My guest bathroom was looking a little sad with nothing on the walls. I also desperately needed some storage. My solution: lets DIY some bathroom shelves!

I was really focused on adding something that would not only be functional for things like q-tips and cotton balls, but also would act as a decor-bridge between the white washed vanity and the dark fixtures.

I started by measuring about how tall and wide I wanted this thing to be. I grabbed some 1×4 scrap pieces from a previous project and cut them to the length I needed.

Next, I applied some wood glue to the joints and used the brad nail gun to secure the pieces together.

I let it dry for an hour or so then went back to give it some color. First I sanded all of the edges, with 60, then 150, then 220 grit sandpaper, and added a coat of gray stain to reflect on the white washed vanity. I only let the stain sit for about 10 minutes  before taking a big screw and gouging some of the pieces. I purposely tried to make it look really beat up.

At this point it was getting late, so I let the project sit over night and the next morning I came back with some espresso stain. I rubbed the dark stain over the gray along all of the edges and applied a nice thick glob into all of the scratches I’d put on the night before. When doing this, I only let the stain sit for about 30 seconds, then wipe off the excess with a clean cloth. My goal is to get the stain to settle into the deeper scratches, but not stain the entire piece.

Adding the darker stain helps the scratches stand out, and applying it to the edges gives new wood some depth that it otherwise wouldn’t have.

Next, I took a length of 1/2 inch jute rope and tied knots in the end. I used hot glue to secure the ends so it wouldn’t fray itself to death. And then I used 1 inch screws to secure the rope to the sides of the shelf.

I wouldn’t actually call the rope “secured,” the screws are there really just to give the rope something to hang on to.

I attached hooks to the back of the shelf and hung it in the bathroom. I didn’t actually hang the shelf by the rope. It’s basically just there for show. I put the cotton balls, q-tips, and bath bombs up there and called it a day!