Skip Traditional Cabinet Knobs: Use A Copper Pipe For An Industrial Chic Upgrade

Cabinet hardware is a small but mighty way to show a little personality in the kitchen (and it's easy, too). A row of plain drawer fronts can look completely different with the right handles, and you don't have to limit yourself to what's in the hardware aisle, either. If you're looking for kitchen cabinet hardware ideas that are next level good, that leftover length of copper pipe might be the start of a set of custom drawer pulls.

All you have to do for these knobs is trim a copper pipe into the desired length and use copper U-clips to attach them to a small wooden drawer unit. The exposed tubing is perfect if you're craving an industrial look; it would also look right at home on matte black cabinets or against natural wood in a modern farmhouse kitchen. If you don't want to commit to the whole kitchen, you could try the DIY on something like a small kitchen island first or a tabletop wooden organizer.

To make your own, get some copper tubing, matching U-clips, a tubing cutter, a measuring tape, a pencil, a hammer, and a small nail to start the holes. A deburring tool is handy to help smooth the rough cut ends, so you don't accidentally scrape yourself. Use a scrap of thick felt to protect the copper (and the surface beneath) while you work.

Start by deciding how long you want each pull to be. Hold a piece of copper tubing against the drawer front and mark where the two supports should go, leaving enough room to slip your fingers behind the pipe so you can properly grab the handle. If you're making several pulls, use the first one as a template so they are all the same length. Cut the tubing with a pipe cutter, then smooth the edges with a deburring tool.

Slip the pipe beneath the copper U-Clips and gently hammer them into the cabinet, covering the clip with felt to protect the clip from the hammer. You can use the same idea to make smaller pulls — just cut a short piece of tubing and center it in a single screw-mounted support. If you're looking for other uses for copper pipe in your home decor, try mounting a longer pull on the side of a butcher-block island to hang a dish towel. They could also work great on the sides of a thick wooden cutting board to make moving it around a little easier.

Be warned that the copper may naturally develop a patina over time due to oxygen in the air. It may darken or take on a greenish tint, but it's totally harmless. Some people actually love the look for the character it adds. But if you'd rather keep your pulls bright and shiny, you can use a cut lemon with some table salt on top and rub it over the surface, wiping clean with water. If a little tarnish still lingers, follow the directions on a polish labeled for bare copper and watch that tarnish magically disappear.