Turn an Old Knife Block into a DIY Crayon Holder
How to Repurpose an Old Knife Block
Do you ever walk by something at the thrift store and your brain says, “Whooooa, hold up–I can make something with THAT!!”
Well, that’s what happened when I stopped by the thrift store and walked past this section of knife blocks and inspiration hit. I’ve got a great idea for a DIY knife block! I can’t even say what that inspiration was. I just saw all that wood sitting there and I started salivating. I just knew I was supposed to buy one. And boy am I glad I did!
BEFORE
AFTER
….Because now one of those old knife blocks was repurposed into DIY knife block that holds crayons for my kids!
Materials List – DIY Knife Block
If you’ve got an old knife block sitting around, you can easily make this, too. Get the kids involved. They’ll love it! Here’s what you’d need for the materials to repurpose your old knife block!
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- Old knife block – Find one for about $2.00 – $3.00 at the thrift store, but you can also buy an empty one from Amazon!
- A power drill
- 3/8 drill bit – Use the size drill bit for the thing you’re storing in your knife block. For crayons, the 3/8 bit works well.
- Milk Paint or chalk paint – I used General Finishes Corinth Blue.
- A few metal two-hole straps – About $1.50 or less.
- Wood shims – $1.00 for a pack – Or any small, thin piece of scrap wood will work.
- Screws – Use wood screws in the blue pack – About $2.00 or less (#10 x 3/4″).
- Washi tape – Or you can use scrapbook paper and Mod Podge, or duct tape or anything sticky, really.
- A couple small mini nails – To attach a wooden shim.
- A small hammer
TIP: You can use almost any kind of furniture paint, but I typically like furniture paint that is made especially for wood, plastic, metal, etc. and doesn’t require any sanding or priming. Check out my article What’s the Best Paint For Furniture? for more information about which paints are best.
DIY Knife Block Ideas: Why This Project is Easy, Easy, Easy
It’s hard sometimes when you read a blog, isn’t it? There are all these great projects, but many of them require you to have things you don’t own or can’t afford to buy, like circular saws and craft supplies out the ying yang. Plus, many of you have crappy thrift stores that offer hardly any good selection (I know!! **SOB SOB**). But this old knife block you could probably find somewhere in middle America in the worse thrift store on a little corner where no one visits :). Okay, I can’t guarantee that, but I highly doubt people are grabbing old knife blocks off the shelves of thrift stores like there is a knife block famine or something, so I bet you wouldn’t have any problem finding one to make this project!
Make a DIY Knife Block
So here’s how you’d repurpose a knife block into a crayon holder and more!
Step 1: Paint and Drill the Knife Block
When drilling, you’ll want to map out where you want to place your holes. There are no rules here other than trying to keep the drill straight. Because of the knife slats, the wood can chip easily if you drill too fast. Go slow. Use the tape on the drill as a stop marker so you can keep the holes uniformly deep. I think 2″ is about good.
STEP 2: Cover Up Your Imperfections
….And even when you take your time drilling, there’s always mess-ups. That’s why I added the washi tape. Putting strips of it around the holes helped to cover the knife slots and distract from the poor drilling job I did. LOL. You can use scrapbook paper and Mod Podge, or even duct tape or fabric pieces to cover up the areas in between instead, as other options.
STEP 3: Add the Hardware
Keep a steady hand. You might want to pre-drill a little hole so that it helps it easier to get the screw in. Get creative! Add the hardware wherever your little heart desires. Here, I added one that would sit at an angle so the scissors would be angled, too.
I put some on each side, and some on the back. I didn’t show you in this pic, but I added two more pieces of hardware at the bottom of these brush feet so that they wouldn’t slide around. I just forgot to snap of pic of it :). Forgive me!
STEP 4: Add a Little Foot Rest
Yep, those paintbrushes back there need a little footrest to keep them from falling out. Or if you’re holding some markers or pencils back there, they will fall out without a ledge to stop them. That’s where the wood shim comes into place. Use a sharp pair of scissors or something and just score right through a thin piece of shim. Thankfully, most (if not all) knife blocks come with this little raised butt in back. LOL.
It flips up and is just enough space to add a little wooden shim (you can even use an old paint stir from Home Depot). Then paint it to blend in with the rest of the crayon holder!
STEP 5: Add the Awesome Crayons and Supplies
More Uses – DIY Knife Block Ideas
Here are some other ideas for things to hold in your repurposed knife block:
- Markers
- Knitting needles
- Crochet hooks
- Add skewers and hold spools of thread
- Colored pencils
- Makeup brushes
My kids loved how it turned out!
I generally don’t do very many craft projects for kids, since this blog is about DIY for the home, but over the years, I have done a few kids crafts that you might be interested in checking out! Check these out!
How to Make a Superhero Shield
What kid doesn’t love a superhero shield? Here’s how you can easily make one!
The $5.00 Kids Chair Makeover
See how I turned this thrifted $5.00 kids chair into a cute little seat for my sons!
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I found this link on Blog Frogs – love it! What a brilliant idea. I am now going to be on the look out for knife blocks at my local op shop (that is what we call them in Australia!) Thanks so much for sharing your brilliance
Hi Kelly! Wow, glad you found me! Thanks for stopping over!
I wonder if you could drill angled holes along the sides to fit even more crayons? I don’t know enough about woodworking to even know if you can drill at an angle. I see knife blocks all the time and have racked my brain for other uses. Bravo!!
You know, I’m sure there is a way! Do you have a kreg jig? I have a small pocket jig and I’m thinking that maybe I’ll try it on one of them! 🙂 That’s how you drill at an angle, using a jig, but it’s when joining 2 pieces of wood. I could see it working, though!
Soooooo cute
Very clever and cute!
Awesomeness!!!! You should share with your fav local Thriftshop….they will be happy to see all those knife blocks find new homes.Very creative 🙂
Yeah, that’s a great idea! They have no idea! 🙂 Thanks Angie!!
OMG, you are amazing, this is very pretty .
I’ll make one for my daughter,for her makeup brushes.
Thanks for sharing.
Let me know how it turns out, Ruth!
I had no idea where you were going with this. That is adorable.
Thanks! My 4-year old, when he saw the old knife block, gave me another idea, and I’m going to make it for him! 🙂
This project is very imaginative ! One could be done to house markers or art supplies for adults.
Love it. Great job! I think that you should post it to Pinterest. I love Pinterest and I have 43 boards at present. I get great ideas from them.
Nina from Southern California
Hi, Nina! Yep, it’s on Pinterest! Looks like it’s been pinned 1.3K times! WHOA! I’m shocked!!! 🙂 Thanks for the compliments!
What a crazy unique idea!!