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44 Unique Knobs & Drawer Pulls for Upcycle Projects

An easy and inexpensive way to give new life to an old piece of furniture like a chest of drawers, a side table or a wardrobe, is with new cabinet handles.  

We’ve had a few questions lately about quirky and unique cabinet knobs so we thought we’d put together a list of our current favorites.  

We hope these decorative knobs, drawer pulls and handles will help add that finishing touch to your upcycle projects and home decor.

Some of them you could even try making DIY versions of if you have the time and the materials.  

If you make a DIY version of any of these or just straight up use any of these on your projects we’d love to see a photo! 

Head here if you are looking specifically for kitchen cabinet replacement handles and knobs.

44+ Unique Knobs & Drawer Pulls

We've divided our picks into themes - have a scroll to find the type of knob that works for your home.

Classic Ceramic

When people think of drawer pulls and knobs for upcycle projects they tend to think of ceramic knobs.  So we thought we’d start there.  

A lot of the other categories below will also feature some ceramic choices but this is our pick of the classic country style ceramic drawer pulls that tend to be a lot of upcyclers go to’s – maybe you’ll find a new favorite?

Leather Drawer Pulls

The unique designs of leather drawer pulls are nice to touch and add a bit of the gentleman’s club look to your piece of furniture.

Copper Handles

If you follow the blog at all you will understand how much we love copper (heck who doesn’t these days!).  

Classically Modern Drawer Pulls

Sometimes simplicity speaks volumes.  This selection of drawer knobs and pulls are all about the impact of classic clean style with a modern edge. 

Classic Gold Handles

If you are going for gold for the handles on your upcycled piece may we suggest something a bit different?  

Animal Drawer Knobs & Handles

Lions and tigers and bears - oh my!

Great for a kids room or in a jungle/safari themed conservatory maybe?  

If you love bold, eclectic decor you might find lots of places for these.  

Star Shaped Knobs

Star shaped knobs can suit a lot of spaces and pieces of furniture.

They are definitely more playful than some other choices.   For that reason they can suit a nursery or kids room, but then also be reused in future elsewhere in the house like your craft room for example.

Hand Shaped Knobs & Handles

A hand-shaped handle? Makes sense I guess!

Leaf Shaped Handles

These leaf-shaped knobs and handles are uniquee and timeless.

Black and White Knobs & Handles

Classic black and white never goes out of style.

Handles with a Pop of Color

Sometimes you aren’t looking for furniture pulls with a fancy shape or pattern just an eye-popping saturation of color.  

Here are our choices for a great addition for all-over color without going crazy on the details or shape.

Resin & Wood Knobs

You can do amazing things with resin if you know how to use it.  We chose two versions of wood and resin unique drawer knobs to feature here.  

Glittery and Shiny Drawer Pulls & Handles

All that glitters! In the right room and on the right piece of furniture a bit of sparkle and shine can draw the light and brighten the mood.  

We found a few options for this look. 

Concrete Drawer Pulls

Concrete isn't just for building foundations anymore! It can be decidedly decorative!

Holiday Inspired Handles

These choices put us in mind of the sort of knobs you see for sale on holiday in countries like Italy and Mexico.  

You can get patterned knobs like these a lot of places these days but they often have the screw top visible in the center which isn’t our favorite look.  

Luxury Handles

If only money was no object!  These two would be great options for a super high end furniture transformation and a client with expensive tastes.  

If you are shopping for yourself these might just be a bit of eye candy inspiration.  

Have you found some amazing knobs or handles we haven’t featured?  

We’d love to see them in situ on your upcycled dresser, cabinet, side table or wardrobe.  

Comment below or find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/upcyclemystuff.

Top Tips

  • If you are replacing existing hardware it is easiest to find a knob or pull that corresponds to the holes you already have drilled in the door or drawer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it OK to mix and match knobs?

Absolutely, have fun with it. It is probably a good idea to go with variations of the same material, but perhaps in different shapes.

Can you upcycle existing knobs & handles?

Of course! Paint, gold leaf or decoupage are fun ideas for breathing new life into your existing handles.

If you liked this post and you want to come back to it later, don’t forget to pin it!

drawer handles and knobs for DIY furniture makeovers

Looking for your next upcycle project?  Check out our the posts below or visit our What is Upcycling & How to Upcycle post which is a great starting off point with loads of fun upcycling ideas!

Other posts you might like:

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