This Genius Hack Will Help you Make Your Own Expensive-Looking Cabinet Drawer Pulls — For Less Than $10

These DIY drawer handles are an easy and budget-friendly way of making your cabinets look more stylish

An upcycled cabinet
(Image credit: Alyssa Calkins)

Drawer pulls may not be your number one priority when designing a room, but as the saying goes, 'there's no magic in magic, it's all in the details'. And details drawer pulls are, which is why we were so excited to find this hack for making your own set. 

Whether it's an IKEA hack or a furniture upcycle, by changing the handles you can completely overhaul your furniture without it costing the earth. 

The best projects are the ones which don't require many products, are easy to do and don't break the budget. This drawer pull hack ticks all three boxes whilst still allowing you to personalize the handles to suit your space. The best part - you can make six of them in just one hour and they are 'very easy' to make says Alyssa Calkins, who shared the hack on her Instagram. What's not to love?

What Do You Need To Make Your Own Drawer Pulls?

Drawer pulls on a cabinet

(Image credit: Alyssa Calkins)

Making these drawer pulls is super simple, requiring just a handful of products and your usual toolbox staples. For each drawer pull you'll need a wooden dowel rod, two copper T pipes, two 1.5 inch screws and some spray paint for the copper Ts. In terms of tools, all you'll need is a hammer, a screw gun, some sand paper and a wood sealant to keep your handles looking fresher for longer.

How To Make Your Own Drawer Pulls

The great thing about this hack is that the drawer handles are so easy to make — it's a perfect weekend project. Even if DIY is not your forté, we're pretty confident that you'll have no trouble putting these together.

Before you get going with constructing the pulls, you'll need to prep your materials. Start by spray painting the copper T pipes the color of your choice. Make sure you do this on a surface that you're happy to get paint on - a paper plate makes a great base. Then use the wood sealant on the dowel to give the pulls some long term protection.

Now for the putting together. Sand each end of the wooden dowel and then slide one end into a T pipe. Take your hammer and use it on the opposite end to push the dowel firmly into the T pipe until the wood is level with the edge. Once that's done, repeat the same steps for the other end. Your pulls are now ready to be fastened onto the drawers. 

Open your drawer and hold the handle in place where you'd like it to be on the outside of the drawer. Using the screw gun, drill the screw into the inside of the drawer and through the T pipe until it is firmly screwed into the wooden dowel. Once your screw is in place, repeat for the other end of the pull. Now stand back and marvel at your flashy new handles.

How To Personalize Your Drawer Pulls

Gold finishes not for you? Working with a room that has maple wood in it rather than oak? Not a problem - just look to 'customize the length and stain color of the wood and the paint color of the copper pipe,' says Alyssa. Lots of stores sell the dowels in varying lengths and in different stains such as oak, maple, walnut and mahogany. The copper T pipes can be spray painted whatever color works for you so play around with different finishes to make these drawer pulls really feel like your own. 

Create Your Own Drawer Pulls

Imogen Williams
Trainee writer

Imogen is a freelance writer and student on the Magazine Journalism master's degree at City, University of London following her Modern Languages degree at The University of Exeter. She has written for lifestyle and popular culture magazines as well as wellness and sports magazines. She has a long-standing interest in interior design and London architecture and is a firm believer in the power of bold wallpaper.