That blank bathroom wall has been staring at you long enough, and these 25 DIY bathroom decor ideas give it something to say. You’ll find old favorites like a nautical rope mirror, a reclaimed wood branch shelf and a seed box display made from an antique sewing drawer, plus fresh projects for every surface in the room. There’s a modern board and batten wall, a round mirror made from a $3 thrift store basket (yes, really!), abstract landscape art for over the tub and a painted vanity that looks brand new. Even the counter gets a marbled clay ring dish. Perfect for weekend makeovers, renters who want personality and anyone tired of a builder-basic bath. Watching your spending? Hop over to these cheap bathroom decor ideas next.
1. Antique Sewing Turned Seedbox Bathroom Display
A lonely drawer from an antique sewing cabinet, picked up at a thrift store for $3, becomes a vintage “seed box” for the back of the toilet. The graphic is cut from scrap vinyl on a Silhouette, weeded into a stencil and filled in with a white paint pen. One coat is the move, so the oak grain peeks through like it has worn off over decades (it hasn’t, nobody has to know). A touch of aqua on the flower and a few hydrangeas finish it. Easily one of the cheapest DIY bathroom decor ideas on this list.
Get the full tutorial at oldewindmillfarm.
2. Mason Jar Bathroom Storage Accessories
A whole matching set of mason jars takes over the vanity here: a quart, two pints, an Elite half-pint and a 4 oz. quilted jelly jar. Each gets two coats of one step paint, then the raised lettering is distressed with 80 grit sandpaper so the words pop. Two coats of matte sealant help it stand up to a damp bathroom, which matters (craft paint is water soluble, so skip it). A flower frog lid turns one jar into a toothbrush holder and a lid converter kit makes a soap pump.
Get the full tutorial at masonjarcraftslove.
3. Toilet Paper Holder With Shelf
Toilet paper living in a basket on the floor is a problem this little shelf solves in an afternoon. An oil rubbed bronze holder is screwed to the underside of a roughly 10 inch piece of 1×6 scrap wood that has been stained and sealed, and two corner brackets hold it to the wall. Now there’s a landing spot for a small plant, an air freshener or your phone (no more phone in the toilet, you’re welcome). Tip worth stealing: pick decorative brackets, because they do show from some angles.
Get the full tutorial at diyshowoff.
4. Vintage Bathroom Rules Sign
Need a gentle reminder for the whole family to put the seat down? This vintage bathroom rules sign says it for you, from “Wash your hands” all the way to “Don’t forget to flush.” A wood sign blank from Hobby Lobby gets a Cricut cut design sized about 11 by 17 inches in Design Space, in permanent vinyl. The lettering is intricate, so a light pad makes weeding much easier. The tutorial uses a clever parchment paper method to line up the transfer tape before pressing it onto the blank.
Get the full tutorial at Aubree Originals.
5. DIY Bathroom Hallway Sign
Tired of giving guests directions like a game show host (“the bathroom is behind door number four”)? These hanging hallway signs fix that for a few dollars. Each one is a 97 cent wooden oval plaque from Walmart with a cup hook in the top, hung from a garden plant bracket above the door. The plaques get a cream base, dark brown edges and a light sand for an antiqued look, then vinyl words like Bath, Office and Laundry go on both sides so they read from either direction.
Get the full tutorial at mycottagecharm.
6. Over The Toilet Storage Shelves
Got a tiny water closet that swallows every spare roll of toilet paper? This one is only 3 feet wide by 5 feet deep, and it still fits three shelves above the toilet. Six IKEA EKBY VALTER brackets do the heavy lifting, and the shelves come from a single 8-inch board cut at Lowe’s into three 30-inch pieces. Here’s the clever part: each shelf gets wrapped in removable wallpaper, so the pattern peels right off when you want a change. KUGGIS bins keep the clutter hidden, and the whole thing goes up in an afternoon.
Get the full tutorial at Polished Habitat.
7. Homemade Potpourri For Your Bathroom
A dish of homemade potpourri makes a bathroom smell like fall and look pretty doing it. Thin slices of apples and oranges dry in a 250 degree oven for about an hour and a half (the thinner, the faster), then get tossed with cinnamon sticks, whole cloves and star anise. Let it all sit together for a day so the scents mingle. It keeps in a dish for a few months, and when it starts to fade, simmer it in 2 cups of water for one last fragrant hurrah.
Get the full tutorial at julieblanner.
8. DIY Antique Window Bathroom Cabinet
That wasted wall space above the toilet in a tiny bathroom is exactly where this cabinet lives. An old window becomes the door, so you get rustic wood and wavy antique glass up front with real storage behind it for cotton balls, swabs and spare soap. A coat of paint pulls it together, and it softens a bathroom full of gray cabinets, marble and crisp white walls. If you have an old window leaning in the garage waiting for its moment, this is the moment.
Get the full tutorial at lizmarieblog.
9. Reclaimed Wood Branch Bathroom Shelf
Two reclaimed fence panels, pressure washed and sanded, are stenciled with a sign graphic in black and joined with rustic hinges. Angled side planks and a top board are screwed on, then a thin tree branch slides through holes in the sides as the rod. In a bathroom it holds toilet paper and the branch makes rolls easy to swap (build it one plank wider and it fits two or three). Hang s-hooks on the branch and it works in a craft room too. Knots and odd grain are a feature here, not a flaw.
Get the full tutorial at funkyjunkinteriors.
10. Repurposed Window Bathroom Towel Rack
Free roadside windows are the best kind, and this one became a chippy, shabby towel rack for a master bath. It’s scrubbed with a wire brush and scraper, vacuumed and hosed off, then sealed with water based polycrylic (smart if the old paint could be lead based, and it keeps the chippy look without chips on the floor). Hooks go on the frame, three saw-tooth hangers and three 50 lb anchors hold it up and a few starfish tucked in the panes add a beachy touch. Leave the paint alone.
Get the full tutorial at housebyhoff.
11. DIY Bathroom Hooks
No towel hooks means towels draped over the toilet tank, and nobody wants that. This towel rack is about as simple as wood projects get: two boards of barn wood joined with cleats across the back, then a row of vintage style hooks screwed across the front. Two three-packs of hooks from Target give it six spots, so every towel and robe gets a home. Size it to your wall and pick hooks that match your style. It might be the fastest bathroom upgrade on this whole list.
Get the full tutorial at lizmarieblog.
12. DIY Clipped On Bathroom Mirror
Builder grade mirrors held up with those little metal clips look like they can’t be framed. They can, in five steps. Measure the mirror, cut baseboard trim at 45 degree angles, then mark where the clips sit and carve small recesses into the back of the trim with a utility knife and chisel. Paint or stain the backs too (the mirror reflects them, sneaky). Liquid Nails holds the frame on and painter’s tape keeps it put while it dries. A big change for a few dollars of trim.
Get the full tutorial at createandbabble.
13. Bathroom DIY Magazine Rack Tutorial
Magazines piling up on the toilet tank? This wall mounted rack gets them off the floor and looks built in. Strips of 1×2 pine are leveled and nailed straight to the wall for the sides, a 1×3 forms the bottom ledge and another board goes about 7 inches down from the top, set a bit higher than the inside piece so nothing slides out. Fill the nail holes, caulk the seams, prime and paint it the trim color. Built from leftover wood, it goes up in an afternoon.
Get the full tutorial at fourgenerationsoneroof.
14. DIY Butcher Block Vanity
An open vanity makes a small bathroom feel twice as big, and this one saves money too. The legs come from four newel posts cut apart and flipped so the post tops become the feet, with small anchor blocks glued and screwed in to hold the side boards. A leftover piece of butcher block from a kitchen remodel becomes the top. Construction adhesive on every joint keeps it solid. Measure the height twice before the top goes on (trimming legs after the fact is nobody’s idea of fun).
Get the full tutorial at beneathmyheart.
15. Wood Framed Bathroom Mirror Tutorial
A 60 inch builder mirror is a lot of plain glass, and replacing it is pricey. Framing it with 1x4s costs a fraction and looks custom. The boards get mitered at 45 degrees, measuring so the long edge of each board matches the mirror (60 inches across and 36 inches tall here), then joined with wood glue and staples into one frame. Most of the project is drying time, honestly. It’s one of the easiest DIY bathroom decor ideas for a big visual payoff.
Get the full tutorial at cherishedbliss.
16. Nautical Rope Mirror
Pottery Barn style rope mirrors without the Pottery Barn price. A mirror charger from the craft store (about $8) is glued to the middle of a foam board circle, then thick rope coils around it and gets hot glued down, about four rounds. Cut a slit by the mirror first, because a thinner unwound strand threads through it and wraps over the taped rope ends to hide them. Hang it from a rope loop on a dock cleat for the full seaside look, even if the nearest beach is hours away.
Get the full tutorial at thelilypadcottage.
17. DIY Pebble Bath Mat
A spa style river rock bath mat that sells for over fifty dollars comes together from a rubber welcome mat, four bags of river rocks and contact cement. Spread the glue, press the stones in and work from the center out. The hard part is resisting the urge to line everything up (mixed sizes and colors look more natural, so let it be a little messy). Give it a full 24 hours before anyone steps on it. It feels lovely under bare feet and the rocks turn glossy when wet.
Get the full tutorial at curbly.
18. Board and Batten Bathroom Wall
Want the most dramatic change a bathroom wall can get? This modern board and batten accent wall goes up to about 55 inches, taller than a typical chair rail, which keeps it from looking too farmhouse. Pre-primed MDF boards get nailed into the studs, verticals are spaced evenly, then every nail hole is spackled and every seam caulked. A moody teal satin enamel ties it together, and bold leaf wallpaper above makes it pop. A miter saw and nail gun do the heavy lifting.
Get the full tutorial at Delineate Your Dwelling.
19. Painted Bathroom Vanity Makeover
Is your vanity the thing dragging the whole bathroom down? This painted bathroom vanity makeover started life as a $40 dresser from the Restore with a marble top and drop-in sink. Old hardware holes get filled with wood filler (two coats if it sinks), then a soft charcoal paint goes on in two coats, a brush in the corners and a small roller on the drawer fronts. New silver pulls finish it. The tutorial also covers which paints and topcoats hold up to bathroom steam.
Get the full tutorial at Salvaged Inspirations.
20. Extra Long Custom Shower Curtain
Ever notice how a standard shower curtain makes a tiled-to-the-ceiling shower look short? This extra long custom shower curtain fixes that. You’ll need enough fabric to cover about 5 feet wide by 7 feet long, which accounts for the seams, plus a sewing machine with a buttonhole foot. Because a liner hangs inside the tub, any fabric you love can work. A bold hexagon print in navy and gray makes the whole bathroom feel taller and more high end.
Get the full tutorial at Lemon Thistle.
21. Thrift Basket Rattan Mirror
Those boho rattan mirrors are everywhere, and they are not cheap. This one starts as a round, shallow $3 thrift store basket. A 12 inch craft mirror floats about an inch above the bottom on two scraps of wood, all held with construction adhesive (and a stack of books while it dries, the most glamorous clamp there is). Wire wrapped around the back makes it ready to hang. It’s light, sweet and just right over a small bathroom sink.
Get the full tutorial at At Charlotte's House.
22. Abstract Landscape Canvas Art
Big art for over the tub can cost a fortune, so why not paint it? This abstract landscape canvas art is made for beginners. Acrylic paint is easier than oil, and starting with some of the colors you want to finish with keeps it from turning muddy. Pick a simple scene, outline it in one main color, then layer, layer, layer. A thin gold floater frame makes it look gallery ready. No painting experience required, which is the best part!
Get the full tutorial at Maison de Pax.
23. Marbled Clay Trinket Dishes
Where do your rings go when you wash your hands? These marbled clay trinket dishes give them a pretty home on the counter. Ropes of white and colored oven bake clay get twisted together (stop early for stripes, keep going for swirls), rolled flat and cut into circles around a bowl or jar. The circles get pressed into small oven safe bowls and baked at 275 degrees for about 15 minutes. A gold painted edge makes them look boutique.
Get the full tutorial at Oh So Lovely Blog.
24. Floral Wallpaper Bathroom
Nervous about hanging real wallpaper? This floral wallpaper bathroom was a first try too, and it turned a lime green bath into a jewel box. Pre-pasted paper gets misted and “booked” so it relaxes before it goes up, then smoothed from the center out and top to bottom. A smoothing tool is the one thing you shouldn’t skip, and checking for level often saves a lot of fixing. A small bathroom is the perfect place to learn.
Get the full tutorial at The Turquoise Home.
25. Dark Painted Bathroom Cabinets
Builder beige cabinets? These dark painted bathroom cabinets go from dated cream to a rich charcoal, no remodel needed. The tutorial uses mineral paint, which needs no primer for most surfaces, just a clean with mild soap. It dries fast, so the second coat goes on after about two hours and the whole job fits in under two days. Small sponge rollers keep it smooth. Add peel and stick tile and the room looks brand new.
Get the full tutorial at The Design Twins.
