How can I salvage and make a support for my fabric drawers?
by
Cherylgrice
+6
Over the past 3-4 years, I've kept all sorts of things in my fabrice drawers (they have a cardboard bottom). The bottom tends to bow over time, and when I clean out the drawers, I simply turn over the cardboard. However, they're starting to bow out of the front as well, and they're getting a bit frayed. The steel frame doesn't have much support for the drawers...I'm wanting to find out if there is anything that anyone has done with drawers like these to help provide more support to the drawers? Other than this, they are fantastic and look great in my living room. TIA!
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Cut pieces of corrugated plastic sheeting (real estate For Sale signs are a good free source) the same size as the sides and bottoms. They may give the drawers the added support that they need.
If you are concerned about any words or lettering showing on the plastic pieces, you could always sew covers. They would need to be hand slipstitched on the fourth side after turning the 'pocket' right side out, but otherwise it is an easy sewing project.
I took a plastic drawer (the kind you get at Walmart) and covered the plastic with fabric. The plastic is much stronger then cardboard and when cleaning the inside it is easy and simple to just run a dish rag along the side.
Hello. Could you consider cutting up foam core poster boards and reline?
They can be found at the dollar store. I used foam core to line the wire racks in my closet. Soft clothing like sweaters were getting impressed with ridges.
Alternatively after moving one time - I cut up moving boxes covered with wallpaper and lined all of my bathroom drawers.
You might try cutting a large cardboard box into the appropriate sizes to reinforce the sides of what you now have. Glue them inside with a good adhesive such as E-600
Cutting a vinyl placemat to fit will reinforce the bottom. The cheapest ones tend to work best.
Hi Cheryl, I would cut new inners for the drawers using thick cardboard. You can cover them with a pretty fabric and glue them onto your existing bottoms
Sooner or later untreated cardboard is going to begin to smell, especially if it is enclosed in an area that has little air circulation. You might not want other items in the drawers to take on a malodour.
I agree with swapping out the cardboard for the corrugated plastic you can get from any hardware store.
All of these are nice ideas. But I don't think I explained my question well enough...I'm looking for some way to support the drawers that are already in place...they just have a wee 1/2 inch shelf (if that big) at each corner. So the drawers are mostly just collapsing onto the one under the other. I'd love to save these because 1. I like them and 2. replacing them with wooden drawers would be horribly expensive!