Give an old drawer new life. Turn it into a toolbox perfect for projects

Swapping out new dressers or cabinets in your home for something shiny and new is always exciting. However, you don't have to throw out the drawers from the old furniture. With just a little time and attention, you can easily turn an old drawer into a personalized and useful toolbox that will serve you well in your home projects.

A small drawer that once housed socks, utensils or trinkets makes an ideal base for a toolbox holding everything from hammers and nails to gardening gloves and gear. Paint the toolbox a vibrant color, and sand it down for a shabby-chic, vintage look. Adding an exterior wax will give the toolbox the durability it needs and protect it from scratches. You could also display your repurposed drawer on the patio and fill it with gardening tools.

Materials
-1 small drawer
-2 small wooden planks measuring 7 inches long by 1 inch wide
-T-square
-Large wooden dowel rod
-Pencil
-Handsaw
-Table clamp
-Protective gloves
-3/4 spade bit
-Painter’s tape
-Wood glue
-Tissue
-Home Decor Chalk in Imperial
-Protective paper
-Small glass bowl
-Round paint brush
-Plastic gloves
-Sanding block
-Cloth
-Home Decor wax

1. Set a small drawer on your work table.

2. Position two small wood planks upright within the drawer on opposite sides of the center. Each wood plank should measure 7 inches long by 1 inche wide.

3. Line up a large wooden dowel rod horizontally along the back of the wood planks. Place one end of the rod at the halfway point of the farthest wood plank, and make a pencil mark where the closest wood plank hits the dowel at the halfway point.

4. Secure the dowel to a work table with a table clamp, and use a hand saw to cut the dowel to size at the pencil marking. Wear protective gloves during this step.

5. Release the cut dowel rod from the clamp, and reposition it along the wooden planks horizontally. Make a pencil mark on each plank where the rod hits, as well as a mark on the rod ends to show how far each extends beyond the plank edges.

6. Measure the distance between the rod edge and the pencil mark, then wrap a piece of painter’s tape around the top of a ¾ spade bit to mark where drilling should end to match those measurements.

7. Measure 1 inch in from the end of each of the wooden planks, and mark the point in pencil.

8. Line the spade bit up with the pencil mark, and create a circular hole on one end of each wooden plank. This hole will be shallow and will not cut through the entire plank.

9. Place a spot of wood glue into each of the drilled shallow holes, and press the ends of the dowel into the glue on both sides, so the rod extends horizontally. Wipe away excess glue around the edges with a tissue.

10. Clamp the wooden planks and dowel rod together at the top with a table clamp until they are dry. This combination is now the handle of the toolbox.

11. Place a spot of wood glue on the bottom outside edge of each of the two wood planks, and press the planks into position within the center of the drawer keeping the dowel facing up.

12. Place the toolbox on a protective sheet of paper once the glue is completely dry.

13. Paint the entire surface of the toolbox using a round paint brush. Be sure to wear plastic gloves. We used a bright red Home Decor Chalk in Imperial.

14. Smooth the surfaces and edges of the toolbox using a sanding block to add a shabby chic touch.

15. Wipe the toolbox down with a clean cloth.

16. Apply a coat of Home Decor wax to the surface of the toolbox, wiping away excess with a clean cloth as you progress.

17. Use the final product as a functional toolbox, or display it on a patio filled with gardening tools.