Abstract: A length of flexible cord is arranged to support a pair of stop elements below a hanging loop. The stop elements are of a size and shape to pass individually through the hollow cylindrical core of a roll of paper towels or toilet tissues but, when suspended in side-by-side relation at the bottom of a vertically oriented roll, are collectively too large to pass through the core and thus serve to support the roll in vertical orientation. A hanging loop at the top of the roll can be suspended over any convenient means, such as a hook, doorknob or the like, so that the holder is easily portable to a location in which the towels or tissues will be used. A section of the cord hangs downward over the exterior of the roll and serves to keep the roll from unwinding by gravity, and also provides a source of resistance against which individual sheets may be torn from the roll. This outer cord element may hang by gravity or may be engaged with the stop elements and thus held snugly against the exterior of the roll.