Underbed Storage
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So here's how these drawers came to be: as I was preparing for moving into my new apartment led me creating a list of things that I would need to buy for the space as well as things I wanted to create. Since my apartment was small and the amount of storage was sparse, I knew that I wanted to have underbed storage. I wanted to make drawers instead of buying the collapsable bags because 1) drawers are prettier, 2) they would hold up better, and 3) they are customizable.
I was inspired by this pin:
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| Source |
I loved the idea of an oil cloth lining for ease of cleaning and the extra pattern. I also loved the bright colors.
I cam across these drawers at a garage sale a few summers ago and I decided to buy them for a total of $2. I knew that even if it took me months to do this project I wouldn't be out much because a paid a whopping 40 cents per drawer. They are dirty but that wasn't anything a little soap and water couldn't fix. Surprisingly, I had these washed and painted right away.
What you'll need:
Paint your drawers. This will take a few coats of paint.
So much better already!
After your drawers are painted and dry, it is time to attach your wheels. I got mine for 80 cents a wheel at Harbor Freight. I really like them and they work great! I have been using the drawers like crazy and have had no issues!
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| Cameo appearance by Bo! |
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| Nice and grimy...probably not worth more than 40 cents. |
Drawers-thirfted or homemade--look for solid wood!
Oil cloth fabric
Oil cloth fabric
Paint
Wallpaper adhesive
Dresser knobs/spray paint
Caster wheels
Miscellaneous Supplies:
Screws and Screwdriver
Paint Brush
Wallpaper Brush/squeegee
Sandpaper
Start by vacuuming out any dust from the inside of the drawers. Then remove your handles. If they are dirty like mine were, wash them out with warm water and soap using a rag and scrub brush. I did this on a warm summer day so they dried quickly in the sunshine. I washed each drawer twice.
Next lightly sand each drawer using a medium grit sandpaper. According to my mom, by lightly sanding the drawer, you will remove some of the stain/varnish which will allow your paint to adhere better and ultimately look nicer when finished.
Start by vacuuming out any dust from the inside of the drawers. Then remove your handles. If they are dirty like mine were, wash them out with warm water and soap using a rag and scrub brush. I did this on a warm summer day so they dried quickly in the sunshine. I washed each drawer twice.
Next lightly sand each drawer using a medium grit sandpaper. According to my mom, by lightly sanding the drawer, you will remove some of the stain/varnish which will allow your paint to adhere better and ultimately look nicer when finished.
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| I wasn't worried about the bottom since I knew I was adding a liner to the bottom. |
I got my green paint from our local Habitat for Humanity store. I paid $5 for a gallon of paint that was at least 80% full. For quick little project like this, I would highly recommend looking into getting your paint from a resale store such as Habitat for Humanity. It's recycled paint from a previous owner-win. You are supporting a good cause-win. You are getting paint for wayyy cheap-win.
Win-win-win. Also a win: the teal paint was FREE from where I worked over the summer. :)
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| So pretty. |
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| Harbor Freight FTW |
Then add your hardware. I ended up buying some new knobs at Menards the day before I left for school. Since I was on a time crunch and there weren't any I saw that I liked for a low enough price or any that were the right color for the right price, I ended up getting some I liked in wrong colors and a can of spray paint. After a quick spray, my knobs look great! It was an easy fix. In time I might splurge for some clearance Anthropologie knobs but I was on a time crunch when I was working on these! Update: still using the original knobs.
The last step is to add your oil cloth fabric lining. I debated what would be the best way to do this. I was going to get a spray adhesive but my mom suggested using wallpaper glue. We had some in the garage because my mom has done countless home improvement projects for others.
How to adhere the oil cloth using wallpaper adhesive:
Using a paint brush, coat the bottom of your drawer with wallpaper glue.
Lay the fabric over the glue.
Using a wallpaper brush/squeegee flatten the fabric so that all excess glue comes out and no air bubbles remain.
With a damp rag, wipe away any of the excess glue.
Cut the oil cloth with a utility knife.
Sadly I had no pictures of this part! :(
How I am using my drawers:
Yarn storage
Food storage
Shoe storage
School supply storage in my drawers at home
I took the three blue ones with me to school and left the green ones at home. I honestly couldn't be happier. I have a ton of extra oil cloth because I ordered way too much but I hope I can find some other projects to use it on. I have a bunch of extra paint/spray paint left too even though I used leftover paints. Overall, I spent more on these drawers than a couple under the bed storage bags but I love them. The cost for making these was still incredibly low though! They are sturdier, prettier, and overall a higher quality. I have already got so much use out of them!
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