Simple DIY Drawer and Shelf Liners
I was this close to not even sharing these DIY Shelf and Drawer Liners because I thought they might be too simple for an entire post.
A few weeks ago, though, I was helping one of my brothers-in-law troubleshoot a kitchen renovation issue and he completely changed my mind.
A Surprisingly Hot Topic…
We were talking about kitchen organization when he brought up the subject of shelf and drawer liners.
“What do you think, CoCo? I mean, should we even bother with that kind of stuff?” he said.
I don’t think my brother-in-law meant for the topic to become a hot one.
But almost immediately the guys in the group said, “Ughh, shelf liner is the worst.” While almost all the ladies in the group said they were a fan.
I’m personally on team shelf and drawer liner. Mostly, because I’ve seen the wear and tear that’s been done to our kitchen cabinets from sliding out pots and pans over the years.
That said, I can also understand how it’s not for everyone.
Especially, for those of us that grew up helping our grandmothers peel off faded and warped paper stuck to the bottom of the kitchen sink cabinet.
I gently reminded my brother-in-law of a recent incident that can only be described as a “massive mashed potato explosion” and shared how much easier it would have been to clean up had they used shelf liners in the refrigerator.
Then I shared with him the story of our DIY shelf and drawer liners. And how a simple solution came about through creative compromise.
A Simple Solution…
Earlier this year, I lined drawers and shelves with a pretty marble contact paper. I had to attach it with painters’ tape though because not everyone was on board.
Over the past few months, the paper had started curling and left us with kitchen cabinets and drawers that looked really cluttered.
I was really close to just throwing in the towel when I decided we could both have what we wanted if we found a way to stabilize or strengthen the contact paper.
Here’s a look at how we created DIY drawer and shelf liners with just a few simple materials…
DIY Drawer and Shelf Liner Supplies:
- Contact Paper or Peel and Stick Wallpaper
- Heavy Cardboard or Foam Core Boards
- Box Cutter or Rotary Cutting Tool
- Scissors
- Self-Healing Cutting Mat
- Tape Measure or Ruler
- Pencil
- Smoothing Tool (straight edge, old credit card, squeegee, etc.) optional
DIY Drawer and Shelf Liner Steps:
Gather your tools and supplies.
We used a large heavy cardboard box, but you can also use foam core board to make DIY drawer and shelf liners.
Measure the drawer or the shelf you want to line.
Then using caution and care as tools will be sharp, carefully cut the cardboard or foam core board to the appropriate size.
We used a box cutter to cut the pieces of cardboard off the large box and a rotary cutting tool to cut the large piece of cardboard into smaller pieces on a self-healing cutting mat.
After you have your cardboard base, again, using caution and care, cut your contact paper to the appropriate size. We left an extra inch around each edge so we could wrap the cardboard pieces in the contact paper.
Next, separate the contact paper from the backing.
Then place the cardboard piece in the center of the contact paper and wrap the edges if desired.
Flip your DIY drawer and shelf liner over and smooth out any bubbles with a straight edge, if needed.
Finally, insert the liner into a drawer or a shelf and you’re good to go!
Customizing DIY Drawer and Shelf Liners…
While I have no idea how these DIY drawer and shelf liners are going to hold up long term, I’m excited to have found a simple solution that works for us right now.
Plus, they can be easily customized to fit almost any drawer or shelf using contact paper or peel and stick wallpaper in any color or pattern which makes the possibilities endless.
Let us know if you try these DIY drawer and shelf liners at your house too! Until next time, I’ll see you on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.
Many blessings,
CoCo
What a fantastic idea! I was just looking at a drawer where the liner had shifted. Definitely going to try this in drawers
So excited you want to try these, Cyndi! They’ve worked out really well in the drawers and on the shelves of our kitchen so I’m hoping to have the same results for the bathroom too. Hope your day is a fun one, CoCo
How have these held up for you? We just moved into a 90s home with porous wood cabinets.. I don’t like how they look or feel. I ordered a few non-slip varieties of shelf liner but just don’t trust they won’t slip. We don’t have much of a lip on our cabinets, so the foam board or card board might be too thick. I was considering trying heavy duty poster board covered in contact paper. Aesthetically pleasing, easy to wipe if needed and easily cut to size and inserted into the cabinet. Eventually we will be doing a kitchen Reno and replacing cabinets but it might be a year or two so brainstorming ideas to get us through until then..
Congratulations on your new home, Amber! These have held up surprisingly well for us. We’re just now starting to see a few ripples from the corragted cardboard after a few years of use but no rips in the contact paper yet. The ones in the refrigerator are a little more scuffed up than the ones we used in the cabinets though because they were made from plastic placemats you find at the dollar store and the material is a lot thinner than the thick cardboard we used for the drawers and cabinets. All in all, I’d defintely do this process again. I’m not sure how the poster board would work out because I’ve never tried it but I love that you’re looking for solutions. We’ve done our home in phases as well and it allowed us plenty of time to find exactly what we needed at the price we needed it. Cheering you on as you discover budget friendly and creative solutions for your home as well, CoCo
Hmm, time to try?
They’re so easy to put together, Sarah! I don’t know how they’ll work out long term but I’m planning to use these in the bathroom too so I’ll definitely keep you post ?
I’m team shelf liner but do I have any… nope. I never liked the sticky contact paper. But now that you’ve solved that problem, I’m looking forward to trying it! Thanks! Pinned
That’s awesome Cindy! You live in a completely different climate than we do so I would love to hear how this idea works out for you if you try it. Sending you lots of hugs, CoCo
Great idea! I just purchased some shelf liners for a desk I am refurbishing because the inside of the drawers are nasty and I can’t get them clean enough. This is a good option since I will be keeping my make up in the drawers and this will be a perfect solution incase something ever spills inside. It will be easy to clean up and remove. Thank you so much!
So glad you’ll be able to use this idea, Lourdes! I haven’t tried them in dresser drawers yet but I’m definitely going to be working them into all our desk drawers too. As you say, it makes the clean-up so much easier which always feels like a win-win. Hope your weekend is a fun one, CoCo
Not sure how cardboard or foam board would hold up with heavier pots, etc sitting on them over time, because cardboard and foam board will compress and make divots? I used the clear non-stick shelf liner. It might cost a little more, but once it is cut to fit, it’s done! You can take it out and wash it, it’s see-through and has saved the life of my painted cabinet drawers and shelves. It has enough weight to it that it does not curl. LOVE! I also bought it at the dollar store 🙂
Great tip, Sheila, thanks so much for sharing!