Is it time to replace your shower curtain? Before you do, there's something you need to salvage - the curtain hooks or rings!
These simple, functional, everyday items are surprisingly wonderful for lots of upcycling projects, both big and small.
Today we're sharing some of the best uses for shower curtain rings, including beautiful crafts and useful home organisation.
TOP TIP: Before attempting any of these DIYs, we'd recommend soaking the shower rings in a disinfectant. This will kill any bacteria left from the damp bathroom conditions.
Household organisation
1. Organise scarves, hats & belts in your wardrobe
Where exactly are you meant to store your hats, scarves, and belts? If you've got some extra hanging space in your wardrobe, attach some shower curtain rings or hooks to a hanger and use to hang all sorts of accessories.
You can even use this trick in entryway cupboards. Simply place the shower curtain hook straight onto the cupboard rail and use to store bags, skateboards and anything else that won't go on a hanger!
2. Make your shower storage more efficient
Shower curtain hooks with clips are perfect for hanging shower essentials. Just look at how Amanda from Home Talk did it! Get a tension rod (the same kind you'd use to hang an ordinary shower curtain), add shower curtain rings with clips and install it along the back wall of your bath or shower.
Clip any flat-ended, squeezy tube bottles to the curtain rings to keep things off the floor and sides. You won't even need to remove the bottles with each use - just squeeze some product out and wash away!
TOP TIP: Decant shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel into compatible, squeezy bottles so that they can be clipped up.
3. Kitchen uses for shower curtain hooks
Keep your surfaces clear and make use of all that vertical space! This trick also works wonderfully for mug storage.
4. Save your hair ties
Fed up of losing all your hair ties to the monster under the bed? Deanna from Shady Tree Diary has a brilliant idea! We wonder how we didn't think of it sooner.
If you've got a shower curtain ring with an opening, it'll make the perfect catch-all for your hair ties. Simply open the clasp and pop your bobbles on.
5. Keep your necklaces neat
No more untangling jewellery! Take a small rail - the kind you'd use for a hand towel - and add some shower curtain hooks for an easy jewellery organiser.
6. Garage storage for nuts & bolts
We love this clever trick by The Family Handyman. Keep all of your nuts and bolts in one place by stringing them onto a shower curtain ring. Just as they've done here, you could have a bundle for each type or size.
7. Give bath toys a home
Bath toys are tricky to store without ending up with a mouldy mess to clean up. Lynette from Cleverly Simple came up with the brilliant idea of attaching baskets to a tension rod with old shower curtain rings.
Take a tension rod and fit it along the length of your bath. Use shower curtain rings or hooks to hang plastic baskets off of the rail at an angle. The water will drain out, leaving the toys tidy and mould free! Just make sure the baskets have holes for adequate drainage.
TOP TIP: You can either place it low enough for kids to pull out their toys, or high up - out of sight for when you want to have a relaxing bath, without a rubber duck digging in your back!
8. Keep your craft station tidy
Just as with the nuts and bolts, organise your craft supplies by storing your bobbins on a shower curtain ring. Karen from Sew Many Ways shows us how bobbins are just the right rize for sliding on and off the rings with ease!
Crafts
9. Sleep easy with this mini dream catcher
Bad dreams begone! We could all do with a dream catcher near our bed every now and again, so why not make one with a shower curtain ring?
Use some string, beads, and feathers to make an intricate design.
Here's the basic method:
10. DIY some funky bracelets
Unless you've got some really big shower rings, this one is for the kids. See how Uncommon Designs turned old shower rings into fashionable bracelets with duck tape! You could also use beads, paint, glitter or ribbon.
Let your children have a go at coming up with some funky designs that they can wear with pride. The best part? It didn't cost you a penny!
11. Spread some festive cheer with mini wreaths
How SWEET is this idea? Just in time for the Christmas season, why not decorate your old shower rings with some green wool or ribbon to transform them into adorable mini wreaths? Add bells, pieces of tinsel, sparkly pipe cleaners and red bows for a really festive craft.
You can use them as tree ornaments, dollhouse decorations or even an extra touch to your gift wrapping!
Toys & games
12. Upgrade your garden games with a DIY ring toss
Looking for a fun game to play? Check out this craft from Darice to see how you can make a simple ring toss.
We think the wooden rings look just like shower curtain rings - get upcycling today!
13. Make some noise
Musical instruments don't have to be expensive! Make your own by attaching a few jingle bells to an old shower curtain ring.
Just be cautious of small objects and little mouths - always supervise younger children.
14. Learning made fun
We love this great DIY by And Next Comes L. Help children to practice their maths or their alphabet by drawing letters or numbers onto shower curtain rings. Ask them to arrange them to spell out words or sums on a leftover cardboard tube.
This tool will also help to improve dexterity, as children will have to order and arrange the rings onto the tube.
15. Put on your dancing shoes for this ribbon twirler
Make your own ribbon twirling rings at home. Take a couple of shower curtain rings and attach ribbons to fit your chosen colour scheme. You could do all one colour or make a rainbow! Cut all ribbons to be the same length.
Children will love dancing around with them!
Home decor
16. Throw a beautiful dinner party on the cheap
Napkin rings don't have to come with a hefty price tag! Turn your old shower rings into beautifully adorned napkin rings on the cheap. Why not try Celebrate & Decorate's floral version?
Here, Chloe Crabtree has stacked a few plastic shower rings together with some glue, covered with ribbon and decorated with a fake sunflower. It couldn't be easier.
17. Make an expensive looking fruit bowl
How brilliant is this?
Make yourself a unique looking fruit bowl just like Natalie Simpson from Recylart by glueing your shower rings together into a half-sphere structure.
18. Display artwork
How about trying this urban artwork display from Rustic Chic? If your shower curtain rings have small clips on them, you can attach artwork for an attractive display. It also doubles up as a drying rack - as long as the paint isn't too drippy!
19. Add some affordable drawer pulls
If you've got a DIY flair, add some drawer pulls with shower curtain rings - it's easier than you'd think. See how Woodshop Diaries did it for Home Talk.
20. Decorate with name discs
Always forgetting which towel is yours? Follow this DIY by Cathe Holden from Inspired Barn. Cathe has used some old curtain rings and turned them into name discs for her beach towels.
All Cathe used was a sharpie pen and a stamp set. Genius!
This would also be great for place names at a quirky wedding.
Have you thought of another brilliant use for shower curtain rings and hooks? Let us know in the comments below. We'd love to hear from you!
I crochet round the rings in green. Sew them together to form a pyramid shape. Add bells and bows and hang up for Christmas.
That sounds beautiful!
Excellent range of different uses to upcycle old shower curtain rings. Will be giving some a go as I have some new ones that I didn't use with a shower curtain. Thank you.
Good luck!
Hi how about hot glueing the rings one on top of each other til you make a cylinder, then hot glue a bottom to it, spray paint the whole thing gold and you have a beautiful little vase for real or fake flowers!
That's a lovely idea! Probably not very water-tight, but suitable for fake flowers or decor!