DIY Knobs from Just About Anything with Dremel Micro

I know that there is an awful lot of choice when it comes to knob and pull hardware these days. And yet, I often can’t find something flashy enough to suit my tastes. I think a fun bit of color or interesting shapes is great on a plain, old nightstand. It can make SUCH a difference.

And so I’ll look and look and never find what it is I’m looking for (even if I don’t even know what it is that I am looking for myself.) And one day I found some really, really awesome napkin rings on clearance shaped like owls. At first I freaked out saying “those are some freaking awesome knobs and imma get ’em!” But they weren’t knobs. They were napkin rings. Womp womp.

When my Dremel Micro came in the mail it dawned on me that I could totally turn those napkin rings into knobs! But alas the owls were gone. BUT I found a bunch of other things to use and make my own pulls and I’ll show you how!

For this project you will need:

• Napkin rings, fashion rings, or other item
• Dremel Micro
• Dremel cutting wheel, sanding band
• Quick drying epoxy
• cheap knobs (mine were only $1.27 apiece!)

So here is my ginormous, bedazzled star napkin ring. It’s metal and the ring is soldered onto the star. I can’t be having that ring so it will need to be removed. First, using a cutting wheel, trim away the bulk of the ring near the soldered area but not on the soldering just yet (you’ll break the blade because you won’t be able to get in there terribly well). Cut that big piece away… Oh, and be careful as the metal WILL GET HOT!

And on a side note I had previously had a Dremel tool but I wound up giving it to my father. I rarely used it because it seemed so big and bulky to me. It seemed such a waste to hang on to it when he could make better use of it. This Micro 8050 is so much to wield in my small hands because it’s a lot lighter. Plus there are LED lights that light up what you’re working on and the tool itself has a soft grip.

… and then remove the small portion left behind away. No need to get it perfectly flush because we’re about to fix that.

Use your sanding band to smooth out the backside and the area where the soldering was attached. A flush surface is what you need, but you don’t have to go overboard sanding it down, either.

Oh, and did I mention that my Dremel is cordless? It’s got a docking station so you can keep it charged and that battery lasts a good long time before you need a recharge. It got through all of these knobs in this tutorial easily on a single charge! Plus it is compatible with all Dremel attachments. So if you already have a Dremel you can use those bits and pieces you’ve been collecting in this too, too!

If the knobs you find are flat, you’re golden. Mine, however, were not. See how it’s concave in the middle? It could work to just smack that sucker directly on but with my luck it would be wonky.

Using a piece of scrap wood, drill a hole and attach your knob. I never would have thought of this… isn’t my dad a genius!

Go around and sand away bevels or designs as needed.

Mix your epoxy according to package directions…

And glue the knob onto the back of your “bling”.

Let the epoxy dry according to package directions before using.

Add to your cabinet doors or drawers and prepare to have the prettiest pieces around!

You can use just about anything. Here we turned two napkin rings and one fashion ring (yeah, like for your finger!) into knobs…

Repeat the process explained above.

If your napkin ring face isn’t solid metal (like this one is a beaded wire mesh type of thing) use clamps to hold onto the knob and prevent you from gluing your hands to it!

This knob is by far my favorite and we’re in the process of making more for my dresser! This drawer pull was made from a napkin ring on clearance at Bed Bath and Beyond for $0.99!

Seriously… isn’t that just gorgeous? I’ve NEVER seen a drawer pull like this in all of my life!

If you have any weird shapes that don’t sit well on your knob you’ll be gluing to, use the cutting wheel to make it the right shape!

Isn’t that perfect?!

And that ring that was meant for my finger is a fabulous turquoise and gold knob.

Did I mention that I got this from one of those $1 jewelry store? And there were TONS to choose from!

You’re hooked, aren’t you? You totally want your own Dremel Micro 8050 don’t you? I am completely serious when I say that I love mine! If you want your own you can purchase the Micro 8050 online at Amazon.com and HomeDepot.com for $89 USD <— not bad, not bad at all.

Want even more inspirational ideas to knock out with a Dremel? For more information on Dremel products, projects and problem solving tips, head on over to www.dremel.com