Outdoor Hand Wash Station

Our wedding venue has been open for over six years. In the past, I have rented a outdoor hand wash station from the portable restroom company. Last fall I visited a sweet friend of mine at her wedding venue. Her wash station was a DIY project and it looked fabulous! Why should I rent one for $85.00 a month when I could build my own?

I began a hand wash station board on Pinterest. What wonderful Ideas I filled my board with! Then the search was on to find an old dresser that would be perfect for the space that was available. I looked at thrift stores and found one for $75.00, and loved it. $75.00 is a lot for an old dresser that will be used for an outdoor hand wash station though so I kept looking.

My son was working on an investment property at the time and found an old dresser that needed some TLC. Perfect it was not, however my husband can fix anything. I was so excited! We had our base for the station.

Follow along as I recap our experience of creating a diy outdoor hand wash station. Be brave and create your own fabulous piece.

Instructions:

– Find the dresser that will be your station

The base could be an old dresser that you have purchased, one that you have on hand, or maybe you just want to make the station base yourself. This is an important piece, because everything will be attached to it. Make sure the size is right for the area that it will reside in.

-Station make-over

The first thing we did was cut the base down to size. We removed the top, cut one dresser drawer totally off, and then replaced the top again. Two, 2 x 4 boards were added to the back as support for the tongue and grove cedar boards we added to hold the mirror and towel dispenser. The whole unit is 6 ft. tall; dresser is three and back is three. The top drawer bottom is removed and the rest of the drawers have holes cut in them for the pipes. We can take the drawers out to work on things if we need to. Also, you could just make the drawers stationary and have a big hole in the very back so you can get to things, depending on the stability of the base.

-Gather beautification supplies for outdoor hand wash station

You’ll need sandpaper, paint brushes and outdoor paint. I actually had everything on hand except the paint.  I chose the color Pebble Gray. Sand everything down; you don’t want your paint peeling off. I used a white wash on the cedar (use an old brush for this). I used half water and half paint for the wash. You can always paint it twice if it’s not dark enough. Oh, and guess what? When the restrooms were brought in the hand wash station matched perfectly, and I didn’t even plan it that way.

Post: The Potty House Predicament

-Sink

Again, I went to the thrift store to look. I could have bought a sink for about $5.00. Some were porcelain and others were just a hard plastic. While at my daughters I saw a sink in her flower bed. I asked how the flowers were doing in it.  “Horrible, it’s not deep enough and dries out to soon. Do you want it” she said? The rest is history. Use a clear adhesive calk under the sink to keep it in place, after you paint!

-Faucet

The faucet was a different story. I did purchase it from the hard ware store and it was around $90.00. I love it; it fits the decor very well.

-Gather plumbing supplies for outdoor hand wash station

My husband was the main guy for this step. Plumbing is his department.

You will need:

Hose clamps

Poly pipe fitting, this will transition sink drain pipe (gray in photo) to poly pipe (black in photo). All pipe and fittings are 1.25 inches.

Polly pipe (will connect to sink drain pipe for gray water to run out in)

½ inch swivel PVC pipe to hose connector (this will connect the garden hose to the faucet).

Shut off valve for hot water intake (we only use cold water).

– Mirror

I have several mirrors in my magic shed that are available to brides. Thinking one of the mirror selections would work to add to the station; I took photos and sent them to my adult daughters. I wanted their opinion on what would look good. Silence…that always means try again mom, lol!

The Farm Chicks vendor show just happened to be coming up the next weekend. This is a wonderful show full of great old décor items.  I decided to look there for something unique that would make the hand wash station shine. Three hours of great fun and I found the perfect mirror, daughter approved too.

-Soap dispenser and towel dispenser

You think finding a towel dispenser would be easy, not so. I looked high and low for just the right towel dispenser.  Wind was a consideration, plus size of towels and how to attach a dispenser. Goodness!! I looked at Michael’s, Hobby Lobby, thrift stores. Finally, I asked my husband to make me one. Ta-da! Perfection.

The soap dispenser, and soap were purchased at Bath & Body Works. They have the best selection, I think it’s lovely.

This project has several steps, but is very easy to put together. I don’t have to spend money on renting a hand wash station anymore and mine is way cuter. The first time the station was used, I had a guest comment on how attractive the restroom area was. She said the hand wash station design fit in perfect with the venue. She also mentioned having a Boy’s restroom and a Girl’s restroom designated, was wonderful. Most venues do not specify.

Have fun with this project! Let the creative juices flow. It will be a very unique wash station, one you can be proud of. After we were finished with this project, my husband said, “Why didn’t we do this sooner”? I just rolled my eyes.  He knew the answer.  Not enough time, we always run out of time.