DIY Network

Embellished Handles and Pulls Jazz up your furniture with fun hardware. From "B. Original" episode DBOR-402

Turn your hardware from drab to fab.

New hardware can give a quick facelift to cabinets or furniture, but can get expensive. You can save a bundle if you B. Original and give new life to the hardware you already have. Host Michele Beschen shows how to use beads, wire, pretty stones and other items to jazz up your hardware for a whole new look. You’ll even get an insider’s tip on how to hold those pesky little drawer pulls still while the glue dries.

Scroll down for Michele Beschen’s easy how-to, and start rehabbing your hardware today.

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	Figure A
	Figure B

Wire-Wrapped Handles

Materials:

drawer and/or cabinet handles
wire
beads
needle-nose pliers

Note: This technique works best on metal handles – the longer, the better.

• Choose a type of wire that complements the metal on the handle.

• String several beads on the wire.

• Start wrapping the wire at one end of the handle, beginning at the back. Wrap the wire tightly around the handle and keep the starting end of the wire tight against the back of the handle so it will be covered with the wire as you wrap (figure A).

• Wrap the wire around the handle, sliding beads into place on the wire as you go. Keep the beads to the front of the handle and the wire flat across the back.

• When you get to the other end of the handle, cut the wire and tuck the tail under the wrapped wire (figure B).

	Figure C
	Figure D

Jeweled Drawer Pulls

Materials:

plain metal knobs
glass gemstones
clear contact adhesive
rice or sand
bowl
seed beads

• Before beginning, fill a bowl with sand or uncooked rice. Stand the knobs or pulls up in the sand or rice to hold them still while the glue dries.

• When choosing knobs for this project, pick ones that are flat or even indented on the top. This will make the gemstones adhere better.

• Use clear contact adhesive to glue the gemstones to the knobs to create jeweled knobs or drawer pulls (figure C). If you try different adhesives, make sure they dry clear and have a strong hold.

• You can glue one big gem to each knob, or group smaller gems together. If desired, fill in the gaps between grouped gems with seed beads (figure D).
  
  
• Stand the knobs in rice or sand while the glue dries.

Rock Drawer Pulls

Materials:

2-part epoxy paste
disposable spatulas or craft sticks for mixing epoxy
container or plastic plate for mixing epoxy
rocks
machine screws with flat heads
nuts to fit screws
rice or sand
bowl

	Figure E
	Figure F

• Simple rocks make interesting drawer and cabinet pulls. Choose rocks that have a fairly flat side to make gluing easier.

• Fill the bowl with sand or uncooked rice.

• Mix up a small amount of 2-part epoxy paste according to the package instructions. Make sure you use different spatulas or craft sticks to scoop out the different components of the adhesive.

• Choose a flat-topped machine screw long enough to go through the thickness of the drawer or cabinet door.

• Spread a dime-sized glob of mixed epoxy paste on the flattest side of the rock and press the head of the machine screw firmly into the paste (figure E).

• Scrape away the excess (figure F) and let the piece dry completely. Install using the matching nut.

Other Easy Embellishments

Wooden handles and knobs are easy to embellish using paint, stain or a wood-burning tool (figure G). Or, drill through the knobs and attaching any sort of decoration you like, such as reflectors or beads. You can even create your own polymer clay designs and bake them right onto wood or metal knobs (figure H).

Figure G

Figure H