Using leftover offcuts from another DIY project, I made a small stand to hold spare toilet paper.
Since I had the chance, instead of just nailing a box together I decided to try a wood joint called the “box joint” (known in Japanese as arare-gumi).
The result is simple, but the joints look clean and I’m really happy with how it turned out.
You don’t need any special materials — just some glued-laminated (edge-glued) offcuts from the home center. It’s also a nicely sized project for beginners who want to practice cutting box joints.
Let’s get into how I made it.
Materials and dimensions
The dimensions of the wood I used are shown below. Two long pieces and two short pieces form a rectangular frame, with a single bottom board fitted underneath.
- Edge-glued wood bar 40×20×300mm … 2 pcs (long sides)
- Edge-glued wood bar 40×20×170mm … 2 pcs (short sides)
- Edge-glued board (bottom) 170×300mm … 1 pc
- Wood glue
- Sandpaper (#400)
Here are the actual offcuts I used — leftover edge-glued panel I bought at the home center.
(Adjust the dimensions to match your own toilet paper rolls and the spot where you’ll place it.)
I held an actual roll of toilet paper against the wood to decide a size that would sit nicely.
Cutting the bars to size
First, measure with a steel rule and mark the cut lines.
Then cut along the marks with a circular saw.
A cut this small can be done with a regular hand saw, but using a circular saw together with a circular saw sled gives you clean, square cuts that are right on the dimension. It really improves the accuracy of the finished piece, so I recommend it.
I built my own circular saw sled in the article below, so take a look if you’re interested.
The bars are cut.
Cutting the box joints
With the bars ready, it’s time for the main event — cutting the box joints at the corners.
A box joint is a method where the ends of the boards or bars are notched into alternating fingers that interlock with each other. It doesn’t rely on nails or screws, it offers a large gluing surface so it’s strong, and the alternating finger pattern looks great too.
As shown in the photo, I offset the ends of the bars and marked the parts to be interlocked. The sections marked with an “×” are the parts to cut away.
I cut along the lines with a hand saw.
Then I cleaned up the notched sections with a chisel and a file.
But my skills weren’t quite up to it (ha!) and the joint didn’t fit perfectly at this stage… With a box joint, even a small error shows in the final fit, so it’s a bit of a delicate operation.
Dialing in the fit with a router
So, to sneak up on the exact dimension, I switched to a router. (You don’t have to use a router — you can get there with patient filing.)
I built my own router table in the article below. Clamping the work to a table lets you cut more safely and accurately than holding the router by hand.
That gave me a clean cut.
Now I tried docking the corners together.
This time they interlocked nicely. There’s something satisfying about the fingers slotting together perfectly.
Cutting the bottom board
With the bars assembled into a frame, I measured the bottom board to fit underneath. Taking the measurement after assembling the frame keeps the error down and gives a snug fit.
Just like the bars, I marked it and cut it with the circular saw.
I set it in place to check. The cut looks good.
Sanding and gluing for the finish
Before gluing, I smoothed the surfaces with #400 sandpaper. Lightly easing the edges as well makes it feel nicer in the hand and look cleaner.
Once it’s smooth, glue the parts together with wood glue. A box joint has a large gluing surface, so glue alone gives plenty of strength.
The glue-up is done.
This time I wanted to keep the natural texture of the wood, so I left it unfinished. If you prefer, applying oil or wax will change the look.
Finished — putting it to use
I set it up in the bathroom and placed some toilet paper on it.
What do you think? The natural wood texture and the box joint fingers add just the right accent to a simple little item.
Wrap-up
This time I made a toilet paper holder out of offcuts using a simple box joint.
Rather than just nailing a box together, adding the extra step of a box joint made for a really satisfying DIY.
The box joint is simple, but it works just as well for other small storage boxes and organizers, so I hope this gives you some ideas.
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