Cork Shelf & Drawer Liners

Some of my projects don't turn out as I hope the first time around.  My kitchen drawers are a prime example.

First I lined them with the Rubbermaid rubber-y liner.  I found it in red and it was beautiful.  As long as we didn't open and close the drawers.  It doesn't stay in place.  I could have secured it down with hot glue or double sided tape, but I didn't want to.

Next, I made a dish drain cloth, which didn't look all that great as a dish drainer, but fit almost perfectly in a drawer and gave me a happy feeling every time I looked at it.

The mat is lined with terrycloth, which is nice. The fabric is a little busy for a drawer, but it's vintage from my grandmother.  This would have worked pretty well if it had been the exact size of the drawer.  The width was fine, but the front to back measurement was a bit off - not quite long enough.  I have to tug and pull it back to the front on a regular basis.  Not as often as with the Rubbermaid liner, but enough to annoy me. 

Yesterday, I installed option 3 - cork.  Cork is cushiony, absorbent and naturally resistant to mold and mildew.

My dear hubby ended up with some extra cork from some job in the past.  I had hoped to make a bulletin board out of something cool, but the size wasn't right and the cork has a few tears and creases.  But I'm having no trouble finding good pieces for shelves and liners.

I have finished one shelf and two drawers and am very pleased.

The main reason I decided to use cork was because last week as I was moving some coffee cups, I noticed a mildew-y area under one of the cups.  If I take the cups straight out of the dishwasher and put them away, they may not be completely dry.  Putting them right on a shelf is not a good idea.  ...unless the liner works well with moisture.  ...like cork.    I figure my glasses shelf would need the same protection.  I especially like the sound muffling properties of the cork.  The glasses don't clink as you set them in place.

Next, on to the drawers.  I started with the two that most annoy me.

My gadget drawer is looking good.  

I am going to make a minor change in this drawer.  I'm going to remove the large organizer on the left.  As much as I love organizers and bins, I think this drawer would function better without it.

Also, note - if you decide to use cork to line drawers or shelves, don't bother with adhesive backed cork which would likely be a mess to take back out in the future.  The plain cork will lie flat on it's own.  If it's been in a roll, it may need a day or two of being weighted down, but it will end up totally flat.

I will have to live with my cork liners for awhile before making a true judgment.  I did a bit of Googling on the subject and found random comments here and there where people had used cork to line their drawers for years and loved them.  Stay tuned for a few years and I'll let you know!

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