Tutorial: Kitchen Cupboard Hardware - French Country Handles and Knobs

French Country Kitchens may not be as popular as they once were but I still love the style.  In fact, I'm REALLY thinking about updating my Brooke Tucker Kitchen in a more modern country style...(doesn't everyone renovate their dollhouse displays???)...but I digress.   Here is a tutorial for making drawer pulls and knobs that would be great for French Country but also, any style.  The upper cabinet knobs are supposed to simulate those “bird cage” style popular with French Country (handles or knobs with a hollow basket look). It's so hard to find nice hardware that doesn't look manufactured - that's why I like to make my own.  Also I think it can be more delicate and scaled when made from scratch.

 Drawer Pulls

Supplies:

• 
  Fine wire, about 24 gauge
• Scrap wood about 1/16^th or 1/18^th inch thick (wire bending jig)
• Straight pins or sequin pins (for wire bending jig)
• Seed beads, a couple different sizes
• Eye-pins from commercial drawer pulls (such as Houseworks #1124 Batwing pulls)
• Hand drill and Wire drill bits to fit your wire and eye pins
• Wire cutters
• Spray paint (and acrylic paint same color for touch ups)
  
• Super glue

First, make a bending jig with pins and the wood scrap, drilling holes using the pin vise (hand drill) and tiny drill bits.  You can see the measurements and spacing of the pins from the photo.

Cut the wire into small lengths – about 2” long and wrap around the pins to make the “U” shape (narrower spaced pins face down in these photos and form the bottom of the "U".  Thread on beads in a pattern you like.  I put one larger seed bead in the center with two smaller seed beads on each side (for a more hollow "birdcage" style use a filigree bead in the center and flatten it to more of a tube shape first).

Glue these in place with super glue.  Then glue on the two eye pins as in the photos.  Finally glue on the upper beads that will hold the eye pins in place.  DON’T CUT WIRE YET.

Spray paint this assembly and let dry.  Then cut the wire just beyond the upper beads.  You will touch up the cut off wire after gluing them to your cupboards.

Drill holes in your drawers to match the spacing of the eye pins.  CAREFULLY Glue the eye pins in with super glue (they may fall off easily because they are very thin).  Then use acrylic paint to touch up the cut off wires.

“Bird Cage” cupboard knobs

Supplies:

• Metal filigree beads, 4mm (I used Darice brand)
• small crimp beads – about 1.3mm inner diameter
  
• brass head pins
• Spray Paint
• Super Glue
  
• Hand drill and Wire drill bits to match your head pins

These are very simple.  Just thread a filigree bead onto the head pin followed by the crimp bead.  Glue with super glue and let dry.  Spray paint and cut off the wire.  Drill a hole and glue in.

Here is a photo of the kitchen I used these in. 

The kitchen cabinets in the photo above were kits from B. H. Miniatures (I think)?  Upper cabinet doors were backed with nylon netting that I spray painted black (to look like chicken wire).  I faced the drawers with molding (might have been door/window trim).  The stove was a workshop I taught some years ago (2008?).  The counter tops are just printed photos of granite glued to illustration board and glossed with Mod Podge.  I hope you enjoyed this little tutorial!  I will stew over what to post next month.  It may be simple since my daughter is getting married right before the time when I usually make my monthly blog post!

Kitchen Hardware and Cheater Flooring

This is the last tutorial I have planned for the SAM (Society of American Miniaturists) Kitchen project.  I have saved the cabinet hardware and flooring for last.
 

Door Knobs:
Glass head pins (pale blue - JoAnn's)
Glass Stain
Small domed bead cap
Filigree snowflake type bead cap
small gold seed beads
Bead glue
Wire Cutters

To make the door knobs, first I painted some pale blue glass head pins with purple glass stain and let them dry.  Then I cut off the glass knob with wire cutters leaving about 1/4 inch of pin below (just enough to go through the dome bead cap and through the cabinet door.
Flatten the snowflake shaped bead cap and cut off the spikes with wire cutters. Two of these will be glued above and below the knob.
Make a guide hole in the cabinet door between the spikes (using another un-cut pin).
Trial fit and glue cut pieces as in the photo with one spike above and one below the knob.  Thread the small gold seed bead onto the pin and glue up against the glass head of the pin.  This elevates the knob slightly.  Then glue the pin into the small bead cap and through the cabinet door. Use bead glue that doesn’t frost the metal and glass parts.

 

Drawer Handles:
Brass wire – 20 gauge
Glass tube beads
Small 4mm Filligree ball bead
Small gold seed beads
Bead Glue

Make a 90 degree bend in the wire with the pliers.  Glue the beads in order like the photo and make another bend at the other end of the handle.  Poke guide holes in the cabinet with a pin the glue the handles in.

Cheater Flooring
The inlay design in the floor is made by using inlay strips used for decorating furniture.  These inlay strips can be found at woodworking stores (such as Woodcraft and Rockler) and also on Etsy.   The remainder of the floor was cut from thin veneer sheets - very thin wood backed with paper that can be cut with scissors.  This veneer can also be found at woodworking stores.  First trace out on the floor where the inlay design will go then fill in the areas around it with veneer.  Use wood glue.

Next month I will show photos of the completed kitchen and provide sources for the purchased items.  Thinking about the next project...