How to Make a DIY Mason Jar Organizer for a Bathroom
If you have extra mason jars in your kitchen that you were thinking of throwing away, you might want to see how other people repurposed them for other uses. There are so many creative ways you could use them in your kitchen, bathroom, or around the house. You could use these jars for organizing small items or use them for house decor. For this tutorial, I made a simple DIY Mason Jar Organizer for the bathroom, to keep small items organized and readily available. For more info and pictures visit my website TheDIYPlan.com
The instructions below on how to make one mason jar organizer, although I ended up making two of these. So if you’re planning to build more than one organizer, then you’ll need more material than what’s listed on this page.
This bathroom wall organizer could be made from any type of wood or any size. It also depends on the mason jars that you have. If you have scrap boards or even smaller pieces that could be attached together to make one larger board, that will work just fine. Since I had a few 1×12 scrap boards, I used that to make this project.
Take a 1×12 board and measure 16 inches from the edge of the board on the top and bottom. Then take a ruler or anything straight and draw the line across the board. To make the cut you could use a miter saw or a skill saw. If you’re using a skill saw, clamp the board to the workbench so that it doesn’t move and then make the cut.
For this project, I’m using three mason jars that are 3 1/4” round and 5” tall. The jars are attached to the board with two different U-shaped straps. I was not able to find the exact straps on Amazon but I do have a link in the materials list that shows similar straps. The smaller 3” strap will be placed around the top of the jar and the larger 3 1/2″ strap at the bottom.
Determine the location and the height where the jars need to be placed and where the strap goes.
To place the 5” tall jars in the center, draw a horizontal line across the board that is 4” from the top and another line 4” from the bottom. Then mark the screw locations for each strap along the upper and lower horizontal line. Using either a scratch awl or a nail, push thru the marks making a dent in the wood. This will help you place the jars in the center once the board is stained.
Take a random orbital sander and sand the board on both sides including the edges and corner. First, use an 80 grid sand disc to remove any uneven spots and then use a 250 grid for making a smoother surface.
If you’re using softwood like pine it’s a good idea to use pre-stain before applying the stain. Pre-staining the boards will prevent the stain from being blotchy.
After the pre-stain, wait for about 20 min and then apply the stain. Again you could use a brush or a shop paper towel to apply the stain. I used Briarsmoke stain to stain the board.
Flip the board to the backside and measure 3″ from the top. Then measure 2” from the left and the right side. Take D-ring picture frame hangers and attach them with 1/2″ wood screws at those measurements. Make sure that both hangers are attached exactly the same distance from the top; otherwise, the board will not be leveled when hung on the wall.
Hold the jar organizer board against the wall at the elevation you want it to be attached. Then make a small pencil mark on the drywall at the top corners of the board. From the pencil mark, measure 3” down and 2” from the left and right side. Basically, you’re transferring the D-ring hanger measurements from the board to the wall.
Next, screw-in the drywall anchors into the drywall to match the hanger locations of the board. Now you could hang your DIY Mason Jar Organizer on the wall in your bathroom.
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ZIP TIES!!
What a marvelous idea! I'd use the zip as a continuous loop and strap them together on the back. No need for screws nor concern the plastic might crack. The width of the d-ring may be sufficient to keep the board steady, i.e., not rocking from the width of the zip tie heads. You could also use a felt stick-on spacer, the kind that keep lamps from scratching a table. Or, if your board was thick enough, you could use a wider drill bit to cut out a divot on the back, to tuck the zip connector in a recessed area.
As for concerns of cleaning the jars, mentioned earlier, I'd use a damp wet wipe, maybe even disinfecting wipes, to remove any built up gunk. You could also line the bottom of the jar with replaceable cotton balls, a trimmed paper towel, or a small reusable wash cloth (save the earth!) to catch any toothpaste/paintbrush drips or lead marks from pencils. If the idea of a germ collection bothers you, store non-germy items in your mason jars.
I'd also try this with smaller pint size jars.
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Thank you for not reducing your beautiful project to a utilitarian industrial look with hose clamps! I hate those obnoxious straps sticking out and that honkin' huge, knuckle-scraping, tightening head. What an eyesore!! This is a time to think a little more creatively and not just grab the first hunk of junk laying around. Kudos!!
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
How do you take out the jars to clean them. Toothbrushes make a mess.
What else could you use besides the metal hangers? You need to clean the jars and unscrewing them every time would be a hassle. Any suggestions?
No question…just an observation. How would you be able to wash out the jars when they get dirty? Seems to me the bottom should be sitting on something rather than permanently attached.