Paper Tower / Napkin Holder DIY
Family gatherings happen quite often in our home. We usually cook together—or, to be honest, I sit with the kids while my brother-in-law, who’s a chef, prepares something delicious. Cooking is his passion, while crafting is mine, so I decided to make a decorative napkin and paper towel holder.
Of course, you can simply buy one from a store… but where’s the fun in that? I wanted mine to feel like a little piece of art while still being practical and functional.
👉 Full tutorial on my YouTube channel:
The Base
Start by measuring your napkins or paper towels. Since I intended to use mine as a paper towel dispenser, I measured the package of paper towels and made the holder about 1 cm larger than the actual size.
Next, cut the cardboard pieces for the base. On one of the longer sides, I cut an opening in the middle. I used a paper stencil to keep the shape even and symmetrical.
To assemble everything, I used wood glue along with a small drop of hot glue in the corners to help the pieces hold together faster. Later, I reinforced the structure with masking tape for better adhesion and durability.
Finally, I added a layer of wiping paper using school glue to make the structure sturdier and more cohesive.
The Design
Once the base was finished, I started sketching the design. You could simply paint the surface directly, but since I enjoy creating textured 3D art, I designed mine as a dreamy landscape scene featuring mountains, a crescent moon, clouds, flowers, and greenery cut from cardboard.
After attaching all the details, I covered them with wiping paper to blend everything together.
For the clouds, I used acrylic paste. To create texture on the mountains and moon, I used different stone-effect pastes. Alternatively, you can mix acrylic paste with baking soda to achieve a similar texture effect.
Glass Details
I honestly don’t recommend copying this exact step for safety reasons, but I used broken glass from an outdoor fireplace to decorate one side of the holder.
As a base, I used clear plastic from an IKEA photo frame. Then, using tweezers for safety, I attached the glass pieces with glitter hot glue. To make the edges safer, I added another layer of hot glue over the sharp parts.
To make the design more interesting, I also used clear universal glue and decorative vase-filler pieces around the edges.
⚠️ If you try something similar, always be careful when working with broken glass.
Other Decorations
I created another large opening and added clear plastic from product packaging to make it look like a small window or wall panel. Then I framed it with cardboard pieces to add dimension.
After painting, I decorated the area with clear acrylic crystals, small glass pieces, glitter, and more vase-filler decorations. Finally, I added gold star confetti for extra sparkle.
I used clear universal glue for this step, but it didn’t hold very well—some decorations started falling off when touched. I would recommend using super glue instead.
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Painting
The most fun part!
The colors and style really depend on your personal taste and home decor. I used acrylic paint, black paint wash, metallic paint, and iridescent acrylic paint. I also dry-brushed highlights onto the moon and mountains to enhance the texture and depth.
Final Thoughts
The final result turned out like a dreamy sunset or dusk landscape in soft pastel colors. The crystals, glitter, metallic paint, and sparkling stars made it feel even more magical—and I truly love how it came out.
My paper holder doesn’t have a lid. I considered adding one, but I wanted to test how functional it would be without it. I was also in a bit of a hurry while making it, so maybe I’ll add one in the future.
Interestingly, many commercial paper towel dispensers don’t always release the next towel perfectly either, and after using mine for quite some time now, I can say it still works well without a lid.
Materials
- Cardboard
- Wood glue (and school glue)
- Hot glue (clear and glitter)
- Acrylic paint
- Paint brushes (cheap brushes work best)
- Wiping paper (napkins, tissues, etc.)
- Clear plastic
- Acrylic crystals/diamonds
- Glitter
- Star confetti
- Acrylic paste with different texture effects
- Masking tape
