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tomatobob_va7

Uses for dresser drawers?

tomatobob_va7
18 years ago

Sometimes, curb shopping, I find complete dresser drawers and their cabinets out on the sidewalk for garbage pickup. On the old ones, the wood is real, not fiberboard or cheap plywood, sometimes it's oak and the drawers are dovetailed. I can use the larger drawers to make smallish coldframes, and the smaller ones to make seedstarting beds for leeks, but after that I'm stumped for GARDEN uses for those drawers. I had to leave a beauty today because I'm out of ideas. What experiences or ideas do you clever folks have on this topic? Thanks for both.

Comments (12)

  • trudi_d
    18 years ago

    I found a missile case. Well, I'll call them missiles. It's a heavy wooden box (shallow trunk?) with rope handles and is made to hold big gigantic bullets that you put into big gigantic launchers and blow up big gigantic things with. I want to mount it to the garage wall, add some shelves and hooks and use it as a cupboard.

    You could use a drawer, painted pretty, stood on its narrow end, as a shelter for the blessed Mary.

    T--who as a youth, with her elder brother, had secured an empty blockbuster shell, spray painted it blue, added a birdbath to the top and gave it to our Mom for Mothers Day. Years later, after the birdbath cracked, we just used the shell as a gigantic ashtray and dropped our butts down the open cap.

  • triple_b
    18 years ago

    Ah I love that irreverent humor!

  • beachbarbie
    18 years ago

    How about as a place to store your garden tools in different locations around you property? You could make a top for it to keep the weather out.
    Nail it up vertically on a fence, paint it (or not) and place small plants on it.
    Barb

  • seedbandito
    18 years ago

    I saw one used in a garden with the drawers opened up in steps & planted with lots of pretty flowers!!! It was very lovely.

    Nancy

  • paradisi
    18 years ago

    tomatobob - how about using the whole cabinet and drawers for storing your root crops? a lot of the older cabinets are made from wood that is a natural pest deterent and would keep the bugs out of your spuds - - and if things go wrong and your root crops rot - all you've lost is a free cabinet.

    even the drawers can be stacked one on top of the other to store your root crops (and probably small pumpkins)

  • chassidysmommy
    18 years ago

    I pop the bottoms out and use them as framing for raised beds. Sometimes lining up a whole dresser worth of drawers, sometimes just a single drawer.

    The dressers themselves are great when laid on their backs, and used as raised beds too! Especially when painted!

    You can also use them in the upright position, as a hanging plant stand, just pull the drawers out in varying amounts, and hang the plants off the pulls.

    Melissa

  • alison
    18 years ago

    I've seen small drawers nailed to the wall of a shed or back porch and used as a shelf for tools, gloves, fertilizer, Preen, etc.

  • girlndocs
    18 years ago

    I just can't stop thinking that there's probably someone out there (lots of someones) who would really appreciate a complete set of old solid-wood drawers for their intended use. I know my husband and I rescued one from the curb and we treasure it, because it's by far the highest-quality piece of furniture we own!

    Maybe you could consider Freecycling the complete drawer sets, or alternatively using Craigslist to sell them for a small sum and using that cash for your garden, and save the garden tasks for the drawers that come with no cases? It seems much less wasteful.

    Kristin

  • williejc
    17 years ago

    I took the bottom out and attached 1/4" wire screen/fencing. I set in my wheelbarrow and I use it as a compost screen.

  • romando
    17 years ago

    One of my neighbors (I live in an apartment complex) has 3-4 large dresser drawers planted chock full of different lettuces and asian vegetables (they're Chinese). I don't speak Mandarin or Cantonese so I haven't spoken to them about it personally, but the people are elderly, live on a fixed income, and have the most beautiful greens growing in those drawers outside on their patio. Whatever they're doing works magically!

    Amanda 'romando'

    Amanda 'romando'

  • annettena
    16 years ago

    Does anyone know how old a piece of furniture would be that has rounded dovetails. I have a dry sink - with black marble top - and each of the drawers have rounded dovetails. If anyone knows when this would have been made and where, I would appreciate the information. Thanks.

  • suman39
    14 years ago

    I have several old drawers from a kitchen remodeling project, the cabinets were taken apart but the drawers are still good. I saw an article on how to make a solar oven and want to try it with wooden drawers instead of cardboard boxes. I know this may not be garden related, but it is if you want to cook your produce! I'l let you know if it works out.

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