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How to Make a Foam Liner for a Tool Drawer

Foam liners keep tools safe from nicks and scratches and help do-it-yourself enthusiasts maintain order in the tool drawer. If your tool drawer doesn't feature foam lining or your current liner has worn out, you can whip up a homemade liner without much difficulty. Before you begin, you'll need to track down closed cell foam – dense, semi-rigid polyurethane foam – from a home improvement center, hardware store or online vendor.

Things You'll Need

  • Tape measure
  • Roll of 1-inch closed cell foam
  • Yardstick
  • Marker
  • Hardware scissors
  • Roll of 1/2-inch closed cell foam
  • Tools
  • Scalpel blade
  • Heat gun
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Instructions

    • 1

      Measure the length and width of your tool drawer with a tape measure. If possible, remove the drawer from the unit to make the job easier. Record the measurements for future reference.

    • 2

      Draw the rectangular shape of your tool drawer with marker on a length of 1-inch thick closed-cell foam. Draw the shape to match the measurements you took previously, keeping the edges straight with a yardstick. Cut the shape out of the foam with hardware scissors. Repeat the process on a length of 1/2-inch thick closed-cell foam.

    • 3

      Arrange the tools you plan to keep in the drawer atop the 1-inch thick piece of foam. Carefully trace each tool's shape onto the foam with a marker. Place the foam on a hard work surface and slowly cut out each shape with a scalpel blade.

    • 4

      Place the 1-inch thick piece of foam, the sheet with the tool-shaped holes in it, face down on your work surface. Place the 1/2-inch thick sheet on top of the 1-inch sheet, making sure they are aligned. Gently lift the 1/2-inch sheet from one end and heat the 1-inch sheet underneath with a heat gun, holding the gun about 2 inches away from the 1-inch sheet's surface. As you heat the 1-inch sheet, press the 1/2-inch sheet onto it, adhering the sheets together. Allow the sheets to cool for about 20 minutes.

    • 5

      Flip the newly adhered sheets over so that the side with the tool-shaped cut-outs faces up. Place your new tool drawer liner in the drawer and put each tool in its custom-shaped spot.