32 Clever Uses for Everyday Items in the Bathroom

Use everyday objects you already have around your home — or can easily find at a flea market — to make creative storage and organizing solutions for the bathroom.

By: Morgan Faulkner and Jen Jafarzadeh L'Italien

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Cheap Meets Chic

An old luggage rack gets new life as a tub-side table with the help of a wooden tray and some paint. The upcycled table is now the perfect height for holding all your spa essentials while enjoying a soak.

Get the How-To: Cheap Meets Chic: Craft a Tub-Side Table for Your Bathroom

From: H. Camille Smith

Ladder Towel Rack

Leaning an extra blanket ladder against the wall is an unexpected way to hang towels. This ladder doesn't take up a lot of room and adds a trendy, boho element to the space.

See More Photos: 40+ Clever Bathroom Storage Ideas

From: Regan Baker

Just Add Wheels

A chic bar cart makes for stylish-yet-functional storage in a bathroom that's lacking cabinets or shelves. Fill with all the handy toiletry essentials and jazz it up with a lush plant or two.

See More Photos: 40+ Clever Bathroom Storage Ideas

From: Michelle Edgemont

Multipurpose Muffin Pan

Vintage baking pans come with a pretty patina that makes them a favorite find at flea markets, though a pan dating back to the Mad Men era may be better suited for display rather than Sunday's blueberry muffins. Repurpose a muffin pan in the bathroom as a handy tray for toiletries that you can bring by the tub for at-home pedicures, or place a few tea light candles inside to set a serene mood for a bath.

Hanging Baskets

Put those unused storage baskets to good use in the bathroom. Simply hang them from the wall to create a unique design feature that also saves floor space.

See More Photos: 40+ Clever Bathroom Storage Ideas

From: Kari Arendsen

Shoe Caddy Storage

Over-the-door organizers aren't just for shoes anymore. Hanging pocket organizers offer convenient storage and create instant organization in a small bathroom where cabinetry and shelves are scarce.

See More Photos: 40+ Clever Bathroom Storage Ideas

Test Tube Grooming Rack

An old chemistry rack of test tubes makes the perfect storage spot for grooming supplies in the bathroom. True, you probably don't have a vintage test tube rack lying around the house, but chemistry racks are easy enough to find browsing the vintage selections on Etsy.

Focus on Fabric

A wall-mount sink is great for an open, airy vibe, but you're left with zero storage space. Make use of extra fabric to add cottage charm and hidden storage to your powder room — no sewing required.

See More Photos: 50 (Almost!) Free Bathroom Updates

From: Paige Morse

Sweet Spot for Nail Polish

"Little bottles of nail polish can take over the bathroom. So I stash them in an old-fashioned glass candy jar. The glossy colors look as pretty as a scoop of jelly beans." — Liz Caan, interior designer, Newton, Mass.

See More Photos: Stylish Storage Solutions

From: HGTV Magazine

The Makeup Julep Cup

Reframe your perception of what works as a storage container. Often you can find attractive, unique options around the house, like this mint julep cup serving as a makeup holder.

Rubber Band Stopper

Create a soap dispenser stopper to prevent way too much soap being dispensed at one time by wrapping a rubber band around the top of the dispenser. Next, test to make sure the desired amount is released with each pump.

See More Photos: 17 Rubber Band Hacks That Will Blow Your Mind

Candle Catch-All

No need to toss those finished candles. Place them in the freezer to remove the wax, and then give them a good scrub to repurpose them as swanky storage for beauty tools like cotton balls and swabs.

See More Photos: 40+ Clever Bathroom Storage Ideas

PVC Pipe Storage

Do you have extra PVC piping or couplings around the house from previous projects? Repurpose them to make modern storage for your toilet tissue or other bathroom accessories.

Get the How-To: Upcycle PVC Pipe Into Budget-Friendly Bathroom Storage

From: Sam Henderson

Rust No More

Say goodbye to pesky rust stains in the shower for good. Apply a couple coats of clear nail polish to your bottles, but make sure to let it completely dry before placing back in your shower or it'll get stuck.

See More Photos: 10 Household Uses for Clear Nail Polish

Pallets Turned Toiletry Holder

Add a rustic touch to the bathroom by repurposing wooden shipping pallets into an open storage solution to house toiletries and other essentials.

Get the How-To: Turn Shipping Pallets Into Bathroom Storage Shelves

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

T-Shirt Bath Mat

We're all guilty of having too many old shirts laying around the house. Put them to good use by crafting them into an easy, no-sew bath mat.

Cake Stand Shelf

Repurpose an unused cake stand into a shelf or display space for soaps in the bathroom, as seen here on Fixer Upper.

Vintage Chic

Creating stylish storage for the bathroom countertop is as easy as having an unused container or fun thrift store find — like the antique cigar box seen here.

Hair Tie Must-Have

Wrangle all those hair ties with the help of a binder ring. You'll never lose another one with this clever hack.

Decorative Touch

Even the bathroom drawers deserve some love. Lining shelves and drawers with leftover wrapping paper will inspire you to keep everything organized and in its place.

See More Photos: 10 Ways to Turn Leftover Gift Wrap Into Pretty Decor

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

Bracelet Storage

Don't keep your beautiful bracelets hidden away in a jewelry box: Display them in your bathroom on bottles. Use vintage glass containers, as seen here, or recycle an eye-catching bottle from your pantry.

See More Photos: 50 (Almost!) Free Bathroom Updates

Grout Cleaner

Banish ugly grout stains and unsightly buildup with toothpaste. Apply a dab of toothpaste to a toothbrush, and scrub away. Wipe off the excess toothpaste with a damp rag.

See More Photos: 9 Weird, But Practical Uses for Toothpaste

Caddy Storage

A tool caddy is a clever and stylish storage option for linens, toiletries and other bathroom essentials.

Drawers of Lotions and Potions

It's easy to spot vintage wooden drawers everywhere these days — antique shops, vintage Web shops, flea markets, you name it. Little wooden drawers make a great storage solution in the bathroom to organize and display your collection of perfume bottles or must-have toiletries.

Spice Rack Surprise

Keep all your beauty products and sprays at bay with the help of a tiered spice rack and never hunt for a product again.

Double-Duty Mirror

Bathroom essentials look neater piled atop a tray, but other household items, like painted cookie sheets or even mirrors, can do the job just as well.

See More Photos: 50 (Almost!) Free Bathroom Updates

Rolled on a Rack

Think outside the bottle with this accordion-style rack that's typically used to store wine or bottles of Pellegrino. A wine rack in the bathroom is a clever way to keep a few towels right at hand.

Wine Crate Shelf

For an easy, budget-friendly solution, hang crates from a craft store to create interesting and functional storage. The wood crate will add a rustic style to your loo — and create an open shelving solution for bath salts, big bottles of shampoo or even a pretty vase of fresh market flowers.

Hanging Space

Bathrooms can quickly turn into a catch-all space for cleaning supplies. Keep them all organized with the help of a tension rod and save precious space under the counter.

Photo Box Display

Photo boxes are an extremely inexpensive option for versatile storage. Look for them on sale at craft stores, and then stock up. Here, they’re used in the bathroom for extra supplies, like razors, toothbrushes and travel-size toiletries.

Hung Up on Jars

Mason jars are a simple and practical solution for organizing cotton balls and Q-tips, but glass in the bathroom is a risky matter and counter space is always at a premium. Instead, hanging them on the wall will add instant style. All you need is a piece of wood, paint, pipe clamps, wide-mouth Mason jars, screws and picture hangers.

From the Office to Your Hair

Raid your desk for an everyday office supply that will make it easy to have hairpins on hand for your next updo. A paper clip holder makes a clever magnetic container for storing bobby pins and is made pretty with the help of fabric.

32 Clever Uses for Everyday Items in the Bathroom

Related To:

Shop This Look

Cheap Meets Chic

Ladder Towel Rack

Just Add Wheels

Multipurpose Muffin Pan

Hanging Baskets

Shoe Caddy Storage

Test Tube Grooming Rack

Focus on Fabric

Sweet Spot for Nail Polish

The Makeup Julep Cup

Rubber Band Stopper

Candle Catch-All

PVC Pipe Storage

Rust No More

Pallets Turned Toiletry Holder

T-Shirt Bath Mat

Cake Stand Shelf

Vintage Chic

Hair Tie Must-Have

Decorative Touch

Bracelet Storage

Grout Cleaner

Caddy Storage

Drawers of Lotions and Potions

Spice Rack Surprise

Double-Duty Mirror

Rolled on a Rack

Wine Crate Shelf

Hanging Space

Photo Box Display

Hung Up on Jars

From the Office to Your Hair

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