Replacement cabinet handles (1)

Want to go from a knob to a pull? Or attach new handles in a different spot on your cabinets? Cover up any evidence of old hardware, then learn how to install cabinet hardware on existing cabinet doors.Degol let you know.

What You Need

Step 1: Fill and Camouflage Screw Holes

First, remove the existing hardware by loosening the screw on the back of the door while holding the old hardware in place. Find a shade of wood-filling putty that best matches your cabinet. To cover holes on wood grain, plan to buy three shades of putty—one that matches the lightest and darkest wood grains as well as one halfway between them. Mix a pinch of each of the three shades together until you have a hue that's as close as possible to your original cabinet.

Use your finger to apply a pinch of putty to the cabinet where the hole is located. Push the putty into the hole to fill it completely.

Use a putty knife to compact the putty, and scrape the flat edge of the knife across the hole to create a smooth surface. Use a damp cloth to remove excess putty. Allow the putty to dry completely. Add more if needed.

If the patched hole color is still not close enough to the cabinet finish, try stain markers and putty pencils to help camouflage the repair.

Step 2: Mark Drill Holes or Build Jig

Place a template from a hardware-installation kit against the edge of the cabinet, and make a pencil mark in the templates holes that correspond with your kitchen cabinet handles.

Step 3: Drill Pilot Holes

Step 4: Attach New Hardware

With your holes already predrilled in the cabinet doors, simply line up your new hardware with the pilot holes on the front of the doors and secure into place with screws from the back. Use a screwdriver to tighten the screws. Repeat this process for each piece until they are all attached. Enjoy your new kitchen cabinet hardware!