A bathroom towel ladder is one storage item you’ll often see in chic bathrooms. Unlike wall-mounted towel racks, a ladder towel rack is almost freestanding and does not need to be secured to the wall. While they are typically made from 2 posts with rungs in between they are usually pretty pricey. The size of the towel ladder may also be too big for a small bathroom.
Deborah who showcases her DIY projects on her Instagram profile @bangonstyle “really wanted one of those storage ladders in my bathroom but they were all so huge!”
Putting on her IKEA hacking hat, she used one IVAR side unit and added a few accessories to make it work as a towel stand. The IVAR side unit is already built like a ladder, which makes it perfect for this project.
She bought the narrow IVAR side unit (12″ wide) with 4 rungs. You can choose between the 70″ or 89″ tall side posts. If you prefer a wider ladder shelf, get the wider 20″ IVAR side unit. The side unit will set you back anywhere between $25 to $35.
DIY Bathroom Towel Ladder
Materials:
- IKEA IVAR side unit
- Wooden doll pegs
- Wood filler
- Sandpaper
- Primer
- Paint
- Wood stain
Step 1: Fill up all the dowel pin holes
Deborah used the Ronseal Wood Filler to fill up all the holes along the sides of the IVAR post. After the filler dried, she sanded the spots down and wiped them clean.
Step 2: Measure the angle
Next, she measured the leaning angle of the ladder and marked it on the ends of the side post. Using a handsaw, she cut the marked portion off.
Step 3: Paint the sides
Deborah taped off both ends of the towel bars so she can paint the long sides of the post. She first primed and then used an eggshell paint in Sandstone to finish it.
Step 4: Stain the rungs
She lightly stained the rungs in a Light Oak finish to match the rest of the wood in her bathroom. Sealing the rungs with a polycrylic finish will help protect the wood against damp towels.
Step 5: Add pegs
Deborah found cute wooden dolls which she repurposed as pegs. Alternatively, you can use knobs or robe hooks for this step. She drilled 3 holes at the top rung and screwed the pegs in from the back. She repeated the same step at the bottom rung with 2 larger wooden pegs to hold an IKEA TJABBIG basket for added storage.
Now, lean it against the wall, and the bathroom towel rack is done. The top towel rail is for hanging things. The middle rails are great for hand towels and folded bath towels.
The end result is a beautiful and practical bathroom rack that looks much more expensive than it actually is. Not only does it provide plenty of storage space for towels, toiletries, and other bathroom accessories, but it also adds a stylish and modern touch to the room.
The total cost of this IKEA towel ladder hack came up to £23.50 (approx. $30).
Her followers love the DIY, leaving comments like “This is actually a good idea. All the other IKEA hacks I see are so unpractical and unsafe haha, but this one looks smart,” and “I finally have a reason to go to IKEA!! Budget friendly and such a great idea.” Her IG reel received over 30K likes.
If you want to add a storage shelf to the ladder, try this DIY ladder shelving hack.
This DIY ladder storage rack will also work in the living room to hang up throws, even in the kitchen as a kitchen towel holder.
So why not give this IKEA hack a try and see how you can transform your bathroom with just a few simple materials and some creativity? We’d love to hear what you think about this hack and see how you’ve customized it to fit your own unique style and needs.
You may also like this TROFAST ladder for kids.
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