If you are looking to modernize your kitchen, the cabinets need to be modernized too. Most older kitchen cabinets have knobs (one hole) to open them. Replacing these knobs with modern handles is a great way to change the appearance of your cabinets for next to nothing. The only issue is you now have a hole from the old knob in the cabinet.
You can buy cabinet hardware handles in bulk and save money. Just count how many cabinets you have including the cabinets that do not actually open like the ones under the kitchen sink. If your cabinets are wood with no handle or knob, then all you must do is drill through the wood using the template supplied with the handles.
If you are changing your kitchen cabinets from knobs to handles, then you need to drill 2 new holes and fill in the hole from the knob. You MAY be able to avoid drilling 2 holes and drill only 1 by using the existing knob hole. This should be possible so 1 screw will go through the hole the knob was using and into the new handle. Then you simply drill 1 more hole above it and secure the new handle to the cabinet. This may not work if the knob was on the very end of the cabinet. Do what you can to make the handles look nice without having to drill 2 new holes. If not possible, drill the 2 new holes and fill in the old hole with a wood dowel. See below for how…
An easy way to fill in a small hole in a kitchen cabinet or any type of wood is this:
- Get out your cordless drill.
- Drill out a 1/4″ inch hole in each of the holes that you need to hide.
- Use a 1/4″ inch diameter wood dowel of the same wood type. (usually will come in a length such as 1′ foot/12″ inches or so)
- Cut the dowel to the correct length to fill in the wood hole.
- Wood glue the dowel into the drilled hole.
- Sand the dowel flush with the cabinet. (to avoid sanding just cut the dowel and slide it in to be perfectly flush with the cabinet face)
- Match the wood stain of the existing cabinets or wood that is being repaired.
At this time, you may want to change the look of the kitchen cabinets and sand the cabinet doors to stain in a new wood color.
Your local home improvement store will have a huge variety of cabinet hardware to choose from…
Buy the hardware in bulk to save money!
Other ways to fill in wood holes…
– You can try using a wood filler product. This will put a putty like material into the hole but you will most likely need to paint the hole over or use furniture repair markers to make it match.
– Another way is to mix the sawdust from the same wood with a wood glue to make your own wood filler. You can match the grain and color if so inclined. This method may be difficult so practice on a scrap piece of wood before applying this to your kitchen cabinets.
How To Install Drawer and Cabinet Knobs or Pulls
Do you know of an easier method to fill small holes in wood cabinets? Please leave a comment below to help other readers with the same question.
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