Drawer Liner: Inexpensive Ways To Beautify Drawers

How To Apply Drawer Liner. An Easy DIY Tutorial

Are you obsessed with organizing and making everything pretty like me? Perhaps you happen to like pretty things that are affordable.  If yes to these, then you will enjoy this easy tutorial! Let’s see how easy is to line any drawer, using a drawer liner, before you start organizing.

What Types Of Paper Is Better For Lining Your Drawers?

There are several papers out there that you can use to line your drawers. However, I prefer to go with the most inexpensive method. Below, I will show you a few different liners to easily beautify any drawer in the house. The big benefits of drawer liners are that they keep your drawer safe. I mostly use self-adhesive liners, which can come off easily if needed. 

You can also use “Mod Podge” to line your drawers, but it becomes a little difficult if you need to change it out. It’s not impossible however, just hard to replace. 

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Let’s start the tutorial, shall we? 

Required Tools/Supplies

There only a few tools you are going to need for this: 

• A drawer liner of your choice
• Mod Podge
• A foam brush
• A plastic putty knife, or any old credit card

Here are the steps I took while lining all my drawers:

Step 1: Cleaning Before Applying A Drawer Liner

Clean your drawer’s surface so there won’t be any gunk left. I use baby wipes, as they are easy to use, and leave a really good smell behind.

On the other hand, you can use a liquid cleaner. However, then you have to let the drawer dry completely before you place your liner paper in it.   

Step 2: Cut Your Template And Drawer Liner

If you are going for multiple drawers at once, it’s easiest if you cut a template. It will not only save you time in the long run but, will also make the process very quick for you. The other thing is if you are lining your drawers with adhesive contact paper, then it’s hard to adjust. Here is what I did: I used some backing from the wallpaper I used in the laundry room. I saved that backing to cut my pattern for different things, or to use in crafts with the kids. Once I got my template ready with the exact measurement, the next step was to place that piece on the actual liner you are going to use and cut them for all the drawers at once. My dresser had 6 drawers, so I cut all the six drawers. It speeds up the process. 

This is how you cut your template: Put one edge of the paper against the drawer on one side and the other edge against the other side. Once it is lined neatly, take a knife and place a light mark around the extra paper. Cut the paper to the desired size using scissors or a knife.  

Use any paper for the template. You can use paper grocery bags if you have them around the house. Once you have the template, place it over the liner, and go ahead and cut them all.

Step 3: Place Your Liner 

Now, since your drawer is clean and ready to go, peel off the contact paper from the one corner and place it securely in that corner. You never want to peel off way too much of backing at once as it can become a sticky mess for you. Next, line the longest edge of the drawer. It just makes sense to place one side neatly. After that, you should be good for the rest of the drawer.  

Use that little handy plastic putty to smooth it out. It will get rid of any wrinkles and make it look nice and smooth.

Then, use a sharp knife and cut whatever extra paper is along the edges, if there is any. It will make your sides look nice and clean.   

Other DIY Projects You Might Be Interested In:

• How to transform and old lampshade using a liner

• DIY Center Piece

A Drawer Liner Using Mod Podge

This is my favorite method. It’s a little tedious, but at the same time, it’s the most useful method. You can use Mod Podge with anything. For instance, you can use gift wrapping paper as your drawer liner. You can also use fabric, scrap paper, or any other type of liner while using Mod Podge to place it.

The steps are pretty much the same as the method above. Cut your template first to make your life easy. Once you are ready to place it, use glossy or matte Mod Podge. It’s a personal choice. I purchase Mod Podge from Walmart in the craft section or Amazon. 

Pro tip: If your drawers have different shapes, like curved or so, just place your drawer over the paper and trace it. 

Keep in mind that the liner is just going to be inside the bottom of the drawer, so cut off the extra centimeters where the edges of the drawer would be. After cutting your template, check to see if it fits perfectly. Otherwise, make the necessary adjustments so it can fit better. Make sure you do all that before you start applying Mod Podge. 

Apply Mod Podge

Once your liner is ready to go, it’s time to apply the Mod Podge inside the drawer. Just spread a generous amount of it using a foam brush. I have found the foam brushes are the best to use. Make sure your entire bottom is full of glue and have it spread evenly from edge to edge. Don’t leave any area bare. Less glue can cause wrinkles after the liner dries. However, too much glue is not good either. 

After spreading the glue, place your liner in the drawer and secure it using a plastic putty knife. Get rid of all the wrinkles and bubbles. That’s the part that gets a little tedious, but again, it’s worth it. This is also the time when you wipe off any extra glue while pressing the paper down.

Apply The Final Coat 

Let it dry completely before you start the final step. Once dried, go ahead and start the final step to seal the paper in place. Apply Mod Podge all over the paper using the same brush. This will make your liner much more durable and it will last a long time, especially if kids are going to use these drawers. It will keep them intact for a lifetime, and you can use them for years. 

Once you are done with the final step, let them be dry for more than a few hours before you start using them. 

You can use the same steps to put liner anywhere you want to, as I did it on the top of the nightstand as well. I also use it in my Daughter’s dollhouse for the bathroom section. 

Related Questions:

What Is A Drawer Liner?

Any paper product used to cover or line your drawers anywhere in the house is called a drawer liner. Including, but not limited to, contact paper, gift paper, canvas paper, or wallpaper of your choice.

Can You Use Wallpaper To line Drawers?

Yes! As I stated above, you can use any paper product of your choice. In fact, wallpaper can cover more square footage. Hence it is a great reason to use that material.

How do You Make Scented Drawer Liners?

Once you are done lining all your drawers, use any essential oil you like and spray it on a cotton ball. Place the cotton balls in the drawer and there you have it!

Recommended Drawer Liners

These are the few liners I really like, and I am putting the link below for you. Click on the link below to order these liners!

Click on each image to buy them.

What kind of liner do you like? What is your preferred method to install them? 

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