Make a Paper Towel Holder

Making this paper towel holder is an easy and great project for beginning woodworkers.  If you’re an experienced woodworker than a simple project like this is great way to introduce woodworking to your kids and grand-kids.  I made this paper towel holder out of oak, but any wood species should turn out great and will last you many years.  For mine, I got lucky and had some scrap oak.  I only needed to buy a 1″ oak dowel rod which I was able to pick up at a local hardware store.

If you make one of these be sure to post a picture of it over on the WoodLogger Facebook Page.  I’d love to see how yours turns out.

Material List

(1) 1″ x 10″ x 2′ (I used oak for mine)

Cut List

(1) 1″ x 8″ x 8″

Milling & Assembly

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	To get started on making my paper towel holder.  I used an oak board and cut it into a square.  I cut mine to a length of 8″ on each side.  Then I cut a 1″ dowel rod to a length of 11 – 1/2″.  The 1/2″ will be inserted into the base.
	Next up I found the center point of my board by using a ruler.  I drew a diagonal line from both sides and found the center point.  I then used a compass and drew a circle that just touched the sides of the board.
	After marking things up, I then headed over to my band saw.  If you don’t have a band saw you could use a coping saw or a jigsaw.
	I used a drill press to drill a hole for my dowel rod.  My dowel rod was 1″ in diameter so I made sure to match my bit size to the dowel size I had.  I drilled a hole 1/2″ into the board where the dowel rod will be inserted.
	The last step for making my paper towel holder was to apply wood glue and secure the dowel rod in place.
	To protect the wood for my paper towel holder, I applied a couple of coats of shellac.