How to Make a Foam Liner for a Tool Drawer

Reorganize your tool drawer with a custom-made liner.

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

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.

References

• Foam Tech: What is the Difference Between Open-cell and Closed-cell Polyurethane Foams?
• Cascade Tool and Foam: Cut-It-Yourself Foam Toolbox Inserts
• The Home Depot: Project Guide: Using a Heat Gun

Resources

• Cascade Tool and Foam: Detailed Lamination Instructions