DIY Leather Pulls

Changing drawer pulls is the easiest way to update and change the look of your furniture! These DIY leather pulls are super easy to make and can fit any weird hole spacing, so you don’t have to fill in the old hardware holes!

Get more genius furniture makeover ideas here!

materials to make diy leather pulls and leather pulls attached to dresser

These DIY leather pulls are seriously so easy to make! In about 15 minutes you can have a whole set of new hardware for your furniture.

Plus, they are so much cheaper to make than to buy! I mean, have you seen the prices of leather pulls?? These are much cheaper! Plus, you can easily customize them to any size that you need!

Table of Contents

Supplies Needed For DIY Leather Pulls

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1″ Vintage Tan Leather
1/4 in.-20 x 1-1/2 in. Screws (Pick a screw length that is a little bit longer than the thickness of your drawer front.)
#14 Washers
#14 Nuts
Drill
1/4″ Drill Bit

How to Make Leather Pulls

Here are the steps to make leather pulls for your furniture.

Cut the Leather

First, cut your leather to the size you want it. (Read below for more tips on how to measure the right length for leather handles or pulls)

Grab a cutting board or a piece of wood, and a sharp knife. I like to use a steak knife from my kitchen to cut the leather.

Mark your leather at the length you want to cut it, and then simply saw back and forth with your knife to cut through it.

Drill Holes into Leather for the Screws

Then grab your drill and your drill bit. Measure where you want to make the holes for the screws. I measure about 3/4″ – 7/8″ in from each edge of the leather.

measure and mark leather for screw holes

Then drill your holes into each end of the leather.

Place the Screws Through Leather Holes

Next, grab your screws, nuts, and washers! Place the screw through the hole(s).

If your hole is a little small, you should be able to still twist the screw through the holes.

Attach Leather Pulls to Furniture

To attach your new pulls to your furniture, place the screw through the hole in the drawer. On the inside of the drawer, place the washer onto the screw, and then tighten the nut on the screw.

Check out this quick video to see exactly how to make these leather pulls!

closeup of diy leather drawer pulls on dresser

More Before And After Makeovers

Click any of these “before” photos below to view the “after” of that makeover.

Get all of the details on this navy blue DIY dresser makeover here!

How to Make Leather Handles Instead of Pulls

You can make handles instead of the drop-down pulls! Instead of folding the leather in half and using only one screw per pull, don’t fold the leather in half.

Then use 2 screws on each handle instead of the 1 screw per pull.

How to Measure Leather for Drawer Holes

But, how do you measure correctly for different hole spacing?? I like to measure from the center of one hole to the center of the other hole. Then I add in about 2″ – 2 1/2″ to that measurement.

The extra 2″ – 2 1/2″ includes 3/4″ on each side of the screws. And then the extra amount makes the pulls curve out, giving you space for your hand to go in between the drawer front and the pull.

EX: For 3″ center to center hardware holes, I would cut the leather to 5 1/2″ long. (But please double-check that this is the right size for you!!)

For 5″ center to center hardware holes, I would cut the leather to 7 1/8″ – 7 1/2″ long. (Of course, double-check that this is the right size for you!!)