How To Give Your Cabinets A Stunning Makeover Using Jumbo Craft Sticks

Distinctive and unique furniture pieces are no longer the domain of individual craftsmen, poche antique markets, or high-end retailers. With new DIY furniture modifications and upcycling tutorials proliferating on the internet, there are plenty of ways you can create interesting and gorgeous furniture pieces from inexpensive or second-hand furniture and some ingenuity. Many genius DIY-ers are meeting the challenge, using a very inexpensive element to upcycle the ordinary into the extraordinary. By adding a herringbone pattern created from inexpensive wooden craft sticks to pieces, these DIY-ers can create an amazingly beautiful one-of-a-kind herringbone accented desks, bureaus, and sideboards that look much more expensive than they cost to create.

Craft sticks or popsicle sticks, available from most craft stores and Dollar Tree, are a great way to add texture and dimension to otherwise boring pieces of furniture or cabinetry. All you need is some wood glue, sanding materials, wood stain, and some poly water-based sealant, and you can create a beautiful herringbone pattern for a very budget-friendly price of less than $20 in materials. The result is a rattan-look piece that complements a variety of aesthetics, including Bohemian décor and Balinese style.

To prepare your surface, wash it thoroughly, removing any existing hardware. To create the look, begin by cutting off the rounded ends of the craft sticks. You can use simple wood glue to adhere the pieces in a herringbone pattern on the drawers of a dresser or desk, allowing them to extend beyond the drawer to be trimmed later (you can also measure and cut them to size before or sketch out your desired design.) Allow them to dry overnight, placing a sheet of parchment paper and some board to ensure the sticks dry completely flat. When dry, use a multi-tool or jig saw to cut away the excess pieces of wood down to the size of the drawer front. Sand them down by hand or with a sander, then apply your favorite wood stain.

Once your herringbone is complete, coat the entire pattern with wood filler, which will fill in the gaps between sticks for a more finished look. For protection, seal the entire thing, including the new herringbone drawers, with a poly water-based sealer. You can then finish off your piece by painting the rest of it (white and black are popular shades to accompany the herringbone), then add existing or new hardware. 

This DIY is the perfect way to augment a set of nightstands, a chest of drawers, and a gorgeous sideboard. The simple wooden sticks create a beautiful piece of furniture that looks like it has custom millwork all in the form of an extremely budget-friendly project. You can create an even more finished look by using additional sticks, molding, or other pieces of wood as trim around the popsicle herringbone. While many choose this as their pattern, you can also cut your sticks shorter for a woven look or assemble them side-by-side for a ribbed effect.

While many DIY-ers stain the herringbone pattern with a favorite wood stain to create the look of a stylish rattan piece, you can also paint your sticks after sanding them down in a single shade or multiple colors for a fun bold look. The approach works wonderfully on drawers and doors, but can also be used on the side and top of furniture pieces if properly sealed. You will need more sticks, but it also makes a great way to add visual interest to boring or ugly kitchen cabinetry or full-size doors.