Tabletop Bookshelf from a Paper Towel Holder

When I first spotted this paper towel holder at Habitat ReStore, I didn’t know that’s what it was at first. It sat on the shelf upside-down, missing the center rod. So, I assumed it was some sort of tabletop bookshelf or a pair of fixed bookends.

I had to laugh once it dawned on me that it was an under-cabinet paper towel holder. But the screw holes on the underside (as it sat on the shelf) and the price tag information was my lightbulb moment.

And yes, I *have* upcycled a similar paper towel holder before, way back when I first started blogging. I turned it into a craft ribbon holder. But at the time, it was more obviously a paper towel holder since the rod was included…

But since I’d wrongly assumed this new one was a desktop bookshelf, I decided to use it that way anyway. It just needed a makeover that would work in our home!

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Mid-century Modern Makeover on a Desktop Bookshelf

Technically, I didn’t actually need to do anything to this paper towel holder to repurpose it- other than cleaning it, of course. It would’ve worked just fine, as-is. But what’s the fun in that?

First, I decided to sand it down with my orbital sander. The existing finish was pretty shiny/slick, albeit sprinkled with kitchen schmutz. Sanding that away would allow the paint to apply evenly and smoothly.

First, I used a 120-grit disc to remove the finish and then a 220-grit disc to smooth it down. When all was said it done, I was left with a clean, naked piece ready to be painted and repurposed into a tabletop bookshelf.

Because it was a bamboo paper towel holder, using wood stain wasn’t really an option, unfortunately. So, spray paint would have to do.

Next, I selected a midnight blue paint from our garage and set up my spray painting table outside. And I had to work quickly- check out that doomsday sky above!

Two dried coats of paint later, I brought everything inside and selected a mid-century modern stencil to use on the ends.

To make the stencil easier to use, I pressed a piece of scrap paper over the end of the paper towel holder and cut out a template of the circle. Then, I traced the circle around my stencil and cut it out. I apologize for not taking a photo of that process!

I used some matte gold paint for the stenciling, and voilà- I was done with the makeover! The stenciled design wasn’t *quite* as crisp as I’d like, but that’s par for the course with satin spray paint (in my experience).

Last but not least, I applied small circles of felt underneath my tabletop bookshelf to act as soft feet. And that was it!

Tabletop Bookshelf from a Paper Towel Holder

To be perfectly honest, I didn’t spray on a top coat to protect everything because we’ve been drenched in rain lately. I barely had a dry half-day to do my painting, as you saw earlier. So I may still do that later on but until then…

Isn’t it perfect? Such a fun tabletop bookshelf that looks as good as it functions now.

I wonder if this idea would have even come to me had the paper towel bar been included in the first place! Sometimes, a broken or incomplete item from the thrift store is my best friend in the long run.

Dark blue and gold is a running color theme in our decor, so this fits right in, wherever it ends up living! And I didn’t intend for all the books to be somewhat color coordinated, too, but that’s just how it worked out.

I hope you enjoyed this super simple, but deceptively clever upcycling idea! And cheers to all the misfit items on thrift store shelves that may be a little broken, wonky, or missing pieces. Some of them are definitely diamonds in the rough.

By the way, thank you for your patience. You may have noticed that it’s been a couple of months since I sent out my last newsletter with a new project- I just needed a little non-crafting time this summer. Thankfully, Fall and Spooky Season is coming, which you know is my favorite, so I’m happy to be back in the saddle again.

Craft on!

S

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