There is nothing we love more than taking a worn-out vintage item and transforming it into something completely different. One of our favorite things to do is recycle old drawers. When it comes to DIY projects, they are one of the most useful items to start with. They are beneficial in so many different types of projects.
Hang a drawer up on the wall and you have an instant shelf. Place one out on in your garden and fill it with dirt and you have an instant raised flower bed. Once you start thinking outside the box, you’ll discover that there are all sorts of cool uses for drawers that you probably never realized. We’ve collected 35 of the best ones we could find to share with you today.
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Houzz
1. Bedroom Storage Box
This artist turned a dresser drawer into a beautiful storage box to set at the foot of her young child’s bed. It’s perfect for storing things like stuffed animals and additional blankets. Learn how they made it here.
Source:
Two It Yourself
2. Dog Bed
Make a beautiful bed for your dog or cat. This one comes complete with an umbrella for shade for when the pup wants to take a nap outdoors. However, the whole bed is portable and can easily be moved inside as well.
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DIY Showoff
3. Sandwich Station
This neat sandwich station was made from an old drawer and contains everything you need to get your kid’s lunch prepared in a minute or less. It’s perfect for when you are in a rush in the morning and trying to get everything ready for the day.
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Curbly
4. Mudroom Organizer
Keep all of your shoes and other mudroom items nice and organized instead of strewn about the floor. It’s a great idea. First, she painted the drawers, then sanded them down to give them a shabby-chic look.
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Douangphilia
5. Drawer Shelf
The artist added a few divider boards into the drawer to make sections for placing decorative items. The end result is something both unique and functional that everyone in the family can appreciate.
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Confessions of a Serial DIYer
6. Bathroom Mirror
It would be pretty simple to make one of these awesome bathroom mirrors. All you need to do is find a mirror that is the right size for the drawer. Either that or use a glass cutter to trim a bigger mirror down to the correct dimensions.
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Casa Decor & Reciclados
7. Slide-Out Storage
They converted a drawer into an awesome slide-out storage container for under the bed. The bottom has four wheels attached to swivels so it can be easily moved around. Check out the instructions for this simple project here.
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The Painted Home
8. Bookshelf
Multiple drawers can be easily stacked on top of one another to create a bookshelf. Just remove the hardware from the drawers and attach them together using wood glue. Use clamps to hold the drawers in place while the glue dries.
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Ulchville
9. Patio Side Tables
All you have to do to upcycle a drawer into a little side table is turn it on end and attach a couple of legs. If you would like, you can also add a piece of scrap wood into the center of the drawer to create additional shelving space.
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Hometalk
10. Silhouette Wall Art
This interesting wall art piece can also be used as a shelf if you need extra storage space. To make it, first, they laid down the black silhouettes using craft paint. Then they applied a healthy amount of stain and glaze on top.
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Salvaged Whimsy
11. Hanging Bathroom Cabinet
This homemade cabinet is suspended in front of the bathroom mirror using ropes. They attached them to the original drawer handle. It makes for a great way to keep your bathroom organized and clutter-free.
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The Bold Abode
12. Kitchen Storage
When you attach multiple small drawers to the same section of the wall, the end result is pretty much a work of art. They also make for an excellent place to store dishes. How you paint yours and space them is up to your own personal taste.
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Wunderweib
13. Mini Garden Planters
Drawers can be turned into fun little garden planters. As the paint fades from the weather over time, the drawers essentially become part of the landscape, blending right in. If necessary, they can also be moved around in and out of the sunlight.
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Queen B and Me
14. Belt Shelf
Belts are a really useful DIY item. If you attach one to a dresser drawer, you’ll instantly have an artsy-looking hanging shelf. The height of the shelf can also be easily changed just by adjusting the belt buckle.
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Design Rulz
15. Ottoman
You’ve probably never thought about turning a drawer into an ottoman, but that’s exactly what this artist did. The seat cushion is actually attached to a hinge that allows it to fold up and down so you can access the storage space underneath.
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Beyond the Picket Fence
16. Jewelry Organizer
They attached additional knobs to the drawer so that they could use it to hang up their various jewelry items. Necklaces and bracelets can hang off of the knobs on the front. Earrings and other pieces can be hung up on the hooks on the side.
Source:
How Do It
17. Bookcase Nightstand
If you just want a little place to store your books next to your bed, consider using an old shelf. You don’t need to change anything about it. Just stand it up on one end and you’ll be all set.
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Indulgy
18. Vintage Drawer Chest
The artist accumulated a collection of multiple different vintage drawers. Then fit them into a wooden frame like they were putting together a puzzle. The result is this beautiful standing chest with several compartments.
Source:
Naifandtastic
19. Porch Planters
These porch planters are so cute looking. The drawers were attached to table legs to make small raised flower beds. The bottom shelves can be used for additional potted plants. You can find more details here.
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My Love 2 Create
20. Clothes Hangers
Take the front part off of a drawer and attach it to the wall to make yourself some clothes hangers. Each drawer knobs works as a place for hanging up clothes and towels. Check out the instructions for this project here.
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Design Sponge
21. Coffee Table
Here we have a beautiful coffee table for two built out of vintage drawers. It would make for a really excellent wedding present. You have both a side for him and a side for her.
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Recyclart
22. Cat Tower
This is such a fun use for old drawers. Turn them into a tower for your cat to climb on. Each drawer represents a different level for your cat to relax on or use as a stepping stone to get to the top of the tower.
Source:
Design
23. Picture Frames
The box shape of the drawers can serve as natural picture frames without changing a thing. Set them up on the counter, or if you would like, you can also mount them to the wall to make them permanent fixtures in your home.
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HGTV
24. Dollhouse
Kids would have so much fun with a dollhouse like this. Its big and open interior makes it easy to set up whatever dolls and other figures they want to play with. What really makes it special though is the lovely artwork on the sides.
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The Thrifty Couple
25. Birdhouse
Can you imagine hanging one of these up in your backyard? We know we can. The teapot is the perfect place for a bird to make its nest while the drawer provides extra protection and shelter for them.
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Robins Nesting Place
26. Bulletin Board
Inlay some cork board into a drawer to create a fun framed bulletin board. Attach a piece of patterned fabric to it to make it even more beautiful. The bottom edge of the bulletin board can also be used as a shelf.
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Dump a Day
27. Self-Watering Planter
This isn’t the first drawer planter we’ve seen, but it is the first self-watering one. Contained in the inside of the drawers is a reservoir attached to a PVC pipe that allows the plants to suck up water whenever they are thirsty.
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Instructables
28. Magazine Rack
This is such a creative way of organizing magazines or kid’s books. It’s so much better than just letting them pile up on the coffee table or throwing them away after reading. That’s for sure! Learn how to make it here.
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Addison Meadows Lane
29. Cork Memo Board
This project is similar to the previous bulletin board project. The difference is that instead of using cork board, this one uses real corks from bottles of wine! The most difficult part about this DIY idea is accumulating all of the corks.
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Stylowi
30. Vintage Exit Sign
Believe it or not, this exit sign was actually crafted from an old drawer. The front part of the drawer was removed and repainted to give it its vintage look. Check out the step by step instructions here.
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Infarrantly Creative
31. Drink Tray
Drawers work great as drink trays for parties and special events. The sides make of the drawer make it super easy to walk around with without spilling anything. Find more details about this project here.
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Ella Claire Inspired
32. Drawer Basket
Next time you’re in need of a basket, instead of buying one from the store, just repurpose a drawer. The handle of this one is made from jute rope wrapped with twine. It turned out really nice.
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Salvaged Whimsy
33. Chalkboard
They repurposed a drawer from a desk, transforming it into this fabulous chalkboard. Essentially, it’s just a drawer coated with chalkboard paint. They also added hooks on the bottom for keys or other items.
Source:
My Repurposed Life
34. Wall Decorations
Transform a boring empty wall by attaching a drawer to it. A wall shelf like this makes for a great spot to place various wall decorations like floral arrangements and antique glassware. Get more info on how they did it here.
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Knick of Time
35. Standing Cabinet
It’s amazing what a creative mind can come up with. This drawer was converted into a beautiful standing cabinet. The front part of the cabinet door was made using chicken wire attached to an old frame.
Source:
My Repurposed Life
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