With the summer antiquing season upon us, I thought I'd share this fun project that might inspire you to take on a mini vintage rehab of your own. I often find pieces that are missing hardware like knobs or latches. When I spotted this pretty dresser it had ZERO knobs and the holes for the hardware were in bad shape! Patching the holes and re-drilling them was off the table because that would require painting the dresser, the patina on the wood was too good. I also knew that a shiny new knob would look silly... Enter rope pulls, keep reading for my steep by steep guid to createing rope pulls of your own.
At the Hardware Store
After you find your dresser your first stop should be the hardware store. When shopping for rope you’ll find that most stores have a variety of sizes, colors, and textures to choose from. I picked a 1/2-inch white nylon rope for this project because I like the fresh color and the slight sheen, but don’t be afraid to try a bolder color or texture.
What You’ll Need
- Rope (about 20 inches per handle)
- Spade bit the same width as your rope
- Painter’s or masking tape
- Ruler (not pictured)
- Scissors
- Drill (not pictured)
Prep Your Drawers
1. Remove the drawers from the chest, and unscrew the old hardware.
2. Using your spade bit, in each drawer enlarge the holes left by the original hardware until they are large enough to fit your rope through.
Tip: If the holes left by the hardware don’t fall in the right place, you can use wood putty to fill them in. Just keep in mind that the putty might not exactly match the existing finish and will require sanding, which might mar the finish or require painting to cover up.
Prep the Rope
3. Measure and cut a length of rope about 20 inches long. It’s a good idea to have plenty of extra rope so that you can tie your knots easily while leaving enough length to trim.
Tip: When working with your cut pieces of rope, wrap painter’s or masking tape around the ends to prevent fraying.
4. Thread the rope through the hole in the drawer, and tie a knot on each side about 4 inches apart.
5. Trim the ends to the desired length, leaving the interior tassels a bit shorter.
Finish the Knots
6. Gently fray the ends of the rope. Repeat the fraying process until all pulls are complete.
Tip: Because my rope was a little slick I used a dab of hot glue, tucked inside the knot, to keep my knot secure.
Revitalize the look of an old piece with a humble hardware-store staple. originally appeared in my Weekend Decorator Collmum on the One Kings Lane Style Blog
All Photos by MANU RODRIGUEZ