Super easy and cheap DIY macrame dresser drawer pulls

When I was working on my light cherry wood desk makeover, I tried out the same leather drawer pulls that I made for my wood bleached dresser makeover. The natural leather looked even more blush since the desk is so light and that’s when I decided to do something different.

You guys know that I’m on a macrame kick because I have all the supplies and it is all affordable. I’ve been wanting to come up with a cheap drawer pull DIY and I think I accomplished that with these macrame dresser drawer pulls.

Super easy and cheap DIY macrame dresser drawer pulls

I googled macrame drawer pulls and nothing like mine came up. I feel like this is one of those things that will get copied because they are just so easy and affordable to make. I had everything at hand and was even able to make the dresser drawer pulls out of scraps that I had left. Whenever I work on a macrame piece, I keep a big bag full of cut-off scraps which comes in handy for projects like this.

I’ve made so many macrame projects in the past year but I feel like my house doesn’t look like it is plastered full of macrame yarn. Do you agree?

Supplies needed for macrame dresser drawer pulls

• 4mm macrame yarn (you can use any thickness of macrame yarn, I used 4mm… the thicker the yarn the chunkier the handles)
• comb
• scissors
• clamp or tape
• large needle
• stiff hemp yarn or other cord
• fabric stiffener

(The reason I used hemp yarn is that it is tough and stiff and easy to thread through the wood holes of the wooden drawers but you can use any other yarn of your choosing. More macrame yarn would work too, you’d probably have to use a needle that fits through the drawer holes though.)

Instructions on how to make my cheap macrame drawer pulls

My photos are snapshots of the actual video. Make sure you watch it to see the entire process. Use the triangle on the image to turn on the video. If you are on a cellphone or other device, turn it horizontal for better viewing.

Step 1: Take a look at the distance of your drawer hardware holes or if you don’t have holes yet, figure out the distance you want them to be.

Step 2: Cut two pieces of yarn about 3-4 inches longer than the distance between the holes. These two will be your center strings.

Step 3: For the outside strings, cut two more pieces about 2 times longer than the first two pieces you cut. The reason for that is that the two center strings don’t get used for the actual knotting and the length remains the same

Step 4: Clamp the 4 strings together as shown about 1.5 to 2 inches in.

Step 5: Make rows of square knots to the desired length of your needed drawer pull. I’m showing in the above video how to make the square knots. Or you can check out my youtube video HERE about Square Knots and Spiral Knots.

Step 6: If you have reached the desired length, cut the ends to the same fringe length as the fringe of the starting point.

Step 7: Cut two pieces of hemp string and fold them in half to double them up.

Step 8: Thread the hemp string through the needle and poke the needle through the square knot strand about a knot and a half in as pictured. Then poke and thread it through again.

Step 9: Knot the hemp string tightly. This will prevent the macrame knots from opening and also keep the drawer pull securely in place on your piece of furniture.

Step 10: Open up the fringe, comb it and soak it with fabric stiffener spray. This part is very important because without the stiffener the fringe will flop down when added to your piece of furniture. It looks best when it is super stiff. Just like I showed you in my macrame fringe bracelet tutorial and macrame earrings tutorial.

Step 11: Let the fabric stiffener soaked fringe dry and repeat if it isn’t stiff enough yet.

Step 12: Comb the fringe again. Trim both sides to the same length when it is completely dried.

 

How to attach the macrame handles to your drawers

Below you can see what the macrame dresser drawer pull looks like from the side.

Thread the hemp cord through each hardware hole.

And attach the macrame dresser drawer pulls with a very tight knot on the inside of the drawer. Adjust the handle on the outside to make it straight and that’s it.

Check out my light cherry wood desk makeover for details on how I bleached and lime waxed it.

So if you want a cheap alternative to all the pricey hardware out there then you can try either the leather drawer pulls (at the end of the post) I made or these even cheaper macrame dresser drawer pulls.

Check out more of my macrame posts: