook fell, then set them to the side.

I drilled two pilot holes along each center line like you see below. This will be where the screws will go and these pilot holes make it much easier to screw the hooks on from the back side.

Once the pilot holes were drilled, I clamped the hooks, one at a time, onto the backer and drove 2″ wood screws through the holes to secure the hooks.

TIP: Make sure the hooks stay square to the backer when securing.

It’s easiest to install the two hooks on each end first, then secure the middle ones.

Step 4: Finish and Hang Towel Rack

After the hooks were installed, I stained it in Minwax Weathered Oak wood stain, then grabbed a level and a stud finder to come inside and install it to my bathroom wall.

I placed the rack so that it would cross two studs and drove 2 ½″ wood screws through the backer into the studs, making sure to keep it level.

And with that, this simple scrap wood towel rack is finished. AND so is my bathroom remodel. HALLELUJAH!

This piece ties in perfectly with the new vanity and the closet built ins in the new space. Simple, but effective…the perfect use for a few scraps!

Looking for More Scrap Wood DIYs?

Can’t get enough scrap wood projects?? I’m teaming up with my friend, Kati, from Houseful of Handmade all month long for “Scrap Wood Summer!”

Check out all the projects in the series below. Click on the images to learn how to make each one!

This is our fifth year hosting Scrap Wood Summer and I enjoy it a little more each time. But, if you’ve never heard of it before, that’s okay!

Essentially, we each share a new scrap wood project every Tuesday throughout the month of August. So by the end of the month, you’ve got 8 new project ideas to try.

So stay tuned to see all the other fun ideas we are so excited to share with you!

Can’t wait? Check out previous Scrap Wood Summer projects plus other scrap wood ideas here.

If you’d like to save this DIY scrap wood towel rack for later, be sure to pin it or share to your favorite social channel!

Until next time, friends, happy building!