How to Make DIY Drawer Pulls from Wood Slice Branches

Hi Friends! I’m Rita Joy from Harbour Breeze Home, and I’ve been busy as a bee in my house this Spring! I’ve been organizing, rearranging, and adding fresh colors of Spring to my decor.

While working on a project for our living room, I ran into a problem that resulted in today’s project. I had just finished painting an end table and needed a new drawer pull. As I looked around the supplies we had on hand, my eye landed on a pile of wood slices my husband had made for a previous project. We decided to try our hand at making DIY Drawer Pulls from those Wood Slice Branches. It ended up being a surprisingly simple and stylish solution!

How to Make DIY Drawer Pulls from Wood Slice Branches

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What you need:

A wood slice (Ours was 2 1/4 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick)
A 1 1/4 inch wooden dowel cut approximately 1/2 inch thick (ours is a little more)
Varathane varnish (or a polyacrylic sealer of choice)
A drill with bit to fit the diameter of your carriage bolt
A smooth head carriage bolt with fitting washer and nut set (ours was 2 3/4 inches long, but a shorter one would have worked.

Purchase or cut your own wood slice

There are sources where ready to use wood slices can be purchased. However, if you want to cut your own like we did, here’s how to do it:

Find a suitable branch – For the purposes we needed, we searched for a branch that was about 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Since we live by the ocean, we just searched for one on the beach while out for an evening stroll. Any type of branch will work, although some branches will be more dense and harder to saw through than others.
Using a chop saw or sliding mitre saw, cut the branch 1/2 inch thick – Be sure to use safety glasses and precautions when using a saw.
Let the branch dry out completely before using – We let ours dry out naturally in the air (for a few months), but if you want to speed up the process, you can place them in a low temperature oven spread in a single layer and “bake” for 2 hours.

Cut a piece of 1 1/4 inch dowel about 1/2 inch thick

Using the chop saw again, cut a piece of wooden doweling approximately 1/2 inch (or a little more) thick. If you don’t have a saw for this step, your local hardware store may be able to make this cut for you.

This piece is what will become the space behind the wood slice where you will place your fingers when you want to pull open the drawer.

Using a ruler, draw an X on the wood slice and dowel to determine the center position.

Drill a hole in the center of the wood slice pulls

Using a drill bit to accommodate the size of your carriage bolt, drill a hole at each center point.

Seal the wood slice and dowel.

If you want to stain the wood slice a darker color, this is the point at which you would do that. For my purposes, though, I just wanted to seal the wood. I used Varathane sealer in matte finish, and using a brush, brushed on a thin layer on the sides and top and bottom of both pieces. Before proceeding to the next steps, make sure it dries completely.

Assemble the wood slice drawer pull

To assemble the pull, place the dowel behind the wood slice and insert the carriage bolt through the drilled holes.

Insert the carriage bolt into the hole for the drawer pull in the drawer front.

Place the washer on first and then twist the nut onto the screw end until it fits tight against the drawer.

You did it!

Now you have a rustic accent to spice up an ordinary piece of furniture!

(To see the whole tutorial on our end table turned laptop stand, click here.)

Wood slices make a lovely rustic touch and can be used in so many ways! Here are a few other options you might consider for wood slices:

Use little pedestals for miniature bud vases.
Drill a hole in the top and use as label holders for baskets (like these).
Place on a table in a circle to form a stand for a pitcher of flowers.
Transfer images onto wood slices and make them into DIY coasters.
Drill holes in the sides, tie together and make a garland.
Attach together in a circle and make a wreaths.
Prop in the corners of a vintage window with panes as wall decor.

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Rita Joy is a wife, mom, passionate homemaker, and blogger at Harbour Breeze Home. She loves the challenge of making a pretty and functional home (on a tight budget) and cooks because her family needs to eat! Along with rearranging furniture and painting rooms, she loves to find quaint coffee shops (with yummy baked goods!).