I get to work with DIY people all of the time. Some make their own items by re-purposing something or putting together accessory parts. One of the more interesting ones I’ve heard is using cabinet knobs and cabinet pulls in ways—ones unusual to us. In this article, I will highlight a few ways you can repurpose hardware for additional uses.
Serving Trays
Of the large variety of uses hardware can have, the one I like the most is a serving tray. I’ve seen people make wood trays and add cabinet pulls to each end. They usually through bolt them on wood with the supplied screws. If your tray is over 3/4″ thick, then you may need longer screws. Since serving trays usually sit down on flat surfaces, the screw heads on the back may be an issue. You can countersink them into the wood or add some bumpers that are thicker than the screw head to the base. Another option is to glue the pulls to a piece of tile. The best glue for this purpose would be Gorilla two part epoxy, as it will bond just about any type of material to any other material. You’d definitely want to use bumpers on the bottom, as tiles are usually rough on the back.
Fun and Funky Boards
Additionally, I know of some really cool ways that hardware can function as wall decor. Something an old coworker did was mount some knobs to a board they painted to use as a dog leash holder. You could do the same thing for coats. I’ve seen pulls used as tie holders, scarf holders, and towel holders. If you have a lot of jewelry and need an organizer, I’ve seen pulls used to hang earnings and other accessories. You could use a knob to drape a bracelet or necklace over, as well.
Ideas and More
Some of the more interesting uses are as handles on mason jars or a knob on top of a container lid to be able to open it easier. In those two cases, you’d want to glue them into place. Something really neat is to glue a cork stopper to the bottom of a knob and use it as a decorative stopper on a jar, bottle, or decanter. The most clever thing I’ve seen is using a cup pull upside down and mounting it to a chalk board to hold chalk. I’m sure you can come up with even more ideas.
Have additional questions or ideas on repurposing hardware for other projects? Don’t hesitate to contact us.
