Handy nail polish carousel

Nail polish usually ends up tossed into the bottom of drawers or crammed into a make up bag. With this Nail Polish Carousel you can have all your colourful bottles within easy reach.

 

Two trays on the carousel provide enough space for sixteen bottles of nail polish, but if you need more than that you can increase the height and add an extra tray or two. 

We finished our Nail Polish Carousel with Rust-Oleum's satin French Lilac, but you can choose a colour that matches your room decor. Rust-Oleum products are available at your local Builders, and there are plenty of colour options to choose from.

YOU WILL NEED:

2 of circles of board or wood cut to 180mm diameter

1 of 12mm dowel cut to 200mm length

1 pine knob

2 steel washer - 12mm

Toothpicks

Ponal wood glue

Epoxy adhesive

Wood filler

35mm MAD or Forstner bit

4 bottle caps or feet

Rust-Oleum 2X satin spray paint in your choice of colour

TOOLS:

Drill / Driver plus assorted bits

12mm spade bit

Jigsaw and clean-cut blade

Orbital sander plus 180-grit sanding pads, or sandpaper

Quick clamp

Tape measure and pencil

HERE'S HOW:

1. Use a circular template to draw the circles. For this project we used a side plate that is 180mm in diameter.

2. Draw a second circle inside the first, to mark the location for drilling the individual polish holders.

3. Clamp the board to a workbench and cut out with a jigsaw.

4. Sand the cut edge with 180-grit sanding pads or sandpaper to ensure a smooth finish.

5. A 35mm MAD or Forstner bit is large enough for all our bottle sizes. 

6. Use a pencil and ruler to divide each circular board into eight segments. 

7. Firmly clamp the board to a workbench and drill out each holder, using the marks to guide you. Drill to a depth of 5mm. 

GOOD TO KNOW: If you will be finishing with spray paint, apply a thin layer of wood filler to the edges; let dry and then sand smooth. This will seal the edges and reduce the amount of spray paint needed.

8. Use a 12mm spade bit to drill a hole in the centre of both boards.

GOOD TO KNOW: Place one board on top of the other and clamp in place. After completing the first hole, switch the boards around. This will prevent chipping around the edges. 

9. Drill a 2mm hole in the bottom of the dowel. Insert the dowel through the bottom circle and push through a toothpick. Trim away the excess.

10. At this time you can attach the feet to the base. We used four plastic bottle caps for the feet and 13mm screws. Drive the screws through the caps first and then attach to the base. This will prevent the top of the caps from bulging.

11. Although a different glue is shown here, we recommend that you use epoxy glue for securing the base and added washer. Combine the epoxy and use a toothpick to apply to the centre around the dowel. While still wet, pop on a steel washer and apply epoxy glue to the centre of this as well. Once set, turn over and apply glue to around the base of the dowel.

12. This step is optional, but provides a nice finish for the holders. Pour Ponal wood glue into each holder and spread with a toothpick to cover the entire base. The glue will even out, cover up the holes and provide an even finish when left to dry on a level surface. After filling all the holders, leave overnight to dry.

GOOD TO KNOW: When securing the next tier it helps to have something to support the tray while you check the level and glue in place. We used some offcuts. 

13. Once again, epoxy glue was applied around the centre hole and dowel, and a washer and more epoxy glue added. 

14. After the epoxy adhesive had set, we turned the carousel upside down - placed on a couple of supports - to add more epoxy to the underside. 

15. Use the 12mm spade bit to drill a hole in a pine knob for finishing off the top of the dowel. 

16. Use epoxy adhesive to secure the knob firmly in place. 

Finishing

We chose to use Rust-Oleum 2X satin French Lilac for our Nail Polish Carousel. The carousel was placed on top of a support to allow for easy spraying all the way around. Two coats were applied, allowing for drying time between each coat. 

And there you have it... An easy way to store all your bottles of nail varnish easily and conveniently.