Bathtub Shelf DIY & Bathtub Pillow: 2 Essentials for a Spa-Like Experience at Home

Who is this Bathtub Shelf DIY & Easy Bathtub Pillow DIY for? All of us! We all need to be intentional about recharging those batteries. The bathtub is a good place for quality self care time.

This bathtub tray & soft bathtub pillow will take your regular bath experience to spa-like levels. Relax in the lap of luxury in your own house. With all your favorite bath time essentials in front of you and a soft luxurious bathtub pillow cradling your head you’ll be blissfully grateful you took this one on!

This bathtub shelf DIY is a fun one, and this bath pillow DIY is super quick and easy! You can make your bath pillow out of a cozy towel or a bath mat in less than 2 minutes. Here are all the details…

Bathtub Shelf DIY

Supplies for Bathtub Shelf DIY Project:

Wood Pieces to Cut for Bathtub Shelf DIY Project:

Cut Boards A & B to the width of the bathtub.
Use the remaining parts of Boards A & B to make the sides of the tray.
Cut the wooden dowel last to fit between the 2 sides in the front.

You can see this process below with pictures…

How to Add a Tablet Holder to Your DIY Bathtub Shelf:

Next you’ll want to Make a Tablet Holder on your DIY Bath Tray. You will use a wire brush drill bit to create a divet to hold your tablet. Bring your tablets with you so you can be sure you make your divet wide and deep enough to hold it securely. Check out the pictures of this part of the process:

How to Give your DIY Bathtub Tray a Rustic Finish:

Now that you’ve got all your pieces if you want the rustic look I created you can have a little more fun with that wire bristle drill bit. I used that along the edges to make it look more rustic. This part is all about how rugged you want your tray to look- there’s no right or wrong with this step! Sand any rough spots with a sanding block- splinters would not make for a luxurious bath;)

(Click here for more info on our grid glass shower!)

How to Assemble the Bath Tray:

Next is assembling the bath tray. I assembled my tray together with E6000 glue because I didn’t want any screws or brackets to scratch the tub. It is holding strong! I’ll update this & let you know if it ever comes apart. I used painters tape to hold it in place while the glue dried.

Be sure to let it cure for 72 hours before you remove the tape. Then find any areas that need more glue and apply more and then wait another 72 hours before moving or handling. My bathtub shelf was super strong and solid after this.

(Click here for info on this Painted Floor Tile!)

Finish Bathtub Tray with Oil/Stain/Seal:

Treat your tray with Fusion Hemp Oil– I’ve fallen in love with this step on all my wood projects. It instantly brings dry wood to life.

Stain your tray your desired color. I almost always use some mixture of Special Walnut, Antique White & Weathered Oak stains.

Seal it with polyurethane or furniture wax.

Now the fun part- put all the things that make you happy on your Bathtub Shelf…. sparkling water, hot coffee, a couple pieces of smooth chocolate, some candles, bath salts, soap, greenery, your tablet…. All the good smells, tastes, feels so everything you need to get the most joy out of your bath time is right at your fingertips.

Bathtub Pillow DIY

Materials for DIY Bathtub Pillow:

Your bath wouldn’t be next level luxurious without a soft pillow to rest your head on. You can “make” one out of a towel or a snuggly mini bath mat. Soft & luxurious bathmats are easy to find. There are the memory foam bathmats, the bathmats with plush shag-like texture (like I used) that are so soft & cozy. Plus– bathmats all made to stand up to vigorous machine washing. Bathmat shopping might be the best place to get the most luxurious bathtub pillow.

But there are plush bath towels out there too. Both a bath towel or the bathmat wash up easily in the washing machine after your bath. And can be attached again, ready & waiting for your next bath!

Bathtub Pillow DIY Tutorial:

Fold your towel or bathmat to the size pillow you want. “Sew” it together with 2-3 heavy duty fabric safety pins, like these. Attach the hooks of suction cup wreath holders to the safety pins on the each side of the pillow. Then attach the suction cups to your tub. Now you have a bathtub pillow that is clean, soft, and smells great, and stays in place. Plus this bathtub pillow is so easy, ANYONE can do it!