5 Ways To Use Those Anthropologie Knobs You Buy But Never Use

If you've ever been inside an Anthropologie store, you know just how irresistible their knobs are. They're basically a DIY dream come to life. You imagine all the fun projects you'll use them for and before you know it, you have a bunch of Anthropologie knobs sitting in a drawer somewhere, waiting to be used. But, what are you actually supposed to do with these knobs?

To assist you as you plan to use up your Anthropologie knob supply, we put out a call for designers and DIYers to offer their advice and suggestions. So if you're looking for a new quarantine project, this is the place for you.

Tina Huffman, a designer and home and garden blogger at Greenhouse Studio, offers the following instructions for creating such a piece:

• Buy a piece of wood — either lumber, reclaimed wood, or a thick piece of driftwood or Manzanita (you can get this on Etsy or at a craft or pet store). While shopping, pay attention to the depth of the wood versus your knobs' screw length. Then, either paint the wood, stain it, or leave it as is.
• Mark where you want your knobs to be on the wood and drill holes in those spots. Your drill bit should be the same size as the screw without including the threads (the ridges around the screw). Eyeball it by lining up the screw, side by side, with the drill bit. If they're the same size (minus threads), then you're good to go. Attach the knob to the front and screw through the back just like you would on a drawer.
• To mount on a wall, you can: 1. Tie a piece of craft twine on the wood — fabric or leather twine can be wrapped around the ends of a branch or attached to the back of a plank (like hanging a picture) — and hang from the center point. Or 2. Screw a couple of small hooks into the wall or use stick-on hooks and mount or hang the piece.

Jessica Russell, a furniture upcycling expert and owner of Local Laundry, recommends using Anthropologie knobs as curtain tie-backs. "Affix a knob to each wall where a curtain is drawn back," Russell tells Hunker. "A fancy ribbon or narrow piece of fabric will act as a tie to secure the gathered curtain before looping it over the knob. Oversized knobs? Eliminate the need to gather at all by simply pulling the curtain right back behind it."

Russell offers the following instructions for installing the knob in your wall:

• Given that most Anthropologie knob screws are at least 1.5" long and there is barely any weight to consider, a plug isn't necessary. Simply find a drill bit the same width as the knob screw.
• Mark where you'd like the knob to go on the wall, drill into that spot, and then screw the knob in place leaving about 2 centimeters of space between the knob and the wall so the curtain tie has something to loop around. That's it!

"Use a single knob on a medicine cabinet, the top drawer of a desk, or a stand-alone cabinet," Pamela O'Brien, principal designer at Pamela Hope Designs, tells Hunker. "Create a unique combination and do a small area like a butler's pantry, utility room, or linen cabinet with an artistic grouping of different knobs."

If you need to put the knob in a hole that's too big, fill the hole with wood putty, touch up the paint, and then drill a new hole that better fits the knob. If the hole is too small for the knob, simply use the right drill bit to make a new hole that's the correct size.

O'Brien recommends hiring a handyman or installer if your screws end up being too long for your intended piece — they can safely trim them.

"Install the knobs in your kitchen to hang pot holders and aprons," advises Caitlyn Davidian, an interior advisor at homeowner resource Home Life Digest. This can be especially useful if you have a small kitchen, providing you with stylish decor that is also functional.

"If you have a lot of them in different designs, make a mosaic!" Saul Cerni — a home decorator, remodeler, and the founder of HomeISD.com, a home improvement blog — tells Hunker. "It's a fun and unique wall art project."

To do so, first map out your design on the floor. Then, mark where you'd like each knob to go on your surface, drill the holes, and screw the knobs in. This can be done on a wall, piece of furniture, wood board, or other flat, blank surface you'd like to decorate.