Wood DIY Animal Knobs
Bring charm and character (literally) to your foyer or drawers with these customizable wooden DIY Animal Knobs!
Bring charm and fun to your cabinets, drawers or walls with these DIY animal knobs! Perfect for kids’ playroom, boys’ bedroom, girls’ bedroom, or even adding a playful touch to an entryway, these hand-painted knobs transform simple wooden balls into adorable animal faces. With a bit of paint and creativity, you can turn plain cabinets and drawers into eye-catching decor that’s as unique as it is functional.
Aileen of At Home In Love made these super cute DIY Animal Knobs that are as customizable as you could want them to be. Let the kids (cough, cough, or yourself) pick their favorite animal and the rest is wall hook history.
Materials and Tools
- Unfinished wood ball knobs in the size of your choice — We used two 2” wood ball knobs and one 2.5” wood ball knobs. You can also use wood doll heads that are available at craft stores.
- Acrylic paint — In various colors depending on your animal(s) of choice. We wanted a seal, a panda, and a fox knob. Acrylic paint works well as it dries quickly and provides good coverage.
- Double sided screws
- Pencil
- Paint brushes
- Wine corks and straight pins — Optional
How to Make DIY Animal Knobs
1 — Optional: Since the wood ball knobs have a hole in the bottom, here’s a quick trick for easy painting and drying. Stick a straight pin into a wine cork, then place the wooden ball on top of the pin. This setup allows you to paint the knob without worrying about holding it or getting paint on your fingers or over the hole.
2 — Paint the base color: Apply a base color over the entire ball to represent the animal’s fur or skin. Let it dry completely before moving on to details.
3 — Sketch the animal faces: Using a pencil, lightly outline the features of each animal face on the wooden ball. Think of simple designs like ears, eyes, noses, and mouths. For a cat, for example, you might paint triangle ears on top, a small nose, whiskers, and round eyes.
4 — Add Details: Using a smaller brush, carefully paint the details of the animal faces. We used a pencil dipped in paint for the fine details like the mouths and eyes to get a little more control. Layer colors as needed, letting each layer dry in between.
5 — Attach the Knobs: Attach one end of each screw into the DIY knob and screw the other end into the wall, cabinets or drawers.
Tutorial Notes and Tips
- Seal for durability: Applying a clear sealant over the finished knobs helps protect the paint from scratches, especially if they’ll be used on high-traffic drawers or cabinets.
- Work with small brushes: Use fine-tipped brushes or even toothpicks for small details like eyes, noses, and whiskers for precise results.
- Drill pilot holes: If you’re attaching the knobs to wooden surfaces, drilling small pilot holes first can make screwing in the knobs easier and reduce the risk of splitting the wood.
More Animal DIY’s To Try
- Upgrade Your Pup’s Digs with These DIY Dog Houses
- Animal Memo Holder
- Animal Ears Cake Toppers
- Flamingo Ring Toss
DIY Animal Drawer Knobs
Equipment
- Pencil
- Paint brush in various sizes
- Double sided screws
- Wine cork optional
- Pins optional
Ingredients
- 3 wood ball knob
- Acrylic paint in various colors depending on your animals
Instructions
- Optional: Since the wood ball knobs have a hole in the bottom, here’s a quick trick for easy painting and drying. Stick a straight pin into a wine cork, then place the wooden ball on top of the pin. This setup allows you to paint the knob without worrying about holding it or getting paint on your fingers or over the hole.
- Paint a base color over the entire ball to represent the animal’s fur or skin. Let it dry completely before moving on to details.
- Using a pencil, lightly sketch the features of each animal face on the wooden ball.
- Using a smaller brush, carefully paint the details of the animal faces. Layer colors as needed, letting each layer dry in between.
- Attach one end of each screw into the painted knobs and screw the other end into the wall, cabinets or drawers.
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