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    Home » Repurposed Furniture » Repurposed Drawers Wall Cabinet

    Repurposed Drawers Wall Cabinet

    Published by Gail | Published April 27, 2020 | Updated April 27, 2020
    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    How to make a wall cabinet out of repurposed drawers. Use one drawer vertically, cut the other drawer down to size and voila! You have an awesome display cabinet with a drawer. Directions for you to make something similar! Repurpose those drawers you have hanging around. #MyRepurposedLife #repurposed #furniture #drawers #cabinet #homedecor via @repurposedlife

    I love our DIY Blogger Challenge. Especially this month because it’s “upcycle”. So, I have this repurposed drawers wall cabinet to share with you. When I showed it to cousin Terry, she said “Now that’s original”. After doing this junkin’ thing all these years, it’s hard to come up with something totally new that nobody has done before. I think I did that with this wall cabinet made from repurposed drawers!

    Be sure to check out the other fabulous upcycles from my blogger friends at the end of this post.

     

    Repurposed Drawers Wall Cabinet

    small cabinet made from two drawers MyRepurposedLife

    Can you see the two drawers?

    Save & Share on Pinterest!

     

    Repurposed Drawers

    upcycled drawers project-wall cabinet

    These two drawers were part of a huge hutch I got from Cousin Terry’s son. I’ve already made a lot of projects from bits and pieces of it.

    so many projects from one hutch

    Top of the hutch: Door Chalk Board, Doors for Ikea Hutch, Photo Display Wall Shelf

    Bottom of the hutch: Saw Stand, Craft Station

    Although the drawers are not shown, you can see that there were three drawers that haven’t been used yet. This is their time to shine!

     

    upcycle two drawers for one wall cabinet project

    Here are the drawers as I start to design how I want my wall cabinet to come together.

    *this post contains affiliate links, read more here*

     

    Measure, Mark, Cut Drawer Down to Size

    mark drawer before cutting

    After removing the hardware (drawer slides) I use my combination square to measure and mark the drawer on all sides.

     

    use circular saw to cut drawer down to size

    The small battery powered circular saw was perfect to cut the drawer down to size.

     

    small drawer in large drawer to make wall cabinet

    At this point I was so excited with my genius idea. But there was still work to be done!

    Shelf For Drawer

    wood scrap pile

    Don’t you love it when you find the perfect piece of scrap wood for your project?

     

    trim scrap board to size on saws

    I cut the board to size using the table saw and the compound miter saw.

     

    testing fit of drawer and shelf

    It’s just how I imagined it would be. This is the dry fit.

     

    repair drawer with wood glue

    But, first I will need to make a few repairs to the drawer. Gorilla Wood Glue, quick clamps and my nail gun definitely made this step quick and easy.

     

    add drawer back to smaller drawer

    The same method was used to use the original wood to close in the back of the small (cut to size) drawer of the wall cabinet.

    Add Drawer Glides

    add wood scraps to act as drawer guides

    Small scraps of wood were cut to size to make the drawer guides that would be needed to keep the drawer in place. Again, I used wood glue and a nail gun to tack them in place.

    Paint Repurposed Drawers Wall Cabinet

    lightly sand repurposed drawer wall cabinet

    I lightly sanded the drawer fronts with the orbital sander.

     

    messy work table

    I sure can make a mess with even a small project! If you look closely, you will see the magazine image that was the inspiration for this repurposed drawer wall cabinet. It’s on the far right of the page. As soon as I saw it, I knew that I had the perfect junk in my stash to “sort of” recreate it.

     

    chalky paint primer

    For smaller projects, I like to store latex wall paint in smaller containers like this creamer container. I love how easy it is to pour out small portions when needed, instead of grabbing a paint can opener, paint brush (drips) and hammer to close the can. Before I poured the paint in the cup, I made a mixture of water and plaster of paris so I could make my own DIY chalky paint primer .

     

    apply paint repurposed drawer wall cabinet

    The drawer was removed and everything got a quick coat of the flat primer I made.

     

    Patch Holes with Drywall Mud

    drywall mud to patch wood project

    When the paint dried, I used drywall mud to patch the bad spots that were showing through the paint.

     

    sanding block removes drywall patching

    Sandpaper wrapped around a scrap piece of wood is helpful to use as a sanding block.

    Spray Paint Cabinet Drawer Knob

    spray paint a cabinet knob

    I looked in my stash for a nice handle/knob to use. But there wasn’t anything that struck my fancy. So, I decided to spray paint the white knob. A small twig was used to hold the knob while painting—I stuck it in a flower pot of dirt to let it dry well. Then I placed it on the small drawer I made for the wall cabinet.

     

    rasp trims tight drawer

    After a few light coats of paint, the drawer didn’t slide in and out easily. So I used the rasp to remove some of the bottom of the drawer. Now it works great!

     

    repurposed drawers wall cabinet

    Then I hung it on the fence to take a look at it, and decided it needed a shelf!

    Additional Shelf

    small craft wood scraps for shelf

    I used scrap wood to make a shelf, and painted it to match.

     

    white wall cabinet made from repurposed drawers MyRepurposedLife

    Small wooden cleats were glued and tacked in place to hold the small shelf.

    Small Wall Cabinet Made From Repurposed Drawers

    how to make a repurposed drawers wall cabinet MyRepurposedLife

    It looks great hanging on the fence, so can you imagine how nice it will look in someone’s home? Remember to think outside the box. When you see something you like, ask yourself “what can I use to make that?”

    Now, be sure to check out the upcycled projects from my friends below.

     

    Addicted 2 DIY Outdoor Section INTO Adirondack Chair

    The Awesome Orange Lobster Wall Art

    At Charlotte's House Painted Globe Makeover

     

    It's so much fun to give something a new purpose and a second chance in life! What have you upcycled lately?

    gail

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    1. jordari

      July 01, 2020 at 4:59 pm

      This is fanastic! I've been visiting your blog on and off for years, and am SO impressed by your vision and ingenuity. The problem is, now all I want to do is MAKE something - yet the laundry and dishes and other mundane tasks still remain. I will say that you inspired me: I needed a small stand for my microwave (to replace the giant dark brown one from the 70's that simply gathers dust and papers), and found one on CL. Was going to simply repaint it, then decided to strip the top and stain it dark for a more finished and sophisticated look. After DAYS of trying to strip, first with organic stripper, then chemical - I finally got hold of a quality belt sander and - oh, my, what a difference having the correc tools makes! It's like cooking with decent knives after only having dull ones that hack away. I am now hooked on power tools and plotting my next project.t

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        July 02, 2020 at 3:37 pm

        I'm soooo excited for you! Your enthusiasm inspires ME! Sometimes, when I feel the need to be creative--I leave the mundane chores for another time. Of course it's easier for me since they only "person" that counts on me is Lulu Mae (the schnoodle) 🙂

        Please keep me posted about your next project!

        gail

    2. Jen

      May 10, 2020 at 5:24 pm

      Hi Gail! I'm a new subscriber and very impressed by all your projects. I'm ready to start one of my own. I've looked all over the internet & Pinterest and can't find any projects to repurpose a bunk bed staircase with drawers. It's too big to go through the door so I decided not to sell it & instead either repurpose it or take it apart & use the wood. Do you have any suggestions? I'm at a loss. Thanks!!

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        May 11, 2020 at 12:04 pm

        Jen,

        First let me welcome you to my little corner of the internet! We always have room for one more friend! Honestly, I had to google to see what you're talking about.
        Since I'm not sure which type of bunkbed you have, I'll just start by saying I would begin by dismantling the piece. It sounds like you have so many components that can be repurposed!

        Do you need any kind of daybed? I would use either the top or the bottom and turn it into something more feminine with ruffles and pillows! I have repurposed sooooo many drawers, check out this post: https://www.myrepurposedlife.com/25-repurposed-drawer-ideas/

        If you want to get more ideas, feel free to reach out to me via email with photos of your bunkbed!

        Until then, stay safe, have fun!
        gail

    3. phyllis

      April 30, 2020 at 12:41 pm

      Sadly, this post will not Pin for me.

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        May 01, 2020 at 9:03 am

        Thanks for letting me know Phyllis. It is working now. My blog gal changed out a plug-in over the weekend. Perhaps that was the issue.

        I appreciate that you pin my projects!!!

        gail

    4. Xochitl Moya

      April 30, 2020 at 12:13 am

      I love your projects! <3 I'm still trying to master the DYI chalk paint but no luck yet! Thank you for keeping me busy during this crazy time, much love to you!

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        May 01, 2020 at 9:06 am

        Thank you so much!

        Don't give up on the chalky paint! It's soooo worth figuring out. 🙂

        Plaster of Paris, a little water, stir well. Then pour in a little latex paint. I've never used this with acrylic paints. Latex wall paint is what I use.

        good luck!
        xo
        gail

    5. girlfromwva

      April 29, 2020 at 9:47 pm

      thanks so much for the reply Gail. i will be checking them out. most of my power tools are ryobi.

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        May 01, 2020 at 9:07 am

        I'm here if you need any tips!

        gail

    6. Carol Whewell

      April 29, 2020 at 3:56 pm

      Excellent idea and inspiration! Looks great!

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        April 29, 2020 at 7:45 pm

        Thank you Carol. Some of it was quite challenging, but well worth it in the end.

        take care,
        gail

    7. Jennie

      April 27, 2020 at 9:54 pm

      This I love! What a great idea. I’ve been in isolation because of my health for 47 days. I can’t wait to go out. Now I needs some drawers. Or maybe finish designing the cabinets between 2 built in bookcases. I need some storage in this tiny, downsized house. Hope you and your family is safe.

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        April 29, 2020 at 12:03 pm

        Jennie,

        I'm not in total isolation. I still go for walks, keeping social distance. I go out for essentials when necessary. I'm mostly anxious to go camping! Three of my reservations have been cancelled.
        Stay safe!

        gail

    8. girlfromwva

      April 27, 2020 at 11:25 am

      so cool! what kind of small nailer/tack gun would u recommend for somone doing projects like this?

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        April 27, 2020 at 6:44 pm

        Thank you Nova!

        I would definitely recommend the Ryobi Air Strike, or some other electric or battery operated nailer. I do NOT like using (dragging around) a compressor. You know I use mine a lot for many applications. The nails very in length. It's known as a "brad" nailer. Meaning the gauge of the nail is small, unlike a framing nail gun.

        gail

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    Hi, there! I’m Gail Wilson, the author and mastermind behind My Repurposed Life. I’m obsessed with finding potential in unexpected places and believe that with a little hard work and imagination, any old thing can be made useful again—myself included! I hope you’ll enjoy the journey and pick up a few tools along the way… literally!

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