Thrifted Materials You Can Turn Into Unique Cabinet Hardware

When you're planning a kitchen or bathroom remodel, you'll notice that there are many different types of cabinet hardware, making it hard to choose what's right for you. The standard hardware that your cabinets may come with are generic, and in many cases, boring. Even as you stroll down the hardware aisle, you may never find something that truly speaks to you. Don't settle for plain Jane options when you can take thrifted materials like accessories, toys, and bathroom items and turn them into unique cabinet hardware.

Before diving deeper into the thrifted materials, it is important to gather your project supplies and do some proper cleaning and sanitizing. When DIYing your own cabinet hardware, you'll need to grab connector bolts, screws, simple cabinet pulls, a small drill, and super glue. The thrifted item you're working with may slightly alter the instructions on how to completely this project, but these are the basic items you need to get it done. Before getting things started, you need to clean and sanitize anything you get at the thrift store. You'll also want to use a varnish on your metal and toss any items that may have rust, mold, or other problems.

A genius way to reuse old jewelry to breathe new life into your tired home decor is to convert it into cabinet hardware. Head over to your local thrift store, go to the accessories section, and find a few pieces of costume jewelry or a couple of belts. If you go the jewelry route, you'll want to pick items that are large and flat like brooches, pendants, and bulky, round earrings. Make sure the accessories you pick are big enough to hide the cabinet pull you'll use as a base. Once you choose your options, it's time to get your project started by removing earring posts, attached loops on pendants, and the pin part on a brooch with a tin snipping tool. After removing these bits, grab your super glue and attach the item to your plain cabinet pull. Let it dry and attach it to your cabinets or drawers. 

Another unique hardware option is to use a belt. These accessories are not only great at keeping your clothes up, but also come with unique belt buckles, stones, and other bling. You can even take the belt itself and turn it into leather cabinet pulls. If you use the buckle, stones, or other bling, you can follow the same steps as the jewelry. If you want to use leather straps, you'll need to cut the belt into strips, then take a small drill bit and add two holes large enough to fit your screws. After this, you can attach it to your cabinet.

For an even more creative approach to this project, consider repurposing children's toys, either from the thrift store or from your own collection. A great tip to prevent your home from getting overrun by kids' toys is to declutter the pieces they no longer reach for, and turning them into cabinet pulls can offer a simple way to reduce your waste. Creating hardware from toys is a fun idea if you have children in your home or you're trying to add a more whimsical touch to your decor. If you're using a plastic toy, you'll likely be able to drill a screw through the middle of the toy to secure it directly to the cabinet. If the toy has a flat side, you'll can follow the same steps as the jewelry DIY and glue it on a flat cabinet pull.

Sometimes, you don't have to go far to find cabinet hardware. In fact, you might even find your next cabinet pull in your bathroom. Repurposing shower hooks, sink handles, and bathtub faucet handles is a great way to take advantage of what you already have or utilize items you see at the thrift that would otherwise only serve a single purpose. Decorative metal shower hooks can be cut down and glued to cabinet pulls to create a more consistent look in your bathroom, and old faucet handles can be attached to cabinets with a long screw. If you're willing to view things from a different perspective, you're sure to find plenty of items that can act as unique, stylish cabinet pulls.