DIY Towel Bar from Vintage Bed Frame

So do you guys remember when I told you a few weeks ago that I loaded up the whole crew and we all went to an antique show? It was about a 40 minute drive from our house, so I was really on the fence about even going–especially with all three kids in tow. It was the kind of thing where you’re crossing your fingers and toes, just praying to find a treasure that makes it all worth it. Fortunately lady luck was on my side that day because I found a Jenny Lind bed frame that had been painted white and turned into a cool little shelf. I’d never seen anything like it, so of course I had no choice but to bring it home–you know how those kind of things call to me. I really have no say in the matter. Well after bringing it home and trying it in a few different spots around the house, I decided to expand on the whole shelf idea and turn it into a towel bar. I’m excited to show you guys how I did it–it was really simple and definitely something you can recreate with any old bed frame you have sitting around. Okie dokie, here’s how it looked when I brought it home:

DIY towel bar from Jenny Lind bed frame. Great farmhouse style bathroom decor idea!

Isn’t it cool?! I could have definitely left it like this and been happy, but I really wanted to give this piece some function and purpose beyond being just a shelf.

DIY towel bar from Jenny Lind bed frame. Great farmhouse style bathroom decor idea!

First we got a one inch round dowel from Home Depot and cut it to size.

DIY towel bar from Jenny Lind bed frame. Great farmhouse style bathroom decor idea!

Next up we drilled holes on the outside of the shelf so the dowel would slide through. Painted it white and voila! Easy little fix to make this work as a towel bar. Here’s the finished look:

DIY towel bar from Jenny Lind bed frame. Great farmhouse style bathroom decor idea! DIY towel bar from Jenny Lind bed frame. Great farmhouse style bathroom decor idea! DIY towel bar from Jenny Lind bed frame. Great farmhouse style bathroom decor idea!

Pretty darn cute, right?! I’m kind of obsessed with how this came together. Plus the big empty spot above our bathtub was just begging for something vintage-y, so this was the perfect fit.

DIY towel bar from Jenny Lind bed frame. Great farmhouse style bathroom decor idea!

DIY towel bar from Jenny Lind bed frame. Great farmhouse style bathroom decor idea!

Those curtains were actually another DIY project I did last year. Believe it or not I used part of an apron I found on clearance to do the little ruffle. And the best part was no sewing! You can see how I did it in this post.

DIY towel bar from Jenny Lind bed frame. Great farmhouse style bathroom decor idea! DIY towel bar from Jenny Lind bed frame. Great farmhouse style bathroom decor idea!

DIY towel bar from Jenny Lind bed frame. Great farmhouse style bathroom decor idea!

This is the first Jenny Lind style bed frame I’ve ever owned. And I honestly didn’t realize how popular these spool-turned beds are until I brought this home and did a bit of research. Apparently this style bed frame dates back to the mid 1800’s, around the time the iconic singer Jenny Lind was so popular. I guess she was pretty darn famous and there are all kinds of random things named after her. Kinda cool, huh? Now I don’t have a clue how old this frame is, but either way it’s a pretty awesome piece. And I love that we were able to repurpose it into something new. Anything that is both vintage and functional always gets a big star in my book.

I hope you enjoyed this little DIY project today. Thanks sooooooo much for dropping by the blog. It really means so much to me every time you stop in, pin one of my images, or leave a comment. You guys always brighten my day I hope this is a happy place for you too!

Here are a few others posts you might enjoy:

DIY Shelf with Vintage Dresser Harp

The Easiest DIY Farmhouse Candlesticks

5 Tips for Creating a Farmhouse Style Vignette

Welcome!! Happy to have you here. I started this blog in 2015 and since then it's been my happy place to share my love of home, easy decorating ideas, comfy outfits, and chats about Jesus.

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57 Comments

  1. 8.16.17
    Connie said:

    I love what you did with your Jenny Lind bed shelve. You are my kind of girl. I am lucky to have been given a Jenny Lind bed that was 50 years old when I received it from my mother’s friend. I used it in my guess bedroom for many years and than had my DH make it into a bench when we own a 150 years old brick home. I like how you repurpose things and you are doing a great job. Love every project that I have seen so far. Going to go and check out your other posts. Keep up the good work.

    • 8.17.17
      Sarah said:

      Oh that’s so cool Connie, I bet that bench looks amazing! I love repurposing old things, it’s kind of a cool challenge to see how you can re-use something and make it new again!

  2. 8.16.17
    Angela said:

    This is sooo stinking cute!! Great idea!!

    • 8.17.17
      Sarah said:

      Thanks Angela, I love how it turned out!

  3. 8.16.17
    Phylis said:

    How inventive. That is just as cute as can be. Looks great in it’s new home.

  4. 8.16.17
    Areeba said:

    Sarah, can i just say that first that I love your posts and look forward to them in my inbox!
    Second, this is literally the cutest little towel rack there ever was! I am going to keep my eye out for something similar at a fair thats coming up soon for us! Can i ask, how much it was?

    Cheers,
    Areeba

    • 8.17.17
      Sarah said:

      Aw you are so sweet Areeba, thank you! I paid $50 for this, with the shelf part already done. I thought that was pretty decent. Good lucky finding one of your own!! 🙂

  5. 8.16.17
    Kat said:

    Love that …..sooooo pretty and functional too!

    • 8.17.17
      Sarah said:

      Thanks Kat!

  6. 8.16.17
    Jen said:

    Adorable! What a great idea! I’ll add this one to my list of “things to keep my eye out for!”

    • 8.17.17
      Sarah said:

      Definitely do, Jen! This could be done on any bed frame.

  7. 8.16.17
    Cecilia said:

    Love it! It’s the perfect accent for that spot. We had a Jenny Lind style crib. Too bad I didn’t keep it!

    • 8.17.17
      Sarah said:

      Oh bummer, Cecilia. Better start the search for a new one! 🙂

  8. 8.16.17
    Dianne said:

    That is so creative of you! I love it!

    • 8.17.17
      Sarah said:

      Thanks Dianne!

  9. 8.16.17
    Nikki said:

    All I can say is…..I loooove it!

    • 8.17.17
      Sarah said:

      Thanks you sweet Nikki!

  10. 8.16.17
    Darlene Moore said:

    It’s a general consensus . . . . . . . the cutest towel rack EVER!

    • 8.17.17
      Sarah said:

      Thanks Darlene!

  11. 8.16.17
    Jana said:

    Darling! What i really love about your DIY posts is that they are simple and don’t take days….all simplistic goodness!

    • 8.17.17
      Sarah said:

      Thanks Jana, I’m so glad you like my simple DIY projects! Easy for the win!

  12. 8.16.17
    Rhonda S. said:

    You made this shelf yours Sarah~looks like it was made for that spot too!

    • 8.17.17
      Sarah said:

      I agree Rhonda, it seems like that spot was just waiting on this shelf!

  13. 8.16.17
    sarah berner said:

    i am always amazed at the things you do. i love this towel bar. a beauty.

    • 8.17.17
      Sarah said:

      Thank you Sarah, you are too kind!

  14. 8.16.17
    Lorri Rauscher said:

    You are so creative…I love it…and so functional….. I always look foreward to yr posts.I think……
    what did that Sarah do now???? LOL!!!!

    • 8.17.17
      Sarah said:

      Ha! Love that Lorri, I’m always up to something! 🙂

  15. 8.16.17
    Lori G said:

    It was already wonderful and now it’s amazing!

    • 8.17.17
      Sarah said:

      Thank you Lori, I’m so happy with how it turned out!

  16. 8.16.17
    Lisa L said:

    I love it 😍!! You always have the cutest ideas with very unique pieces. Enjoy this email from u every day.

    • 8.17.17
      Sarah said:

      Aw thank you Lisa, I really appreciate that! 🙂

  17. 8.16.17
    Pam said:

    Oh this is darling!!!! You are so creative!!!!

    • 8.17.17
      Sarah said:

      Thank you so much! 🙂

  18. 8.17.17
    Hollie said:

    This is beautiful! What a GREAT idea!

    • 8.17.17
      Sarah said:

      Thanks Hollie!

    • 8.17.17
      Sarah said:

      Thanks so much Hollie!

  19. 8.17.17
    Susan said:

    I adore your little vintage shelf and towel hanger!! And yes, your blog is a happy place! May you have a blessed week!

    • 8.17.17
      Sarah said:

      Thank you Susan, I hope you’ve had a great week!

  20. 8.17.17
    Kimberly said:

    That’s fantastic, Sarah. You have skills! Very impressed.
    Kim

    • 8.17.17
      Sarah said:

      Thank you so much Kim!

  21. 11.7.17

    I saw this, and it really caught my eye. Not only does it have the perfect vintage look, it’s so unique! I love the fact that it can be used as both a towel bar and a storage shelf. Cutest DIY for a bathroom I’ve seen in awhile! Thanks so much for sharing! 🙂

  22. 2.28.18
    Theresa Wilson said:

    Love this adorable idea. Sweet girl you come up with the best little projects. I love watching what you come up with. I was looking at the bed and couldn’t see how you hung it on the wall. Could you tell me how you did that. I’m still learning DIY. Thank you Sara.

    Theresa

  23. 2.13.19
    Lynn said:

    I absolutely love it!
    Great job of adding to it.

  24. 3.29.19
    Cindy said:

    I love it cant wait till I get one bag also love it

  25. 4.3.19
    Paula Smalley said:

    How did you hang this piece up. I imagine it is pretty heavy.

  26. 10.3.19
    Sue said:

    Darling! I would probably use several hooks across the back instead of a bar, but looks great in the bathroom.

  27. 10.9.19
    Donna Hargis said:

    Luv your projects.

  28. 10.13.22
    Vicki said:

    What size bed frame is it? Did you cut it down to that size? So cute. I love it.