Take your next furniture makeover to the next level with these ideas for updating furniture hardware and making your own DIY drawer pulls, plus my favorite places to buy replacement hardware and a clever trick for finding free hardware.
Choosing the right hardware for your furniture can make all the difference in how your finished pieces look.
And if you are painting furniture to sell, the right hardware can mean the difference between a piece that sells quickly and one that doesn’t sell at all.
Sometimes the furniture you’re painting has great vintage hardware that already looks fabulous.
But sometimes it has drawer pulls from the 1980s that just make the whole thing look outdated. And sometimes half the hardware is broken or completely missing.
When the original hardware just isn’t going to work for your furniture makeover, you have three choices.
- You can give the original hardware a new look.
- You can buy new hardware.
- You can make new DIY drawer pulls and knobs.
Today I’m sharing ideas for all three choices including tons of creative ways to update furniture hardware, gorgeous DIY drawer pulls, and my favorite sources for buying new hardware.
Choose your hardware first
I can’t start sharing all of these amazing furniture hardware ideas without a quick reminder not to leave your hardware decisions for the end of your project.
It is so easy to get caught up in a furniture makeover and start worrying about whether you need primer and what paint you should use and forget all about the hardware.
That can turn into a huge problem when you finish painting a gorgeous piece of furniture and then realize the holes for the original drawer pulls aren’t in the right spots!
This is actually a pretty common problem because vintage furniture drawer handles can be all kinds of random sizes and sometimes it’s hard to find new hardware that exactly fits the old hardware holes.
You can save yourself a lot of grief if you take a few minutes to figure out what type of hardware you want to use before painting your furniture.
That way if you do need to change the hardware placement, you can easily fill the old holes and drill new ones before painting.
25 Ways to Update Furniture Hardware
I've gathered 25 creative ideas for updating old furniture hardware or even making your own DIY drawer pulls. There are gorgeous ideas here for any style of furniture and they're all simple and inexpensive to make.
The gold hexagon handles on this IKEA hack really pop against the modern white finish.
These simple leather drawer pulls look amazing on this Ikea Moppe hack and they would also look beautiful on larger wood furniture.
I created these one-of-a-kind drawer pulls using old jewelry. It's a budget-friendly way to create drawer pulls that make a major statement.
Create your own copper and concrete door pulls with this step-by-step tutorial. They're the perfect DIY for an industrial chic look on your next furniture makeover.
One easy way to change up the look of your hardware is changing the color with metallic paint. It's an inexpensive way to give your hardware a completely different look!
You can also create a beautiful antique gold hardware finish using rub n' buff. It can be used on basically anything, even shoes!
Add a pop of color and unique look to built-in closet storage or any furniture with drawers. How fun this would be for a little girl’s room?
This post walks you through how to paint a dresser including how to update furniture hardware in five minutes with a super quick paint finish.
Learn how to make faux malachite knobs using a Sharpie permanent marker. This is such a clever idea and the results are gorgeous.
Vintage door knobs can look amazing on an old dresser. This post walks you through exactly how to convert old door knobs into drawer pulls.
Have you ever seen drawer pulls at a store that you really loved, but the price was outrageous? Kristi from Addicted 2 Decorating made her own tree branch drawer pulls after seeing some she loved online. And, they were basically free!
These beautiful faux marble drawer knobs are a major money saver and super simple to make using clay.
How stunning are these DIY selenite knobs, especially when paired with a gorgeous green cabinet?
It's hard to believe these gorgeous DIY bohemian style knobs took only 5 minutes to make. They were inspired by drawer knobs seen at Anthropologie.
Add nautical style to your furniture with DIY dock cleat and rope handles shown in this Ikea Tarva dresser hack. Such a creative idea!
There is nothing like a side by side before and after comparison of a DIY project. Just look at the difference in these cabinet handles updated with rub & buff!
Oversized drawer pulls can be very costly but you can create your own for cheap with this simple tutorial.
Macrame is back and better than ever! Add a boho vibe to a dresser with DIY macrame dresser drawer pulls.
Spray paint is one of the easiest ways to update furniture hardware. This is a great tutorial walking you through the simple steps.
You can restore dingy furniture hardware using common household supplies. It's a simple and inexpensive way to update hardware.
These DIY drawer pulls made from old rulers are so creative and unique. They really make a statement and add a cool vintage vibe.
These DIY clay furniture knobs are gorgeous and this tutorial shows you exactly how to make them for a fraction of the cost of store bought knobs.
Sometimes you want your drawer pulls to stand out, but Jen from Girl in the Garage wanted drawer pulls that wouldn’t compete with the stencil pattern on her dresser makeover. So she bought unfinished wooden knobs and painted them to blend in with the dresser.
One way to update hardware is to paint it the same color as the furniture piece. It creates a clean look and really makes the furniture details stand out.
If you are looking for a fun way to update a kids dresser, check out these DIY clay whale knobs. You can use this same technique to make all kinds of cool designs.
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Best Places to Buy Furniture Hardware
Sometimes there just isn’t a great DIY solution and you need to buy new hardware for your furniture redo.
Maybe you’re missing some of the original hardware or maybe you’re just looking for a completely different feel.
These are my top suggestions for finding the perfect furniture hardware. These stores are filled with amazing hardware choices whether you’re planning to completely replace the old hardware or looking for the perfect match to replace a missing pull.
- Secondhand Stores – When you are looking for vintage style hardware, sometimes your best best is to shop used. I’ve found great old drawer pulls and cabinet knobs at thrift stores, estate sales, and the Habitat for Humanity Restore as well as on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace. Of course, with this method you never know what or when you will find something great, but you can find amazing things for super cheap.
- Hobby Lobby – Hobby Lobby has a large selection of unique knobs and pulls and they go on sale regularly. Hobby Lobby definitely has the best selection of any physical stores I’ve been to if you prefer to shop in person rather than online.
- Amazon – Amazon has pretty much everything these days including tons of hardware options. You can find everything from bin pulls to long bar handles to vintage library pulls. And often, you can find large sets of hardware that are very inexpensive.
- Etsy – Etsy has a variety of unique furniture hardware including lots of vintage options as well as handmade leather and wood options.
- D. Lawless Hardware – D. Lawless carries a large selection of both modern and vintage-style hardware and their prices are super affordable.
- House of Antique Hardware – House of Antique Hardware has a huge selection of vintage and antique hardware. If you are looking for antique hardware in a very particular style and shape, this is probably your best bet.
- Van Dyke’s Restorers – Van Dyke’s Restorers also carries a wide range of vintage hardware styles as well as some more modern pieces.
How to Find Free Furniture Hardware
I have one last super unorthodox tip for finding great furniture hardware for super cheap or even free.
People often put busted up dressers and chests out with the trash or sell them for just a few dollars. And while the furniture itself may no longer be usable, the hardware is still just fine.
Even when the furniture isn’t salvageable, there’s no reason to throw away great hardware. You can easily remove the hardware and give it new life on a different piece of furniture.
Yes, it sounds a bit strange, but if you’re keeping usable items out of the landfill and finding great (free) vintage hardware for your furniture projects, I call it a win-win.
Now you know everything you need to find or make the perfect hardware for your next furniture project!
More furniture makeover posts I think you’ll like:
- 10 Tips for Painting Furniture Like a Pro
- The Best and Worst Sealers for Painted Furniture
- How to Paint a Dresser that will Last
Crystal Rockwell says
I love your idea on removing the hardware from furniture that isn’t salvageable! I am one who is never embarrassed to pull over to a curb find! I also remove buttons from clothing that is damaged or has a stain that I can’t remove… this trick has benefited me more times than you would think!