How to Change a Drawer Pull to Knob. 2 Holes to 1!!!

Cait Geddes
by Cait Geddes
3 Materials
15 Minutes
Easy

I love changing the hardware on my freshly painted furniture pieces to give them that extra "one-of-a-kind", custom look. New drawer knobs can completely transform a piece. Getting rid of dated brass pulls for new knobs can totally update a piece. Or changing black iron knobs, to crystal can take a piece from being overly masculine, to pretty and feminine.

Best wood filler!

Fill holes and fix scratches with Realinn wood filler kit that Amazon reviewers swear by!


Check out this accent table painted in House&Canvas Evergreen with House& Canvas Walnut Wax Top Coat. The whole look and style of the piece can change with a simple switch of knobs!

Switching out knobs is generally an easy task. Literally, you unscrew one knob and screw in the new ones. But what happens if your piece has pulls? I know you’re thinking, what's the difference between knobs and pulls?!?!


A knob has one single screw, where as a pull has two…Pulls can be just as easy to replace if you are lucky enough to find the identical size. The problem is that pulls come in different lengths, so finding exactly what you want, in the exact size can be challenging. I don’t even try anymore!!


I just drill new holes to make my life easier! It’s quite a simple process…


Here is a step by step guide to replacing drawer pulls, with drawer knobs, using this drawer as an example.


Step 1

  • Remove existing hardware


Step 2

  • Fill the existing screw holes with wood filler. My favourite is Elmer’s Carpenter’s Wood Filler in the squeeze tube (it doesn’t matter what color filler you get if you are painting your piece). I squeeze filler directly in the hole until it spills over. Then smooth it over with my finger. I find this filler take about 3 hours to try in my shop. But different environments cause different dry times


Step 3

  • Once the filler is dry, I use a 180 grit sandpaper to smooth it out.


Step 4

  • Apply another thin layer of wood filler, let it dry and sand smooth
  • I know – it’s annoying to do this process twice, but I promise you its the best way to get a a super smooth finish



Step 5

  • Measure where you want your new knob to go.
  • My trick is to put a piece of painters tape from the center of one hole to the center of the next. Then measure half way across the drawer front and use a sharpie to make a small dot



Step 6

  • Use your drill to drill a new hole.
  • I usually use a 1/4″ drill bit


Step 7

  • GIve your surface a quick sand to make sure it's smooth
  • Remove all dust
  • Paint your drawer


Step 8

  • To finish, install your new knob!


That's it! Super easy. Don't stress yourself finding a new pull that matches the exact distance of your previous pull! You can easily fill holes and drill new ones so you can have a fun, funky pull to match your personality and style! The gold one featured is from here!

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