If you’re frustrated and want to know how to fix a towel ring holder that is loose (once and for all!), you’ve come to the right place. Read on for a clever and unconventional (but long-lasting) solution to the problem, and create a pretty space in the process.
There’s nothing more annoying than reaching for the hand towel after washing your hands and getting that clunky hardware wiggle from the loose screws. That’s exactly what happened to me, multiple times, in this bathroom. And it’s a shame because it took me some time to give this powder room a nice facelift.
Note: Although I recommend you read the entire tutorial to get the most detailed information, you will find a one-minute video at the bottom of this post that summarizes the process. You’re welcome 🙂
The Problem
This was the second towel ring I’d gone through, and I was ready to stop the annoyance for good. Especially after I saw that smiley face on the wall. It was like that towel ring was mocking me!
I’ll show you, towel ring.
The Real Problem
The real problem with this space was the unfortunate stud placement. For my newbies out there, assuming you don’t have a cement house, most walls are constructed with wooden boards (called studs). They’re usually about 16″ apart. Anytime you screw something into the wall, you want to make sure the screw goes through the wall and all the way into the stud. Once you hit the stud, whatever you hang stays put. Like, forever put. If you don’t hit the stud, you run the risk of your piece falling out over time, due to the weight of gravity and repeated use.
If you’re hanging a lightweight picture frame, hitting the studs isn’t necessary, but with a towel ring like mine, tugging and pulling happen on a daily basis, so eventually, it was bound to come down. Unfortunately, the studs were far from where I wanted to hang my towel ring.
Bummer.
I didn’t want the ring so close to the mirror or the window. Wall anchors may have worked, but I didn’t want to deal with those since they can be a pain too. So, I headed to my basement and went through my pile of scrap wood to find a solution.
How to Fix a Towel Ring Holder that is Loose
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| Materials Needed |
| 1″x 4″ Cut to desired length
1″x 2″ Cut to the same length as the 1×4 for the top trim 2″ wood screw(I only used one!) Flat head plug(optional) Power Saw (or have wood cut at the store) Nail gun(or hammer and finish nails) Finish of choice (I used regular black spray paint. ) |
Step 1: Find the studs
Using a stud finder, mark the stud (s) on the wall with a pencil. I usually draw a vertical line longer than the width of the board I’m putting up. If you don’t have a stud finder yet, consider adding one to your DIY arsenal.
They come in handy for hanging shelves and mirrors. Some people can find the studs by just knocking on the wall. I’m not that talented! My first time using a stud finder was on my entryway plank wall
Step 2: Cut wood to size
I used my power saw to cut these pieces to size. If you don’t have a saw yet, you can have the pieces cut at the store. Places like Lowes and Home Depot will cut wood for free or for a minimal charge when you purchase it in the store.
Step 3- Assemble the pieces
I used wood glue and clamps to hold it in place for about 20 minutes. Once the glue dried I reinforced with nails. If you don’t have a nail gun or just want to make this project simpler, you can forego the trim piece and just use one board.
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Step 4: Paint
At this point, I painted the pieces, to avoid having to deal with taping and painting on the wall. I took the piece outside and used plain old regular black spray paint.
Step 5: Screw into the wall
Now it’s just a matter of taking a power drill and screw through the board and into the stud. Before you go all the way in, it’s a good idea to put a level on top of the piece, then drive your screw all the way into the stud. I could’ve driven a screw into the second stud, but the piece was solid after just one. So, I left it.
At this point you could fill in the hole and touch up the paint. But since all I had on hand was spray paint, I used a flat head plug I had leftover from my make-up organizer.
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I spray painted it outside then stuck it on with hot glue. Done and done.
About the Towel Ring
I got my towel ring at Hobby Lobby. But, sadly they didn’t have it available online. Amazon has a similar one. I like the look of the screws showing and there aren’t many available that are that style. It’s definitely up to you! Once the board is up, you can install any kind of towel ring and it will stay put. Like, forever put!
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Here’s a couple more photos of the finished piece.
In case you’re wondering, yes the towel ring came in black, but I spray painted it silver. Love spray paint! And if you like the wood sign (go ahead, zoom in on it, you’ll like what it says), you can find it here!
Pin this for later, ok?
And if you like scrap wood projects and simple DIY, be sure and join the sawdust sisterhood and never miss a post!
Like Videos Better?
Below is a video summary I created the day I did this project. If you want to follow my projects in real-time be sure you follow Sawdust Sisters on Instagram.
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Where did you get your clamps? I’d love to get some
Hi Tami! The ones pictured are from Harbor Freight. They’re good for scrap wood projects but not strong enough for bigger projects like doors and tables. I need to bite the bullet and get me some more heavy duty ones 🙂
Why not just use a couple of drywall anchors which typically hold 70lbs of vertical pressure? Although the shelf is cool. ?
Clamps? DeWalt squeeze type, awesome…
Hi David! Yeah anchors would work too 🙂 And thanks! I will check out those clamps!
Hey My Towel Ring fell off, how do I get it back to the hole?
Hi Marlena, you may need to find the stud and follow the steps I did in the tutorial. If you want to put it back in the same hole you may try an anchor/screw that is a little larger than the existing hole. Good luck!