How To Install Knobs and Pulls on Cabinets and Furniture

Today, I’m going to show you how to install knobs and pulls on cabinets and furniture. This is one of those things you learn and tuck away in the DIY skill file for later. Or maybe the “I have a project in mind” file…or “holy cow, I wish I’d known that when I was working on that other project” file! Installing knobs and pulls on cabinets and furniture can be easy or not, depending on how you approach it. Me? I’m taking the easy way.

Of course we all want easy but we also want straight handles on cabinets and furniture too. If one is crooked that’s exactly where your eyes will travel, every…single…time you walk into a room. If there’s a cabinet knob off center, or drawer pull really askew you’ll also get lots of well meaning comments on that one flaw. It won’t matter if this was your best project ever, the one that really shines, because all others will see is the crooked cabinet hardware or the wonky drawer pull.

I speak from experience 🙂

One of the best “tricks” I’ve learned is to use jigs. Jigs make life easier, they make a project go by much faster since they are templates of a sort. I used my Pull Cabinet Jig for the first time in one of the kitchens in the North House Lodge last winter. I’d just finished painting the cabinets and it was time to install the pulls on the cabinets and drawers. There weren’t any before, so I was starting without handle holes on anything.

How to Install Knobs and Pulls on Cabinets and Drawers

Supplies needed to install knobs and pulls on cabinets and drawers. I use affiliate links to help you find the products I used. If you make a purchase I get a small commission at no cost to you. The affiliate money I earn helps cover the overhead costs of H2OBungalow. Thank you for your support!

• Kreg Pull Cabinet Handle Jig
• Knobs or handles. I used these from DLawless Hardware 
• drill
• measuring tape- I like this self centering one

How to install handles on drawers

Step #1 Measure the width of the drawer front to find the center, place a light or erasable mark in the center.

Step #2 Measure the distance between the handle screws. Set the handle screw distance to match on the jig. My handles had a three inch distance between the two screws, so I set my Kreg cabinet pull jig at three inches. There are preset measured slots on the front of the jig.

If you’re installing a drawer pull, move one of the guides to the center hole. Follow the rest of the steps below using the center hole as your guide for drilling. Easy!

Step #3 Decide how far down from the top of the drawer front you want to install the drawer pull or drawer handle. This same measurement will be used for all of your drawers.

Place the drawer pull jig on the front of the drawer and tighten the top screws to set the jig.

Step#4 Drill drawer handle holes

I found it easiest to place the drawer on the floor to drill my holes. Hold or clamp the Kreg Jig at the top of the drawer, line it up with the center mark. Drill the holes right through the drill guides. With the jig preset to your measurements all you’ll need to do is mark the center of the other drawers, line up the jig and drill.

Step # 5 Install handles. Put drawers back into the cabinets and install the handles, pulls or knobs.

How to install cabinet door pulls and handles perfectly

Step#1 Measure the distance of the screw position on the handles and set the drill guides. If using a single pull, use the center hole like I mentioned above.

Step #2 Measure and mark the distance from the bottom or top of the cabinet where you want the cabinet pulls installed. Use the jig at the bottom of cabinet doors for over the counter cabinets and at the top of a cabinet for cabinets mounted under a counter. I lined up the edge of the jig with the bottom edge of the trim on the upper and lower kitchen cabinets.

Step #3 Set the distance from the outer edge of the cabinet and tighten the locks.

Step #4 Use the drill guides and drill all the cabinet doors. You can also use a clamp to hold the jig if needed.

Using a jig to install the cabinet handles in this kitchen was not only a huge time saver but made the project perfect. Every single one of them is straight. Once you see how easy it is to install knobs and pulls on cabinets and furniture like this you’ll never look back! Gone are the days of measuring and marking each handle hole individually. I promise 🙂

Don’t you think my DIY Reclaimed Wood Kitchen Shelves look fabulous with the grey cabinets.

This is what it looked like the day I walked in.

Needless to say, it’s come a long way. See my  Step by Step Guide How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets  if you’ve never painted cabinets but want to.

I’m not done yet, there are a few more projects still left to complete in the North House Lodge. DIY’ing takes time though, doesn’t it?

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Now that I’ve shown you how to to install knobs and pulls on cabinets and furniture are you ready to tackle your own cabinets and drawers?