Use Old Drawers To Create Under-Bed Storage That Keeps Clutter Out Of Sight

If you have a starter house or an older house, you may struggle with finding ways to maximize storage space in the small home. One area that's probably going unused is underneath the bed. Many products are available to create storage under the bed, but you may prefer to save some money and create a DIY solution. If so, consider repurposing old drawers from a dresser you no longer use or that you pick up at a garage sale and use them to store your items.

This is an efficient means of creating storage space that'll save you quite a bit of money over purchasing storage bins or purchasing an actual set of dressers from IKEA or Wayfair that will fit under the bed, taking the place of a dresser in a small bedroom. Such solutions can cost a couple of hundred dollars or more.

To use this hack successfully, start by measuring the space that you have available. A queen bed frame usually measures 62 to 65 inches by 82 to 85 inches, but you may have support posts from the frame that block some of the available space underneath. Measure the height of the space, which is usually 12 to 16 inches. Seek drawers that fit easily and occupy as much of the space as possible. You can mix and match drawer sizes as needed. If you only have taller drawers, consider making use of risers to raise the bed frame higher off the floor.

Once you have a set of drawers you know will fit under the bed, you can take a few extra steps to make this hack work as well as possible. First, make sure everything is tight and secure. Older drawers may have some loose edges that need re-gluing or securing in another way. You don't want to fill them up, only to have them fall apart when you try to pull them out from under the bed.

To ensure the full drawers are able to roll out quickly from underneath the bed, you may want to add casters to the bottom in all four corners. If the board in the bottom of the drawer is flimsy, you may need to glue scrap wood to each of the corners to provide a secure place to add the casters. Many casters have a load rating or weight limit per caster. You can find a four-pack of 40-pound load-rated casters at Home Depot for about $17.

If you don't want to pay for casters, especially in a DIY project where you are trying to save money for storage, or if adding casters makes the drawers too tall to fit under your bed, you don't have to use them. Only store lightweight items in the drawers, and you should be able to move them by dragging the drawers against a low-pile carpet or a hard floor. However, keep in mind this may damage hardwood floors over time.

Some older drawers may not look all that nice. They may have old paint on them, or they may have uneven staining. Although you could use a paint stripper to clean them up, you may just want to repaint them to make them fit in better with the design of your bedroom or to match the bed frame. You can even paint the interior of the drawers, if desired, to create a fully uniform look.

Some people choose to add stencils to the visible edges of the drawers as they sit underneath the bed. Such stencils can help you remember what is inside each drawer, or they can simply add a bit of a decorative element to the project. This may be an especially useful feature inside a child's room, helping them to sort the items properly. Perhaps you want to add drawer pulls to the front of them, giving them a fun decorative element while also making it easier to move them in and out from underneath the bed.

Finally, if you're worried about pet hair or dust bunnies congregating inside the drawers, fear not. While they sit underneath the bed, you could recycle the bottom panel in another old drawer and place it over the top of the open space. It can sit loose, or you can use a hinge to attach it to the back, creating a makeshift lid.