Natural stone cabinet hardware is easy to make yourself. Not only can you have a wider range of color and texture available to you, you can replace the cabinet knobs in your whole kitchen for less than half of what you would have paid for these beautiful pieces commercially. The same pieces that sell for $10 each in a store can be duplicated for under $1 each.

Pick Your Stones

Collect the stones that you will turn into knobs. They can be any shape, size or color. You can use rocks from the garden, gemstones, rocks from the home decor aisle or polished stones from a stream or river. The only limits to acceptable stones are up to you, but polished rocks from a home improvement store would have the most uniform shape and a glossy shine.The easiest, cheapest way to make these knobs is to choose stones that have at least a 1/4-inch-sized flat spot somewhere on the stone. Wash and dry the stones thoroughly. If your stones have been polished, get a bit of sandpaper and rough up the 1/4-inch flat area where you will attach the 1/4-inch cap nut. Cover the flat part of the stone with glue. You can use epoxy, Super Glue or even craft glue. Epoxy or Super Glue will last longer and be able to stand up to the pressure of repeated pulls. Place the cap nut in the glue and allow to dry.

Install the Knobs

Polish, paint or otherwise finish the knobs. After you have attached the cap nut and allowed the glue to dry, you can varnish the stone with polyurethane. If you decide to tumble a found rock, you would need to tumble it before you attach the cap nut. If you prefer the natural look, you can install them as is. To install the knobs, use 1/4-inch machine screws that are at least 1 inch long. If you have thicker cabinets, you may require longer screws. Place the machine screw through the hole from the original cabinet hardware and twist the new knob into position. Once the cap nut is against the front of the cabinet, rotate the knob as desired and tighten the screw to secure the knob.

Source:

Care2: DIY Natural Stone Knobs

Made By Cynthia Rae: DIY Natural Rock Drawer Pulls

More Information:

Wise Choices: Choosing Cabinet Drawer Pulls

Craftzine.com: Knobs for Dwellers of Earth