Oatmeal Canister Bathroom Accessory

Its no secret that we all use toilet paper. Its also commonly known that most of us keep extra rolls of it in the bathroom. Just because were all aware of the toilet paper facts doesnt mean we want the extra rolls on display in the powder room. Many people store extra rolls under a cabinet, or in the bathroom closet, but you can easily make a canister that not only stores extra bathroom tissue but is a beautiful accessory as well.

A large oatmeal canister is all you need to make a lovely bathroom tissue container. The largest size will nicely hold two extra rolls of tissue. The type of oatmeal canister you need for this craft is the kind that has a lid which comes down over the sides of the canister itself. Remove the lid and youll be ready to get started. Choose the fabric that you want to use for the canister. Most any fabric is appropriate as long as it is thick enough - or dark enough - so that the oatmeal label doesnt shine through.

Decoupage adhesive is made for affixing fabric or paper to most any other object. Its found in craft stores and works perfectly for attaching fabrics of any sort to the oatmeal box. If you dont have this particular type of glue you can get by with ordinary white glue. Spread the glue all over the canister and wrap the fabric around it. The fabric should not be taken up all the way. Where the lid goes around the top of the canister, that area will be left as-is. When the lid is on the area will not be seen. Trim the fabric, in the back of the canister, if necessary. Use tape to hold the cloth in place until the glue is dry. Cut a round piece of fabric that will be attached to the top of the lid. Glue it in place and allow to dry completely. Choose a piece of wide ribbon to wrap around the sides of the lid. The ribbon can be tied into a bow or simply glued around the edge. Wrap ribbon, piping or other materials around the bottom to hide the raw edges of the fabric. Its not absolutely critical that you cover the oatmeal box in fabric. Decorative paper works just as well. The paper-covered canister can be embellished with glued-on plastic or wooden shapes, ribbon, fake jewels, rick-rack, lace, cloth ruffles and other craft supplies. You can create a theme for the canister, like fish or lighthouses, or you can just make it in a solid color that coordinates with your bathroom decor. Besides fabric or paper you can cover the canister in wallpaper scraps, adhesive shelf paper or even fake fur. As a matter of fact, you can even use an old plastic tablecloth or vinyl shower curtain to cover the canister. The plastic or vinyl covering means you can easily wipe the bathroom tissue canister clean. There are any number of things you can use to make a handle for the lid of the oatmeal canister. A drawer knob, shank button, bottle lid, jar lid, or even a certain type of bead could be used as a handle. Having a handle on the canister makes it much easier to open. If youd like the finished canister to be a little taller cover a second oatmeal canister in the same fabric or paper as the first one. This time, though, cover the canister and lid all with one piece. Glue this canister to the bottom of the first one. Glue ribbon to the bottom of this second canister to cover the raw edges. Do not put ribbon around the bottom of the first canister, as suggested above, but wrap one piece of ribbon around the area where both canisters are glued together. This arrangement makes the tissue holder much taller for easier access. Set the finished canister somewhere close to the commode for easy access to extra tissue. Its beautiful and handy at the same time. One of the decorative canisters, complete with bathroom tissue inside, makes a great housewarming gift. Its an inexpensive way to further decorate the bathroom while providing a way to beautiful way to hide the extra toilet paper.