A Paper Towel Holder Belongs in Your Closet (the Reason Is So Smart!)

There are many smart, clever ways to contain the clutter in your home, from a mini nightstand in your bathroom to an ottoman that also serves as a table, tray, and storage bin. But some small items seem destined to exist in a messy pile no matter how hard you try, and jewelry is one of the biggest culprits. I love earrings and have a retail-style rotating clear acrylic display on my dresser to contain them all, but before I had room for such a proper setup, I was hanging pairs of earrings on a piece of lace I taped to my closet door to prevent them getting tangled up or lost. 

In addition to being resourceful, this DIY storage method created an eye-catching showcase of my accessories instead of hiding them in a jewelry box. If you’re more drawn to bracelets than earrings, you can easily store them in style using one very common item normally found in your kitchen: a paper towel holder.

I first caught wind of this idea in a video by Astrid (@aztridk on TikTok), who regularly posts thrifting-related content. In the video, she spots a simple metal paper towel holder at a secondhand shop. She takes it home, puts it on top of her dresser, and instead of placing a paper towel roll on it, she stacks it full of bangle bracelets.

Since this is a vertical, freestanding paper towel holder rather than a horizontal one that mounts to a wall, the bracelets have to be stacked up, which does mean if you want to grab the bracelet on the bottom, you have to remove the whole stack to get to it. You can see this in Astrid’s video, and one commenter points it out as a potential flaw in the system. However, she explains that she stacked the bracelets from least to most-worn, so she won’t have to disassemble the full stack on the regular.

Even if you’re not a bracelet person, this piece of metal can still serve you well. “I use a paper towel holder for my pretty scrunchies,” one commenter says.

When you think of stylish home decor, paper towel holders probably aren’t at the top of your list. But just because an item often looks ordinary doesn’t mean it has to! This paper towel holder from Amazon comes in five finishes, including sleek gold and sophisticated dark wood, and another sculptural Amazon option is made of gray and white marble. (There’s even a matching spoon rest you could technically use as a ring dish!)

If you’d rather save money and time by getting an average-looking paper towel holder from the thrift shop or discount store, it can still look good in your bedroom, since it’ll be covered up by all that nice jewelry. If you don’t want to get anything new, check out this other creative, budget-friendly option that one of Astrid’s Instagram commenters suggests: an empty wine bottle, which would be an especially good fit for larger chunky bangles. As it turns out, Astrid uses one of those in her bedroom already, too.