Want to change the location of hardware in your cabinet doors or on another piece of furniture but don’t know what to do about those old holes? It’s actually an easy fix! Here’s how to fill holes in wood….
Apparently, its hardware themed week here.
On Monday, it was how to restore your hardware in five minutes and today its how to cover old hardware holes.
I didn’t realize that when I was flying by the stick of my broom planned out my posts.
After my kitchen was featured in Better Homes & Gardens, there were a few new people who came over and asked how I covered the old hardware holes that were in the center of my cabinets.
I’ve filled holes in furniture so many times now, I often forget I should actually tell you how I do it. I actually figured out how to do this myself in my former life when I was working on the old farmhouse. It was totally by trial and error, y’all.
You see, I used to think paint would just magically fill holes in trim.
smacking myself in the face
After I replaced and painted the trim, I realized, “Oh, that didn’t work.”
So I found this stuff called wood putty. We’ve been good friends ever since.
Anyone else find it pathetic that I’m referring to myself and wood putty as good friends?
If you have seen my kitchen renovation before, you know that we kept our original cabinets and just painted over them. They were in really great condition and I didn’t want to give my first born child as collateral for new cabinets.
The cabinets use to have centered hardware.
Now, just so you don’t think I’m pulling a fast one on you, this is not one of the cabinets that is currently in our kitchen. It did used to be in the kitchen, but when we opted to put in open shelving we were left with a couple extra cabinets and so this one is used for storage in the garage. It never got painted, so it was the perfect candidate for this tutorial.
How to Cover Old Hardware Holes
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Supplies / Materials Needed:
- Wood Putty / Filler (If painting over the wood filler / cabinets, the color of filler doesn’t matter. If you are staining over the filler / cabinets, get a stainable filler.)
- Fine Grit Sandpaper (I usually use about a 220 grit.)
Step 1:
Remove the old hardware. If your cabinets are older like mine were, there may be a grimy outline of the old hardware left behind. Just sand this lightly until its smooth with the cabinet door.
Step 2:
Grab your wood filler / putty.
I have used lots of different fillers over the years and this Elmer’s Wood Filler Max is by far my favorite. Its the easiest to work with and the easiest to sand, in my opinion.
Squeeze a small amount of the filler onto your finger, then rub it right into the hole in a circular motion.
Some people prefer to do this with a spatula, but honestly, I’ve found that my finger is the best tool.
After you have covered the hole, let it dry (doesn’t take long at all) and then sand it smooth. After you have sanded it, you may need another coat of the filler. If you do, just repeat as needed. Typically, I find that most holes need 1-2 coats of filler.
Finally, paint or stain over the filler with paint or stain of your choice.
As I said in the beginning, if you are staining or want to stain the spot where you filled the hole, be sure to buy one of the wood fillers that is stainable. The stain won’t match up with the rest of the door as well as paint would, but it won’t be too noticeable at all.
Have you covered up old hardware holes before? Any tips or tricks you can share with us?
Looking for more hardware or cabinet tricks? You’ll like these then…
Easy Ways to Update Furniture Hardware – instead of buying new, give these ideas a whirl!
Best Paint for Painting Kitchen Cabinets – different types of paint you can use for painting cabinets and which does what best.
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chris aka monkey says
it still amazes me how much a lot of people do not know… i like you had to make do with stuff and thought the same as you about the paint…i always keep wood putty and spackling around two very useful items for filling hole…good post xx
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says
Chris, spackling and I are great friends as well! You live, you learn, right?!
Lois Schern says
How long should I wait to apply a 2nd coating of wood filler?
Thanks Tons!
Jenna says
Maybe an hour or so? Just give it a light touch and if it’s dry, give it another coat. 🙂
Susan the farm quilter says
Wood putty is fabulous!! How about a tutorial on how to put new hardware on the cabinets and drawers…and get them in the same place every time!!? Yours look so perfect!
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says
Girl, I feel your pain on that one – in fact, I always hand that job over to Grunt Labor!!! I think I can recruit him for a tutorial on that though! Stay tuned!
Cheryl says
Lowe’s sells something called, “Perfect Mount Clear Mounting Template” by Lauren. It’s about $8 and worth every penny!
Annie Perez says
Jenna your post is just what I needed to know. I was wondering if you know (since you are so resourceful) how to repair a hole in white ceramic tile. I am going to have a new shower door installed. The shower frame is larger then the old one. This will leave a hole where the smaller frame was installed. I do not want to replace the old tile due to expense. Can you help? Annie
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says
Hey Annie! I’m so glad this was helpful! Ok, first question – I’m assuming the hole you will need to fill will be in your shower? Or shower surround? If so, I would suggest caulk. Caulk will hold up to the water and moisture better than wood filler in a shower. Just fill the holes with caulk and smooth it out with a spatula. It probably won’t match up 100%, but its better than it not being filled. When I painted my shower tiles, I removed a bar in the tile surround and had to do this. The caulk has held up perfectly. If the hole isn’t in a shower, you can see where Susan also commented on this post and said that she used the Elmer’s Filler to actually fill some holes in her tile.
Susan says
Love Elmers wood filler I also used this same thing to fill 4 holes in my half bath white wall tile where there was long towel bars that I removed ( not sure why there were big towel bars in a half bath) but it filled the holes great and they blend right in with the white tiles because they have a little speckle to them.
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says
Wow, that is great to know, Susan! I’ve had to fill holes in tile once before – in my bathtub surround, so I used caulk to hold up to the water. But, I’m so glad to know this filler also works great with tile! Gotta remember that one!!
Lesley says
Hi Jenna,
It looks like you reused the hinges for the cabinet doors also, did you spray them black or use paint?
Thanks gal
Lesley
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says
Hi Lesley! Actually, I did buy new hinges that are black – they were just the same style. I think you could spray paint them, but I was worried that over time with all that opening and closing the spray paint would flake off.
Drew says
I too have a wonderfully stylish 80’s kitchen with handles (not knobs) in the center of the cabinet doors. What were they thinking? I am trying different wood fillers I happen to have on hand to see what will work best to cover the holes. If they don’t pan out I’ll be looking for the Elmers Max. With 30 doors 2 holes each I’ve got a big job on my hands….plus the drawers that have knobs not handles!!!! Argggh
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says
Drew, I am feeling your pain – I had a TON of doors and drawers to fill holes on too!! Its not that its hard, but there’s just SO many of them!!! Cheap beer helps! 🙂
beverly says
What does the inside of your cabinets look like? Did you paint those too?
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says
I did not paint the insides, Beverly. It would have taken a lot more paint and no one really sees the inside except me, so I didn’t worry with it!
Bobbie says
Do you have a good web site for handles and knobs? I need quite a few to refinish an old dresser.
They are in a few different sizes and terrible style. I am dying to replace them. It will make such a difference.
Thanks.
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says
Hey Bobbie! Try dlawlesshardware.com. They have a big selection and good prices. I’ve got hardware for a few pieces there and was very pleased!
Judith says
Myknobs.com
I have used them for three kitchens and two bathrooms. A gazillion styles and you can sort by style, finish or price. Saved me a ton of money.
Jackie says
Where did you get your cabinet pulls from? I love them and have been hinting all over for some just like them.
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says
Those came from IKEA, Jackie!
JUDY says
Terrific post with great ideas! Must stay close to this! Thanks for the information and know-how.
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says
Glad it was helpful, Judy!
Shannon says
Beautiful! I am about to start my kitchen cabinet painting project- do you remember what kind of paint you used on your cabinets?
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says
Hi Shannon! With the white cabinets that are pictured in this post, I used a Rust-Oleum Cabinet Transformations kit. However, since then, I have repainted them using Velvet Finishes.
Jean | DelightfulRepast.com says
Great tips! I’m looking forward to reading more of your blog before I tackle my next projects. I’ve used a lot of spackle, but no wood putty yet.
Jenna says
Glad it was helpful, Jean! Happy to have you around!
Sahana says
Great tips for filling the holes. Thank you for linking with us at #HomeMattersParty . We would love to see you again next week.
Jenna says
Thanks, Sahana!
Nicole says
This DIY for covering old holes in the cabinets will definitely come in handy when I finally get around to redoing my kitchen cabinets. Pinned!
Thanks for sharing your ideas at the #HomeMattersParty last week. Hope you will link up with us again at this Friday’s party.
Jenna says
Glad it was helpful, Nicole!
Liz W. says
Great tutorial! I’ve been using a lot of wood-filler lately…it’s amazing stuff, isn’t it? Thanks for sharing with us over at Funtastic Friday!
Jenna says
Totally awesome stuff!
Claudia says
I sm concerned that in time, the holes will sink in due to heat and humidity. So have the holes sunk in after a couple of years? I am getting ready to do mine!
Jenna says
Hi Claudia! I haven’t had an issue with them sinking.
Brenda fowler says
I usually put tape on the backside too, so my putty doesn’t push all the way thru while it’s drying. Then once it’s dry, I can fill both sides again before I paint or stain. Just a tip that I’ve learned over the years.
Jenna says
Good tip, Brenda! Thanks for sharing!
Cheryl says
What about the inside of the hole? Inside the drawer? Did you fill it from that side also or maybe put your finger on the inside so the hole was completely filled?
Jenna says
I didn’t worry about the inside of the hole.
Anne says
What if your cabinets are fiberboard with the paper like stuff over it? Would the putty truly match it?
Greg Gardner says
Sounds of success ! I think that Elmers is synonymous with quality and proven products used throughout the carpentry and furniture industry . I’m going to use that Elmers max on my face frame cabinets (white) covering all the hinge holes from the same hinges your showing on your updated doors , only buying new Doors with soft close hinges and drawers that cost me a small fortune . So thanks for the product referral I’m getting close to the 6 weeks it’s going to take from Hickory NC to get them home . And my patching complete
Thanks G Gardner
Peter says
Hi,
Thanks for the tips to cover the old holes on my kitchen cabinet drawers! I like the current stain on the drawers, so am keeping it (not painting or re-staining the drawers). Just want to plug the holes with a stainable wood filler and stain the filled-in holes with the same stain that is currently on the drawers. My question is, when you fill the holes, the filled-in hole area is smooth (there is no wood grain look to the filled-in holes). Is there a way to get the filled-in holes to have a wood grain look rather than a smooth look? After staining the holes, they are still a bit obvious because although they match the stain on the rest of the drawer, they have a smooth look unlike the rest of the drawer. Thanks for any suggestions!
Peter
Bobbie says
I want to install two antique doors as barn doors on my walk-in pantry. The hardware for one of them needs to be moved to the opposite side. How do suggest I cover the hole left by the knob? They are painted doors, but definitely old, which I hope to preserve the look.