Frugal Ways to Decorate Your Bathroom

February 12, 2015 Diane Schmidt

1. Hang a Vintage Basket on a Hook

Hang a vintage storage basket for a creative place to stack towels, or anything else! You can use buckets too.

2. Attach Baskets to the Wall

Simple screw baskets to wall studs. (DIY Tip: You may need to add a larger washer or two to keep the screw from pulling through the basket's weave.) I've also seen a similar idea using painted wooden crates, so feel free to be creative!

3. Can It

Glass looks oh so pretty sitting in a window or on a shelf like in this photo from Whole Living. Use them to hold soaps, stack washcloths, or so much more around the bathroom faucets. For more fun looks, check out this painted jar tutorial from Pretty Handy Girl or learn how to tint them blue at Craftberry Bush.

4. Repurpose an Old Drawer for Wall Storage

Better Homes & Gardens shared this fun idea for bathroom storage. It's eco-friendly and looks great.

5. Use Budget Handles for Hangers

Forgo fancy (and expensive!) hardware and hang your towels on trusty handles. Towels won't slip off like they will on hooks.

6. Spray Paint Terra Cotta Pots

Small terra cotta pots sell for a dime, but you don't have to settle for their natural orange color. Spray paint them and use them to store small toiletries like in this idea from Better Homes & Gardens. No room to spray paint? Look for small glazed pots at your local garden center, or search flea markets for vintage pottery, milk glass and more!

7. DIY a Built-In Toothbrush Holder

The Family Handyman has fun, cheap and easy ideas on their site. This hanging toothbrush holder is just one idea - simply use a rotary tool to create small notches in a bathroom shelf. Visit the link and scroll down for more ideas, like how to DIY a glass shower shelf or a PVC pipe curling iron holder.

8. Install Fake Built-Ins

The team at Martha Stewart shares this idea on how to add wood brackets to existing shelving for organizing and storage. This is a great idea and will keep towels and other items in their place. However, if you are lacking existing built-ins, purchase bracketed shelves and hang them upside down to create faux built-in storage.

9. Fashion a Peg Board Organizer

The 36th Avenue shares her how-to on making this fabulous peg board organizer that would be perfect in a bath with a bit of wall space. Use it to hold jewelry, toothbrushes, toiletries and more. You can also use 36th Avenues tutorial on crafting attachable bins out of soup cans, or for another alternative, try out these fun little IKEAcontainers.

10. Borrow It From the Kitchen

Repurposing storage containers, serving dishes or other various kitchen paraphernalia into bathroom decor isn't a bad thing. After all, there are no rules that say one must use an object for only one purpose. In decorating, what works isn't always what someone says should be. For example, in the bathroom pictured, a utensil storage caddy also perfectly holds hair products and electrics.