DIY Towel Rack Made With One Board (Free Woodworking Plans!)

Thank you to Kreg for this DIY towel rack! All opinions are entirely my own. This post also contains affiliate links, but nothing that I wouldn’t recommend wholeheartedly. Read my full disclosure here.

A little while back, we announced that we’re renovating the guest bathroom at our house. Check out the full bathroom mood board and plans here. You can also learn how to make your own mood board here – they are so fun to create!

Part of our renovation plan called for creating some towel storage, of course. Every good bathroom needs a good place to put towels. Since this is a guest bathroom, it is nice to have a place to store clean, folded towels so your guests always know that they are clean!

Kreg 720PRO Pocket Hole Jig

If you’ve been following Making Manzanita for a bit, you know that we are big fans of the Kreg pocket hole system.

We built tons of projects using our original K5 Pocket Hole Jig, we even have a super detailed guide and video about how to use it that you can check out here.

In 2021, Kreg released brand new pocket hole systems that replaced the K4 and K5, and the upgrades are pretty awesome.

The new 720PRO (which we were using for this DIY towel shelf) and the 520PRO (which replaced the smaller K4 system) were improved a ton, the most noticeable change being that they are easier to set up and use – score.

My favorite new feature of 720PRO and 520PRO is the clamp that you don’t have to adjust anymore. You should clamp it down, and it automatically adjusts to match the thickness of your wood, so cool, right?

Pocket hole joinery is definitely one of the easiest ways to join wood in woodworking projects. It’s our favorite hidden weapon for beginning woodworkers!

Want to learn more? I wrote a super detailed guide & created a video all about how to set up your Kreg 720PRO Pocket Hole and use it, so be sure to check that out too!

We teamed up with our friends at Kreg again for these DIY bathroom towel rack plans and are sharing them online for free, now available on KregTool.com!

Kreg’s website is chocked full of so many easy-to-follow FREE woodworking plans! I promise that you are going to find so much inspiration while you’re there! It is a goldmine!

DIY Towel Rack: Video Tutorial

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DIY Towel Rack: Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Cut Wood

• Check the cut list in the woodworking plans, which you can download here.
• Trim off the factory edge so the board is exactly 11” wide using a table saw or Kreg Rip-Cut.

• Cut all pieces to length using a miter saw or Kreg Cutting Station.

Step 2: Drill Pocket Holes

• Drill two pocket holes in each of the three shelf pieces as shown above.
• Use the Kreg 720 Pro or a similar pocket hole jig.
• Follow the plans for exact placement.

Step 3: Sand

• Sand all pieces with 80-grit sandpaper first.
• Then go over everything with 150-grit for a smoother finish.
• An orbital sander makes quick work of this step.

Step 4: Attach Shelves to Back Panel

• Measure and mark where the shelves will go on the back panel.
• Clamp shelves in place using 90-degree corner clamps.
• Attach with pocket hole screws.
• Tip: Hide the top shelf’s pocket holes by placing them on the top side. For the lower shelves, keep pocket holes underneath.

Step 5: Fill Pocket Holes

• Apply wood glue to oak pocket hole plugs and insert them.
• Let dry completely.
• Sand plugs smooth and wipe away any dust.

Step 6: Stain & Seal

• Stain the entire piece with your preferred color (we used Minwax Jacobean).
• Once dry, apply a clear sealer—we went with this aerosol lacquer for quick coverage.

Step 7: Mount on the Wall

• Locate wall studs and mark them.
• Use 2” wood screws to mount the shelf directly into the studs.
• Screws were added at the base of the shelves so they’re hidden behind towels.

Doesn’t it look amazing?! I’m so glad that we went with beautiful oak hardwood and stained it with one of my favorite dark wood stain colors – Jacobean.

As I’m sure you know, the cost of building materials and wood is soaring right now. But we were still able to build this DIY towel shelf at a modest price, I think. It helps that this project only required ONE board to make!

If you want to build this easy one-board DIY towel rack, we’ve done all the hard work for you! All you need to do is hop over to Kreg’s website and check out the full tutorial.

At the bottom of the tutorial on Kreg’s website, you’ll also see a link to download the woodworking plans (for free) to get all of the detailed measurements and a cut list!

Adding a towel shelf is a great way to add both functional storage AND decor over your toilet, which can be a tough place to decorate!

Would you love a towel rack like this in your bathroom?

Let us know in the comments below!