Inside: Revive your kitchen cabinets, a nightstand, or dresser with these easy DIY leather handles. Made with leather from the craft store and simple hardware, these stylish handles lend a distressed, relaxed vibe to painted furniture.
If I had the ability to see into the future, I could have saved myself a lot of procrastination time on this DIY project. (Also, I would never have tried to pry wood pallets apart by hand, but that’s a DIY fail story for another day.)
You see, I had a vision. A DIY dream for a tired 50s nightstand I scored at a garage sale years ago.
I’d already updated it with a coat of light gray paint and a fresh stained top.
When I went to put the final touch on the project—reinstalling the chunky, plastic handles it came with—half of one broke off neatly in my palm.
At the time, I was irritated beyond belief. But it was DIY fate.
Turns out this frustrating little rehab project would make the perfect canvas to test out an idea I’d been flirting with: DIY leather handles.
Still, my perfectionist soul worried leather handles would prove too complicated to make. Surely it takes an artisan or skilled crafter to do a job like that. A novice like me would likely toil over them for weeks, shuttling back and forth from the craft store to restock on supplies after failing miserably.
I’m well-versed in procrastination when it comes to a project I’m unsure will go well. So, I put it off. The nightstand I intended to revamp with new leather pulls sat lonely and forlorn next to all the other yet-to-be-realized DIY projects in my basement.
I thought at some point in the not-so-distant future I’d give in and buy new leather handles. (Like these ones from Anthropologie for $18 a pop.)
But that pulled at my thrifty heartstrings. No way was I paying those prices.
The crafting spark hit. It was now or never. I went for it.
That’s when I realized…
Making your own DIY leather handles is silly easy.
How to Make Your Own DIY Leather Handles
You don’t need to hire a seer to look into the future for you. Whether you want to refresh your kitchen cabinets or an old dresser, leather handles are a seriously stylish upgrade.
They make me imagine a cozy English pub with dark wood paneling, wingback chairs and pint glasses brimming with beer. Or, an old western hotel with a buffalo mount hanging above the stucco fireplace. Whatever the vibe you want for your space, a little leather is a nice complement to both modern style furniture and vintage pieces.
What I’m getting at here is that they’re absolutely worth it.
Because making leather drawer pulls takes just minutes.
After gathering my supplies and sitting down on the couch with a huff, I had created a leather handle less than three minutes later.
I know you want to give it a try. So, here’s how to do it yourself…
What you’ll need to make DIY leather handles:
- Leather (I used this leather trim piece from Joanns. I chose a caramel leather color but other options include deep brown, black or beige)
- Leather hole puncher (I ordered this rotary leather punch from Amazon)
- X-acto knife (like this x-acto knife from Amazon)
- Hardware: machine screws, flat washers, split lock washers and hex nuts (I recommend reusing the hardware already on your furniture piece or cabinets. Since the original handles on my nightstand couldn’t be reused, I found some expensive-looking but super affordable gold hardware at Ace Hardware)
- Ruler
Step 1: Measure and cut
Use a ruler, or in my case, a purple protractor from eighth-grade geometry, to measure the length between the two holes in your drawer. As an FYI, mine measured 4½ inches.
Next, plan the correct measurement for your leather handle.
The handle needs to pucker out a bit. Otherwise, you won’t have anything to grab onto to open the drawer. So, you need to add some length to your measurement. I decided to add 1½ inches for a total of 6 inches. My expert reasoning? It seemed like a nice, even number. For the width, I decided on 1 inch.
Pro tip: If I had cut the leather at the exact distance between the holes on my drawer (4½ inches), it would have laid flat against the drawer. Besides looking silly, it would be impossible to open the drawer. Let’s not start our DIY project off that way.
Use an x-acto knife and your ruler to cut the leather to your specifications. A cutting mat or cutting board is a good idea.
Step 2: Mark the location of the holes
Take your newly cut leather piece and mark where the holes for the hardware need to go. Use a pen or make a little dent with your x-acto knife like I did.
Because I’m lazy, I eyeballed it. For a more accurate approach, place the leather piece on the drawer and mark the location of the holes.
Step 3: Punch holes in the leather
Now, we’re about to get fancy. Use the leather hole punch tool to punch a hole through your marks. If you don’t have a leather hole punch tool, a drill could work too.
Pro tip: I started with the smallest setting on the leather hole punch tool and worked my way up. After each punch, I checked to see if my screw fit through the hole. I went up to the third setting. You want it to fit snug, so using this approach will ensure you don’t make the hole too big.
Step 4: Put the DIY leather handles together
Now, the easy part.
Push your screws through the holes and assemble the hardware to fasten the leather handle to the drawer.
Here Are 5 Reasons Making Your Own DIY Leather Handles Is a Good Idea
Let me look into your future: You’re ready to make your own DIY leather handles. But if you need a push to not procrastinate like me, use these reasons to get moving.
1. Update your kitchen
Instantly add more personality to a rental kitchen by switching out the old handles for these DIY leather ones. The best part? No security deposit worries. Store away the old handles and put them back when you move out.
2. Show off your unique look
No one else will have these one-of-a-kind leather handles in their home because they’re handmade by you. Each one is unique.
3. DIY leather handles wear well
One great thing about leather is that it ages well. That coveted worn-in, distressed look will happen naturally over time.
4. The satisfaction of completing a project
Because opting for DIY rather than store-bought feels so good.
5. Get thrifty
Save money and be good to the planet too by using old leather belts to make these handles instead of buying a new piece of leather. Look for used leather belts at secondhand stores and thrift shops. There’s nothing better than thrift store finds!
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