They’ve always been necessary and practical, but now drawer pulls are coming into their own. A chest of drawers is a standard piece of furniture in a home, but they no longer have to look standard. Drawer pulls stand out as a prime location to add personality and flare to a room. Although you can buy them a myriad of shapes and colors, this DIY project goes even farther over the line, and takes the knobbiness out of this utilitarian fixture.
Making the drawer pull from leather, real or faux, can bring a country look to a home. In our tutorial, though, we chose a chest of drawers with a very modern pattern. The drawer pull serves as an intriguing contrast. The “leather” could also be patent leather, with high gloss on a high-gloss chest for a totally upscale look.
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Materials
- Cutting mat
- Square of tooling leather, finished full-grain cow hide, 1/16th of an inch thick
- Square of tooling leather, finished full-grain cow hide, a little thinner and lighter in color than the other piece
- Rotary cutter, 45MM, adjustable
- Metal ruler
- Fabric and leather adhesive; tutorial uses Bish’s original Tear Mender
- Craft stick
- Screw with decorative cap for each drawer pull
- Cutting mat
- Square of tooling leather, finished full-grain cow hide, 1/16th of an inch thick
- Square of tooling leather, finished full-grain cow hide, a little thinner and lighter in color than the other piece
- Rotary cutter, 45MM, adjustable
- Metal ruler
- Fabric and leather adhesive; tutorial uses Bish’s original Tear Mender
- Craft stick
- Screw with decorative cap for each drawer pull
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Instructions
1. Place the first leather square on the cutting mat.
2. Measure one inch from the edge.
3. Place the ruler on the leather, and adjust along the one-inch line above and below the square.
4. Cut a strip of leather 1 inch wide with the rotary cutter, using the ruler as a guide.
5. Carefully place the strip within a one-inch wide vertical grid.
6. Holding the edges carefully and using the ruler as a straight edge, cut on the diagonal of one of the small squares under the end of the strip.
7. Do the same with the other side, creating a pointed end.
8. Do the same with the other end of the strip, creating a second pointed end.
9. Put the second leather square on the cutting mat.
10. Put the first strip on top of the new square, and cut out a matching strip using the ruler and rotary cutter. Create the pointed ends as well.
11. On the inside of the darker strip, place some drops of adhesive (glue) at the pointed end.
12. Spread the adhesive with the craft stick, ensuring the adhesive reaches all edges.
13. Match the second strip onto the first, insides together at the pointed ends.
14. Lifting up from that point, cover the entire inside surface of the bottom strip with the adhesive, and spread it with the craft stick.
15. Press the two strips together.
16. Fold the now single strip lengthwise with the insides together. Match the sides, cutting off any areas that do not match. Reglue if necessary after cuts.
17. Place the two ends together, and slide the darker strip down about three-quarters of an inch.
18. Punch a hole through the two strips about three-quarters of an inch down from the top.
19. Place the capped screw through the hole with the grommet.
20. Push the screw through the corresponding hole on the drawer.
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21. Secure the washer on the other side.
22. Repeat steps 1 to 21 to create a matching drawer pull.