Make

Pretty and practical, drawer liners keep clothes and kitchen utensils in good nick, and are simple to make and apply. The new domesticity, and a renewed sense that being thrifty and caring for your things does actually matter, means protective measures, such as lining your drawers, are back on the agenda.


Oilcloth is the material of choice in the kitchen. More durable than paper and much easier to clean, bold new designs and colours.

What you will need

• Measuring tape;
• Calculator (for working out total area needed and length of oil cloth required);
• Oil cloth;
• Paper;
• Scissors;
• Ruler;
• Pencil;
• Double-sided tape

How to line a drawer

1. To line your drawers with oilcloth, measure each drawer and work out the total area you need to cover.
2. Purchase an appropriate length of cloth and cut each piece to size. Consider making a pattern of the drawer base in scrap paper so you can trace out onto the back of the oil cloth (particularly if you have many drawers).
3. Securely fix each panel to the base of the drawer using a small length of doublesided sticky tape in each corner and one in the centre; the liners will stay in place but can be easily removed for wiping clean.