How to Make a Towel Rack from Antique Door Knobs

Sorry for the delay on today’s post — some days I just can’t keep up. This one was full of little projects and interruptions, but I finally finished a quick, charming DIY towel rack I wanted to share.

If you ever think I have it all together, think again. My brain is like a browser with a million tabs open, and this towel rack idea was one of those tabs this week for our hallway bathroom makeover.

Antique door knobs have always been on my wish list. The ones I used for this project aren’t true antiques, but they have the vintage look I wanted — and that little secret is ours to keep.

I’m a repurposing junkie. I hate seeing usable materials go to waste, so I keep a pile of leftover wood from past projects in the garage. That stash has inspired a lot of small builds, and this towel rack was made from scraps leftover from our bathroom plank wall.

Supplies Used:

Nine 1×6 pieces cut to 16″ (from 1x6x8 pine boards)
Stain of your choice or a DIY stain
Marine-grade polyurethane (recommended if the rack will be in a humid bathroom)
Four antique-style door knob hooks (I found mine at a craft store)
A continuous hinge or a thin metal strip with pre-drilled holes
A hacksaw to cut the hinge
A Hangman-style wall mount or sturdy picture hanger for installation

Step-by-Step:

Because the planks were already cut, stained, and sealed from the bathroom plank wall project, assembly went quickly. I laid the nine 16″ boards face down to measure the length of hinge I needed. We looked for a thin metal strip at the hardware store but ended up using a continuous hinge since it already had holes drilled, which made installation easier.

My husband cut the hinge to length with a hacksaw and laid it across the back of the boards. We screwed the hinge into place so it connected all the planks, then used the leftover hinge pieces to secure the bottom edges as well.

I scored the door knob hooks at 50% off — a budget-friendly find — and screwed them into the wood where I wanted the towels to hang. For mounting to the wall, a Hangman-style bracket provided a secure and simple solution.

I mixed finishes on the knobs instead of matching everything exactly — a few blue/green glass knobs paired with bronze hardware adds personality and keeps the look relaxed rather than overly coordinated. The blue/green knobs complement the bathroom color (Sherwin Williams Sea Salt) beautifully.

The wood scraps I used are far from perfect — slightly uneven cuts and a few dings — but that rustic imperfection is intentional. Imperfect materials add character and a homemade feel that suits a cozy bathroom space.

Photographing this small, windowless bathroom was a challenge, so the photos don’t capture every detail, but the rack turned out so cute in person. It adds a subtle whimsical touch to our daughter’s bathroom, which also doubles as an occasional guest bath — just the right balance of playful and practical.

Kids tend to prefer hooks over towel bars anyway, so this design works well for a family bathroom. More importantly, it’s a great way to use leftover materials and add function and style without spending much.

What do you think — a smart reuse of leftovers? For me it’s one less open tab in the cluttered browser of my brain. I’ve also got a bigger transformation to share next week — I can’t wait to show you!