Installing cabinet hardware can feel intimidating and overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be with this little tip! Use this quick little tool to install new cabinet pulls with precision and ease!
If you have been following along for any length of time, you know I've been slowly working on my kitchen. Ever since I moved into my home 4+ years ago, I have wanted to change a few things in the heart of my home.
Last winter I finally painted my cabinets white. Yay!! Happy dances all around.
And they sat there just like this, without hardware on the drawers for exactly 8 months now. #hangsheadinshame
Since then I've done quite a few DIY projects in here. I made some DIY farmhouse shelves, added reclaimed wood to the bar, and painted the walls Sea Salt. I still have a few more updates to make, like the sink and countertops, before I'm finished, but I'm waiting for some room in the budget for those.
In the meantime, while I wait for the next project, I thought I'd finish off those cabinets. You know, the ones I've been using for the past 8 months without drawer pulls.
And it wasn't like I didn't have the hardware or the tools…
I had them sitting right there on the counter, but I just wasn't quite ready to tackle the installation. I was kind of nervous about messing them up and ending up with wonky cabinet pulls in my kitchen. Nervous Nelly, that's me!
That was until I saw my friend Krista's post. It inspired me to take the bull by the horns and get 'er done (as they say around here)! Read her post for the full tutorial, but I'll show you what I did, too.
Before we dive into the semi-tutorial, I'll tell you what hardware I used. I kept the original knobs on the doors, so those were easy to reinstall. Sure, I could have changed them out, but they were fine. I liked them and didn't feel the need to spend extra money.
But I have loved and wanted cup pulls on the drawers forever, so I ordered these 3″ cup pulls. I knew I'd be changing them out, so I went ahead and filled the old hardware holes with putty when I painted the cabinets white.
How to Install New Cabinet Pulls
What you'll need:
- Thin piece of wood, cardboard, or paper for the template
- Cabinet hardware (I love these cup pulls.)
- Level
- Sharp object such as an awl, a pointed pen, or a sharp pencil
- Drill and drill bit
I grabbed a piece of cardboard from a large Amazon box (because I'm an Amazon Prime junkie) and cut it down to the height of the drawer fronts. Then I made it as wide as the smallest drawer.
I also found the middle of the cardboard so I could line it up in the middle of the wider drawers.
I figured out where the middle of the pulls was, then placed the screw holes on the cardboard. I pressed my pen through the holes and made a mark where the screws would go.
You can see that I marked the middle of the drawer, where the pulls should go, with some painter's tape. Then I made a mark in the middle of the cardboard and lined them up, as seen in the photo above.
(Don't mind the crumbs on the floor. No time for cleaning when I'm on a mission!)
I did tape the pulls up on this one drawer before I drilled anything, to make sure I liked the spacing! They aren't centered over the doors below, but they are centered on the drawer.
Now that I knew exactly where to put the pulls, I grabbed my drill and bits. Make sure to pick the right size bit for your screws. I like the holes to be just a bit bigger than the screw in this case. It makes putting the pulls on the drawers so much easier!
Just drill through the wood where you made your marks.
There's a LOT of measuring involved, and you definitely want to measure twice and drill once. My advice is to take things slow. Don't rush it and you won't make a mistake. Hopefully.
And now we can open the drawers with ease! Yay!!
I love how they complete the look of the new white cabinets!
And no more worrying about chipping or scratching the new paint job by opening the cabinets from underneath.
OK, now I have a question for you. I have two more cup pulls that I haven't installed yet. I'm torn about whether I should or not, so I'm hoping you can help me decide.
Should I put them on the faux drawer in front of the sink? I plan to replace the sink with a farmhouse sink someday, so that drawer will be done then. But until then, do you think it needs hardware?
What do you think?! Let me know in the comments!
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