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Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Tool Time Tuesday...Recycled Drawer

Happy Tuesday everyone. Today's project is a quick change for an old kitchen drawer or any drawer really. We remodeled our kitchen 2 weeks ago, but before they threw things in the trash, I saved the drawer boxes.

Here's how they turned out...


A little paint, 2 handles and unused space under the work table is now storage for all my quilt magazines that I have saved over the years and just can't throw out. You never know when you might need a good quilt pattern!!

 I'm on the hunt for cheap caster wheels to make the drawers mobile, so I can pull them out easily. Wheels screwed underneath in each corner will work out great!!

Here's the before. I unscrewed the front facing, so this is just the wooden drawer box.


Here it is with 2 coats of black paint. Nothing fancy...I didn't even prime it. They really could have used 3 coats, but it's just for my sewing room.


Now to add my favorite handles.

Measure the width to find the center.


Then measure the height to find that center.


If you need one hole for a knob, just mark and drill. I needed 2 holes.


2 holes for a larger drawer pull.


If you have more than one drawer, make a template of the holes to make it easy to keep drilling.

Place a pieces of paper lined up with the edges and corners.


 Poke the holes through.


Now line up the edges and the corners on the next drawer and mark the holes.


Same spots on both drawers, but you only had to measure once.


Screw in the handles.


I stored them under my work table, but these would work great under a bed to store shoes or seasonal clothes.

A little message for Betty...your dad would be so proud of me for saving these!! Betty's dad built the kitchen almost 30 years ago.






This is the before picture of where I kept my magazines. My new drawers under the table holds these 3 shelves of magazines and books!!

New place for storage in this shelving unit!! I'll share when I take the pictures.



Look for old furniture in flea markets, yard sales or even in your basement. You might have drawers that you can transform too!!

Have a great Tuesday,
~Karen~

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17 comments:

  1. Love this idea! I have some drawers in the workshop from a dresser my Dad built when I was little that would be great for this!

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  2. What an amazing idea, I have loads of magazines which I would like to keep.

    Thank you for sharing.

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  3. You truly inspire me! I think your ideas are fantastic and this drawer idea tops it!

    Hugs,
    Jo

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  4. that's a great idea. how about these casters: http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=30256&site=ROCKLER

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  5. I can't wait to see your new kitchen!

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  6. Oh my. I loved it. I have a few of the drawers from our kitchen remodel too. think I will make them for books

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  7. You are just so organized, and always thinking of new ideas. Love the old drawers. Thanks for sharing. Blessings and smiles, Emilou :-)

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  8. I am thinking of where I could PUT these..maybe under my new long arm! :::cheesy grin::::

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  9. Wow! I am redoing my kitchen now and I may have some drawers left over. This would be GREAT for some extra storage under kids beds!

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  10. I have used wooden wine boxes and yes...put casters on for ease in moving them...one holds paper, labels and various card stock for the printer and the other holds books for the grands. I also have a drawer from a beautiful old desk that lost it's legs...I added picture hangers on the back and it is a shelf in the bathroom for mini books and "little" things.

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  11. Karen.....just great. We remodeled our kitchen during the holidays - don't ask- just check that little valve that connects your ice maker to the kitchen plumbing. I saved quite a few pieces from the old kitchen. A wall cabinet will become a kitty box home and feeding station on top.

    Best place I've found casters is IKEA. A 4-pack for $5.00.

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  12. Great idea. I might have to do this one day for all my magazines. My husband recycled the drawers from an old dresser to use for his DIY workbench.

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  13. I'm a huge fan of casters and have a couple of inexpensive ideas for you. The Container Store carries Self-Adhesive Instant Wheels. Don't let the self-adhesive put you off--those babies stick! They can hold 250lbs, and can be screwed into your project if you prefer. They run about $15.

    You might also want to consider using self-adhesive magic sliders. This would be a cheap solution, especially since you will only be sliding your drawers in and out. They can be found at the Container Store too, but I've see similar sliders at Lowe's, Home Depot and the like.

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  14. Brilliant! May I ask, in the last picture of the magazines in the shelves, I see that that particular drawer isn't full - how are you keeping the magazines upright? I enlarged the picture, but I still can't tell. Thanks!!

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  15. I have the perfect drawers to use for this idea.....once I get them out of storage, after re-construction! What a FAB idea! Thank you for your brilliant idea, and my emptied shelving unit will thank you, too, once I relocate all the magazines. Happy, happy!

    ~~Joanne

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  16. awesome idea!! Thanks so much for sharing :)

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  17. I have a couple of ideas for you. I have gotten wheels very inexpensively at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore. There are quite a few of their stores in my area. You can look them up online. I've also seen discarded cheap-o melamine microwave carts & such on the curb with wheels on them. Even if you don't want the cart, you can always repurpose the wheels.

    If you want to save $$ & not use wheels at all, think about mounting a strip of wood such as a 2 x 4 or whatever thickness you need to level the drawers out. You can cover the wood with felt which would allow it to slide easily on a smooth surface floor without scratching. Not such a hot idea if you have carpets.

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