Recommandations are based off of our editors opinions, and we may earn a commission if you make a purchase through one of our links. Read more

How To Glue Fabric To Wood Drawers?

Photo of author

Written by: Diana Ploscaru

Updated:

How To Glue Fabric To Wood Drawers?

Mod Podge is the glue that is generally used to glue fabric to wood drawers. This is a fun DIY project that many thrift divers or those who restore furniture enjoy doing. 

Before you can glue the fabric to a wood drawer, you must ensure you have all the necessary tools. These are:

  • Fabric 
  • Scissors 
  • Mod Podge 

First, you need to prepare the fabric. This is how you can do that:

  • Cut the fabric into the size you need them to be for your project 
  • You can use a measuring tape to measure the wood drawers and mark on the fabric where you need to cut
  • Or, you can place the fabric on top of the drawer and cut around it with the scissors

The fabric shouldn’t be the exact measurement of the drawer – after you cut it, you want the fabric to be bigger.

Keep reading to discover the next steps in your project. 

How To Glue Fabric To Wood Drawers

Glue the fabric to wood drawers following these steps:

  1. Apply Mod Podge to the surface of the wood drawer – be mindful that this glue dries very fast, so you need to move quickly 
  2. Please don’t put too much glue. Otherwise, it might show through the fabric
  3. Make sure you cover the whole surface of the wood drawers with glue, especially around the edges, to prevent the fabric from coming off.
  4. You can use a brush or a sponge to spread the glue 
  5. Carefully lay the fabric down, and make sure it goes on straight 
  6. Use your hands to smooth out the fabric, making sure there are no bumps in the fabric
  7. Allow it to dry for a minimum of 15 minutes
  8. Make sure the glue is fully dry before you start to trim your fabric
  9. To test whether it is dry enough, gently pull on your fabric (very little) to see how secure it is – if it seems that it would come off, let it dry some more
  10. Once the glue is fully dry and the fabric is secure, go along the edge of the drawer with the scissors to trim off the excess fabric 

There is one last thing to do. If you stop at these steps, there is the risk of the edges fraying over time. To prevent this from happening, here is what you need to do:

  1. Take a small amount of the mod podge 
  2. Apply it to the edge of the fabric very lightly 
  3. When the glue dries, if it feels a bit rough around the edges, use fine-grit sandpaper to gently smoothen the edges of the fabric. 

Making The Holes In The Fabric For Hardware

First, you need to find the holes. Run your fingers on the fabric’s surface to find the hardware’s holes. 

Once you find the holes with your fingers, here is what you need to do:

  1. Grab your scissors and open them up 
  2. Use one sharp edge of the scissor to gently poke a hole in the fabric right where the holes are, where the hardware will be attached. 
  3. Add the hardware 

And you’re done! 

DIY projects with gluing fabric to wood drawers are usually so much fun, and they always end up looking spectacular. 

Conclusion

To glue fabric to wood drawers, you need Mod Podge. 

Once you have prepared your fabric, cover the surface of the wood drawer with glue (not too much of it), especially around the edges. 

Once the glue fully dries, trim the fabric by going around the edges of the drawers. 

There is a risk that the edges of the fabric will fray over time. To prevent this from happening, use a small amount of Mod Podge to add to the edge of the fabric.

Once this dries, use fine-grit sandpaper to make the edges smooth. 

Photo of author

Leave a Comment

Join the community for periodic updates to your inbox!

    By signing up to the GlueTips newsletter you agree to receive electronic communications from GlueTips that may sometimes include advertisements or sponsored content.