Painting? Not this time. Follow these steps to create our paint-can towel-storage unit. To make a big visual impact, use various towel prints for a multicolored display, as seen here.

• Six new 1-gallon metal paint cans
• Seven No. 10 metal machine screws with blunt tips
• Seven small rubber washers and locking nuts
• Four No. 8x1-1/4-inch pointed pan head screws and zinc wallboard anchors

• Pliers
• Drill
• File or rotary tool
• Screwdriver
• Level
• Pencil

How to create the paint-can storage units:
1. Remove the handles from the paint cans with pliers. For the two center cans, drill holes where the handles were attached. For each of the four corner cans, drill a hole only at one handle site. Use a file or rotary tool to smooth sharp points.

2. Place a corner can, a center can, and another corner can in a row, lining up the drilled holes. Place a metal machine screw through the holes and secure with a rubber washer and locking nut. Repeat to make a second row of three cans.

3. On a flat surface, place the rows together to form a rectangle, with the open ends up. Drill holes through the insides of adjoining cans, just beneath the rims. Smooth as needed with the file or rotary tool. Fasten the rows together with metal machine screws, rubber washers, and nuts. Then turn the assembled unit upside down and drill a hole in the center of each of the four corner cans.

4. Position the paint-can storage unit in the desired spot on the wall and level it. Use a pencil to mark the wall through the four holes for easy drilling. Drill holes for screw anchors at the marks. Insert the screw anchors. Reposition the unit on the wall and use the pan head screws to mount it.

See a close-up of the storage unit.

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