Industrial Style Organizers

6 Materials
$20
2 Hours
Easy

Who says plastic storage drawers have to look as cheap as they cost? Try this DIY to take your affordable storage to the next level!

Start with picking up some of these plastic storage drawer units and removing the clear drawers. These can be any size configuration of your choice. Sometimes Dollar Tree has them, but I couldn't find any, so I purchased 2 of these on Amazon.

Once drawers are removed, you will want to spray paint the front and sides of the frames. Theres no need to do the entire frame as most of it will be covered up later.

Take some superglue and apply to opposing sides of the frame. I also used clamps for 30 minutes or so to keep the drawers stable until the glue dried completely.

Next we are going to create a frame. Depending on the size of your drawers, cut some wood to fit around the perimeter. You can use MDF, plywood or any other wood scraps you have lying around.

Use wood glue to attach all 4 sides and clamp together until dry.

Use some wood putty to fill in any gaps or holes and sand your frame. Finally use your favorite stain to finish off the frame.

To add more stability, I also applied more super glue to the bottom of the plastic before placing inside the wood frame. This will keep it from moving around while you're using the drawers.

The last step is to finish off the plastic drawers. I found these cute brass drawer pulls on Amazon. I used a screwdriver to twist the screws into the plastic. Another option is to attach with superglue if you prefer. Add the drawers back in and you're all set!

I'm using these in my office for various supplies (paperclips, post its, rubber bands, etc) but the options for these are endless!

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  1 question
  • DJ DJ on Jun 03, 2021

    Curious....what is the collective cost of materials for this project?

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  • Knowitall Knowitall on Jun 09, 2022

    it will have a more finished look if you put shoemolding or 1/4 round in front.

  • Annette Annette on May 30, 2023

    Great idea! The wooden frame also helps to support and keep the mini drawer units from moving every time you pull a drawer out!...I have two larger units that I like and this might be the best way to stack them without having the plastic warp from the weight....Usually the top of the bottom set would cave in and cause difficulty in opening or closing those drawers. But if both sets were "Framed in wood" they would be stronger and easier to stack....Thanks for the idea!


    • Beth Beth on May 31, 2023

      And Maybe a color closer to the color of the wood, possibly Oil Rubbed Bronze.

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