Turn old drawers into cool shelves

Step 1

Remove the drawers from the unit and unscrew the handles. Sand back the drawers to remove the old paint – the amount of sanding you do depends on how rustic you want them to look.

Step 2

Paint the drawers the colour of your choice. Remember you must paint inside and out as you will be able to see all surfaces once the drawers are on the wall.

Step 3

Find a cool wallpaper design to go in the back. Cut your wallpaper to size and glue into the bottom of the drawers. Be precise here because if it doesn’t fit properly it will be really obvious.

Step 4

Mark out where you want your drawers to go on the wall, thinking about functionality (height etc) and design (symmetrical vs asymmetrical). Use a level.

Step 5

Mark out where you want your screws to go on the wall. Place a screw about every 300mm along the top and bottom of the shelf. You can use brackets to mount the shelves on the wall or just screw through the bottom of the drawer and into the wall.

Step 6

Drill your holes in the wall then drill holes in the drawers. Let your wallpaper get really dry before you drill the holes otherwise the paper could rip.

Remember, the shelves will potentially need to take a lot of weight so they need to be secure or they could be dangerous. If in doubt, seek the advice of a builder. If you are fixing to gib/plasterboard, make sure you are screwing into a stud in at least two points for each shelf and using anchoring wall toggles in other areas. If you are fixing to blocks, use anchoring plugs and long screws.

Step 7

Mount your shelves and screw in place. Double-check they are level and test for stability by adding small amounts of weight first before filling them.

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