I thought these drawers would make a great little shelving unit! You can create storage space by simply stacking and combining drawers in new ways. This is an great project, because you can make it as simple or as involved as you want. If you come across a nice set of drawers, all they might need is a new paint color. Then, they can be stacked and arranged into a unique modular shelving system.

Since I only had two drawers to work with, I decided to slightly alter the form of each of them to add more character to my shelf. I planned to add feet to the larger drawer to lift it off the ground and  make it look less ‘drawer-like.’ I also wanted to create a specific place for a plant to grow on my shelf and decided to build a secure spot for a flower pot in the smaller drawer. I drew some quick sketches (above right) and then got to work!

I decided to cut a large circular hole in the top of the smaller drawer to hold a flower pot I found. In order to see how large the hole should be, I used a compass to measure from the center of the pot to the edge. In the photo above, you can see how I used a dowel stuck in the drainage hole to define the center of pot and measured with the compass out from there. This was a rough measurement, but I just wanted to make sure that the flower pot would not slip through the hole I carved!

Once I had an idea of how big the hole should be, I used the compass to draw the circle on the wood (above right.) I then made my way around this outline with a large drill bit. You can see my first hole in the image above.

After I drilled out most of the inside of the circle, I used a file to round out the shape. As I filed, I would pause and place the flower pot in the hole to see what areas needed to have more material removed.

Now that I added my extra element to this shelf, all it needs is a new finish! But before I get to finishes, I want to have the other, larger, drawer ready to go.

To create the feet on this drawer, I used the ends of some of the turned supports from the dinning chair we found in the alley. I clamped these supports to my work table and used a pull saw to remove the portion I wanted to use as the feet. After I had my four feet cut, I drilled holes in the center of each of them that corresponded to the size dowel I would use to connect the feet to the drawer.

Next, I marked where I wanted to install the feet on the bottom of the drawer and drilled to create a socket for my dowel. I had to be carful not to drill through the thin wood! A simple solution to help you know when to stop drilling is to put a piece of tape on the drill bit  that marks the width (or a little less than the width) of your wood.

Once my sockets were drilled, I made sure the feet fit and added wood glue to secure everything in place. Instead of using a clamp, I turned my new shelf right-side-up and piled books on top to press the feet on as the glue dried.

Now that my selves have all their new components finished, they are both ready for some new color! Check back soon to see how the drawers are even further transformed into a new unique shelf….